“Who” by Jimin, Saturday, December 21, 2024

BTS went on hiatus in 2022 in order for its seven members to complete their military service as required by South Korean law. The boy band has been the most successful K-pop act to date, conquering not only Korean charts but also Billboard’s Hot 100. However, the height of their success coincided with the members approaching their late 20s. Normally, South Korean males are conscripted before the age of 30. BTS’s success prompted lawmakers to question whether or not pop stars could join the list of those exempted from serving their country in the military because they served the country culturally. Olympic gold medal winners, for example, are exempted from military service.

WE’VE NEVER MET, BUT SHE’S ALL I SEE AT NIGHT. In 2022, Jin was the first BTS member to join the military. J-Hope was next in April, and then SUGA in September. In December, Jung Kook, V, Jimin, and RM enlisted. This June, Jin was the first member to finish his service, and J-Hope followed in October. With the hurdle of fulfilling their legal obligations to the South Korean government, the group decided to focus on solo projects. The members had previously released singles and albums, starting with RM’s self-titled mixtape. Just before enlisting, Jin released “The Astronaut,” a song written by Coldplay’s Chris Martin. While solo efforts by each member of BTS have proven successful, Jung Kook and Jimin each topped Billboard’s Hot 100, first Jung Kook’s “Seven” and then Jimin’s “Like Crazy.” Following up “Like Crazy,” Jimin released the album Muse. The single “Who” became a Billboard Global 200 number 1 hit for two consecutive weeks. Just as BLACKPINK has seen new levels of success with Rosé, JENNIE, and LISA’s solo careers, perhaps BTS’s future success is solo.

TELL ME WHY I HAVEN’T FOUND HER. For some rock-leaning music critics, the K-pop universe and the BTS galaxy feel like novelty acts. After all, you can throw money into production and get a listenable product. K-pop tends to follow Western music trends, and this year, rock was a clear influence on Jimin’s “Who” as well as Rosé’s “APT.” and a growing number of K-pop rock bands like DAY6, which gained popularity this year. But BTS had been flirting with rock since their 2018 Love Yourself ‘Answer’when they included rock remixes of two singles, “DNA” and “Fake Love.” The group’s moody 2020 single “Black Swan” included a guitar riff similar to Jimin’s 2023 hit “Like Crazy,” which went in a more rock direction when “Black Swan” took a more trap-beat hip-hop direction. “Who” received rock remixes, and BTS’s continued association with Coldplay has made Coldplay more of a pop act and BTS more of a rock act. SUGA’s inclusion on Halsey’s remix of “Lilith” further acted as a bridge between the synthetic pop and rock. Whatever genre BTS or its members claim, “Who” was a big hit this year on Spotify, especially in South Korea. Even after Rosé’s “APT.” became a global hit, “Who” continued to sit atop Korea’s Spotify charts and is even at the top of today’s daily chart. Time will tell what the future of BTS will look like, but in 2024, Jimin is king.