Recently, BTS won their second Artist of the Year award at the American Music Awards (AMAs) and set an unprecedented global record with their new song "SWIM," becoming the first artist in the world this year to surpass 500 million streams on Spotify.
These global pop stars, who seem to have achieved every possible honor, have now revealed for the first time that they faced severe mental crises and immense pressure during their "military hiatus." In a heartfelt live broadcast, leader RM tearfully shared the hidden struggles behind their glamorous success. Here is the untold behind-the-scenes story.
1. "We were all mentally struggling" — Members cried together on Jin's discharge day
During a Weverse Live broadcast on the 28th, RM opened up about the honest production process and his true feelings regarding BTS’s upcoming 5th full album, ARIRANG. He began cautiously, saying, “I wondered if I should talk about this, but I think now is the right time.”
According to RM, the most difficult period for BTS was ironically around the time of eldest member Jin’s discharge — when the end of their military hiatus was finally in sight. “Around the time Jin hyung was discharged, we were all in a bad mental state,” he confessed. The isolation of military service, uncertainty about the future, and the heavy pressure of their upcoming comeback weighed heavily on the members.
When the seven members finally gathered together after a long time, they hugged each other and burst into tears. In those emotional moments, they asked Jin, “Hyung, you need to hold the team together more,” and made a promise: “Since ARMYs have waited for us, let’s come back with the best album possible.”
2. "A complete group comeback with no one leaving is a miracle" — Breaking through with LA Song Camp
After overcoming this crisis through tears and strengthened bonds, BTS immediately flew to Los Angeles right after Jin’s discharge for an intensive song camp.
However, creating a new album from the very top of the industry was far from easy. RM recalled the enormous pressure, saying, “No matter which producer came, making an album for BTS right after military discharge would have been the hardest job in the world.” They had to agonize over what “the most BTS-like music” should sound like in a rapidly changing music market after years of absence.
He expressed deep gratitude to the members and staff, stating, “The fact that we completed this 5th full album and world tour with not a single member leaving the group is truly a miracle.”
3. "People don’t listen to lyrics anymore…" — RM’s determination to protect musical romance in the short-form era
RM also shared his deep concerns as an artist about the rapidly changing music trends. Having started his musical journey based on literature and beautiful lyrics, he said with a bittersweet tone, “It feels like people don’t listen to lyrics anymore. While I was in the military, I learned about Reels for the first time, and even I found myself following the algorithm.”
He pointed out that today’s music market overly consumes stimulating short-form content and excessive positivity, while ignoring deeper narratives and romance. Nevertheless, RM firmly stated, “Still, we — BTS — want to protect that musical romance until the end.”
This explains why they boldly titled the album ARIRANG, incorporated the sound of the National Treasure Seokdeok Great Bell into the track “No.29,” and filled the title song “SWIM” with deeply healing lyrics.
In Conclusion
Behind their dazzling comeback and record-breaking achievement of three consecutive weeks at No.1 on Billboard lies the human struggle of the members, who held onto their mental health alone during military service and shed tears with one single determination: “We must repay ARMY.”
Refusing to compromise with the era’s algorithms, BTS continues to swim through the ocean while believing in their own musical romance and the power of lyrics. Perhaps the real reason their music touches people around the world as more than just pop is this genuine sincerity.
What did you think of BTS’s honest confession — overcoming the pain of their military hiatus with tears and returning as a complete group?
Hashtags: #BTS #RM #WeverseLive #MilitaryHiatus #BTSComeback #JinDischarge #ARIRANG #SWIM #BTS5thAlbum #MusicalRomance #Kpop
댓글 쓰기