BTS discuss their ongoing success, their new album, and their hopes for a Grammy in a new interview with WSJ. Magazine.
The K-pop group — rappers RM, Suga and J-Hope and vocalists Jung Kook, Jin, V, and Jimin — cover the publication’s highly anticipated November “Innovators” issue.
RM tells the magazine, “[Writing songs] takes a long time for me. So it hurts, body and soul, when I have to throw one away.”
They then talk about touching on psychological and social issues in their songs, with Jin saying: “I don’t like talking about my dark side. I’m in the camp that believes idols should always show their bright and positive side.”
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Jimin says, “We’re preparing our next album now, [and I] think it’d be great if all our songs make it into Billboard’s Hot 100. Another performance at the Grammys would be great.”
Suga then teases, “Just say you’d like to receive the award.”
The group talk about their songwriting process, with J-Hope describing his research-heavy approach.
“I first study the topic and think about what story I need to tell and what kind of content it should encompass,” he says. “Sometimes the type of stories I’m dealing with are light, but sometimes they aren’t, so it’s important that I’m knowledgeable about what I’m working on.”
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Suga says he comes across ideas for his songs from the books he reads: “I tend to think a lot about the meaning behind words. We deal a lot with emotions so I spend a lot of time thinking about how words can be construed differently.”
Acknowledging their huge success, Jung Kook shares: “In the past, we had clear goals and a thirst. We had to do well—we were desperate.
“I still have a similar mindset. It’s the achievements we’ve made every step of the way that are prompting me to want to challenge myself more.”
“Before, we were all just fixated on looking for the camera when the red light came on,” says Jimin. “Now we feel more relaxed.”
Jin adds of being onstage in front of BTS’s devoted fans, officially dubbed ARMY, “That feeling [of being onstage] is really the best thrill I probably get in life. Even if I leave one day, I think I’ll be back for this.”
