BTS is getting ready to dance solo. The K-pop superstars announced a hiatus in their June 14 “dinner party†video (as they celebrated with a delicious-looking spread of Korean food and liquor). The band explained the hiatus would be to focus on members’ solo projects, coming after the news that J-Hope would headline Lollapalooza solo next month. They revealed J-Hope has an album to come, with other members following with their own solo music. They’re even planning collaborations, like a possible upcoming Jimin-Jin song. “We’re each going to take some time to have fun and experience lots of things,†Jungkook told fans in Korean. “We promise we will return someday even more mature than we are now. I hope that you could give us your blessing.†That promise is key, after past boy bands (*cough* One Direction) have announced hiatuses and never re-formed afterward. BTS also revealed they’re no longer living together, adding that that’s made them closer. Oh, and Suga is enjoying Pilates classes and Jin has gotten into gaming! A representative for BTS shifted into stan damage control, telling Pitchfork the band is “not on hiatus.†The rep added the group would “take time to explore some solo projects at this time and remain active in various different formats.†Still sounds like a hiatus to us, but sure!
In BTS’s nine-year career, the seven-piece became nothing shy of the biggest K-pop group in history. The band was particularly able to cross over in the U.S., earning the first Korean No. 1 album in the U.S. in 2018 with Love Yourself: Tear, the first Korean-language No. 1 song in the U.S. in 2020 with “Life Goes On,†and the first Grammy nomination for a Korean act in 2020. In total, the band has four No. 1 albums, six No. 1 songs, and two Grammy nominations, along with multiple massively popular tours. Just last week, BTS released the compilation album Proof and single “Yet to Come†— in retrospect, capping off this era of the band’s career. But just like the band told you: The best moment is yet to come.
This post has been updated.