Various members of BTS have gone solo recently, but not for the usual reasons. While an American or British boyband usually finds either that its fanbase has matured beyond its music, or that its members can no longer stand to be in the same room as one another, in South Korea it’s a choice between going it alone or signing up to the country’s obligatory military service – which they’ll all have to do by their 28th birthdays. Members J-Hope and Jin have joined the 36th and 5th Infantry Divisions respectively, while Suga is doing his time as a social worker.
In contrast, Jeon Jung-kook, who performs as Jung Kook, is the youngest at 26, and thus in a bit less of a hurry to join up. He’s been having a more exciting time, notably getting to sing his song Dreamers in front of a vast audience at the opening ceremony of the Qatar World Cup. In the summer he became the second BTS member to have a solo number one in the US, following Jimin in March.
He’s become such an influential figure that some media outlets call him the “Sold Out King” for his ability to drive sales of anything from kombucha to traditional hanbok jackets to fabric softener. His occasional livestream broadcasts from his home are so popular that in June, six million people spent 45 minutes watching him sleep. He’s also the rebellious one, relatively speaking, with the most tattoos and piercings and a surprise F-word on that number one single, Seven.
As the baby of the group, vastly famous since the age of 15, he’s in a great position for further success. Justin Timberlake, Harry Styles and Robbie Williams were also the youngest members of their boybands. Possibly to the chagrin of his home fans, he’s also aimed himself fully at western markets, singing entirely in English and working with major American and English writers and producers including Diplo, BloodPop, Shawn Mendes and Ed Sheeran. The latter’s contribution, Yes or No, is completely in the Sheeran style, with Jung Kook even taking on Ed’s fast-paced, rhythmic lyrical delivery.
A lot of boxes are ticked for pop lovers: Seven has the garage beats of Craig David, 3D has the slick funkiness of Timberlake’s solo debut, and elsewhere, as on Somebody and the DJ Snake collaboration Please Don’t Change, he maintains a smooth, classy dance sound. What elevates it is his fluid, expressive voice, which consistently raises chart-friendly material to a higher plane.
