BTS announces hiatus, but promises to return : NPR

Korean band BTS appears at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards in Las Vegas on April 3, 2022.

Jordan Strauss/Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP

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Jordan Strauss/Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP

Korean band BTS appears at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards in Las Vegas on April 3, 2022.

Jordan Strauss/Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP

K-pop superstar group BTS is taking a break. The South Korean boy band announced their decision during a long dinner party which they filmed and shared on social media.

“I always thought BTS was different from other groups, but the problem with K-pop and the whole idol system is that they don’t give you time to mature,” RM said, the leader of the group, according to the translation of their video.

He went on to say that after years of work, the band had lost its direction.

A representative from Hybe, the entertainment company that represents the group, released a statement, “To be clear, they are not on hiatus but will be taking time to explore some solo projects at this time and will remain active in various formats. “

In the video, the seven BTS members are seated at a long table with an assortment of food and drinks. Balloons and the words “BTS Festa” decorate the wall.

BTS officially debuted in 2013. Group members Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V, and Jungkook are now nearly 30 years old and have spent several years together achieving worldwide success and becoming one of the best known in the world. music groups.

They recently used their influence to send a message against anti-Asian hatred to the White House last month.

But after all this time, their work has become more robotic, according to Jin.

“I also have my own hobbies and things that I want to do on my own,” he said.

Suga said in the video that it’s been a real struggle to come up with lyrics that mean something.

For the band to continue, they need to step back and grow and mature as individuals, they said.

RM said they had to do their own thing. “I want BTS to last a long time,” he said.

They said they plan to return after this break.