The Fort Worth Press - Emotional BTS tell fans they're taking a break to 'figure things out'

USD -
AED 3.672983
AFN 68.112673
ALL 94.198378
AMD 389.366092
ANG 1.801814
AOA 913.000342
ARS 1002.373762
AUD 1.535425
AWG 1.8025
AZN 1.702735
BAM 1.877057
BBD 2.018523
BDT 119.468305
BGN 1.87679
BHD 0.376794
BIF 2953.116752
BMD 1
BND 1.347473
BOB 6.908201
BRL 5.800986
BSD 0.99976
BTN 84.384759
BWP 13.658045
BYN 3.27175
BYR 19600
BZD 2.015164
CAD 1.39773
CDF 2871.000206
CHF 0.893259
CLF 0.035441
CLP 977.925332
CNY 7.242966
CNH 7.255695
COP 4389.749988
CRC 509.237487
CUC 1
CUP 26.5
CVE 105.825615
CZK 24.28895
DJF 178.031575
DKK 7.158303
DOP 60.252411
DZD 134.221412
EGP 49.58284
ERN 15
ETB 122.388982
EUR 0.95985
FJD 2.27595
FKP 0.789317
GBP 0.797766
GEL 2.73993
GGP 0.789317
GHS 15.795384
GIP 0.789317
GMD 70.999977
GNF 8617.496041
GTQ 7.717261
GYD 209.15591
HKD 7.784201
HNL 25.264168
HRK 7.133259
HTG 131.234704
HUF 394.421502
IDR 15943.55
ILS 3.70177
IMP 0.789317
INR 84.43625
IQD 1309.659773
IRR 42074.999774
ISK 139.680283
JEP 0.789317
JMD 159.268679
JOD 0.709102
JPY 154.770141
KES 129.468784
KGS 86.500646
KHR 4025.145161
KMF 472.503525
KPW 899.999621
KRW 1404.509773
KWD 0.30785
KYD 0.833149
KZT 499.179423
LAK 21959.786938
LBP 89526.368828
LKR 290.973655
LRD 180.450118
LSL 18.040693
LTL 2.95274
LVL 0.60489
LYD 4.882192
MAD 10.057392
MDL 18.23504
MGA 4666.25078
MKD 59.052738
MMK 3247.960992
MNT 3397.999946
MOP 8.015644
MRU 39.77926
MUR 46.850206
MVR 15.459571
MWK 1733.576467
MXN 20.44549
MYR 4.468031
MZN 63.909924
NAD 18.040693
NGN 1696.699662
NIO 36.786794
NOK 11.077505
NPR 135.016076
NZD 1.714076
OMR 0.384846
PAB 0.99976
PEN 3.790969
PGK 4.025145
PHP 58.938964
PKR 277.626662
PLN 4.158919
PYG 7804.59715
QAR 3.646048
RON 4.78029
RSD 112.294256
RUB 104.167286
RWF 1364.748788
SAR 3.754429
SBD 8.383555
SCR 13.698973
SDG 601.496859
SEK 11.03372
SGD 1.346598
SHP 0.789317
SLE 22.729751
SLL 20969.504736
SOS 571.332598
SRD 35.494034
STD 20697.981008
SVC 8.748021
SYP 2512.529858
SZL 18.034455
THB 34.592502
TJS 10.647152
TMT 3.5
TND 3.17616
TOP 2.342096
TRY 34.514978
TTD 6.790153
TWD 32.583495
TZS 2659.340659
UAH 41.35995
UGX 3694.035222
UYU 42.516436
UZS 12825.951341
VES 46.55914
VND 25419
VUV 118.722009
WST 2.791591
XAF 629.547483
XAG 0.031938
XAU 0.000369
XCD 2.70255
XDR 0.760497
XOF 629.547483
XPF 114.458467
YER 249.92504
ZAR 18.08816
ZMK 9001.202175
ZMW 27.617448
ZWL 321.999592
  • BCC

    3.4200

    143.78

    +2.38%

  • RBGPF

    59.2400

    59.24

    +100%

  • SCS

    0.2300

    13.27

    +1.73%

  • AZN

    1.3700

    65.63

    +2.09%

  • RELX

    0.9900

    46.75

    +2.12%

  • GSK

    0.2600

    33.96

    +0.77%

  • NGG

    1.0296

    63.11

    +1.63%

  • CMSD

    0.0150

    24.46

    +0.06%

  • JRI

    -0.0200

    13.21

    -0.15%

  • BP

    0.2000

    29.72

    +0.67%

  • VOD

    0.1323

    8.73

    +1.52%

  • BTI

    0.4000

    37.38

    +1.07%

  • RIO

    -0.2200

    62.35

    -0.35%

  • RYCEF

    -0.0100

    6.79

    -0.15%

  • BCE

    0.0900

    26.77

    +0.34%

  • CMSC

    0.0320

    24.672

    +0.13%

Emotional BTS tell fans they're taking a break to 'figure things out'
Emotional BTS tell fans they're taking a break to 'figure things out' / Photo: © AFP/File

Emotional BTS tell fans they're taking a break to 'figure things out'

K-pop megastars BTS told fans they were taking a break from the supergroup to focus on their solo careers, citing exhaustion and the pressures of stratospheric success in an emotional video appearance.

Text size:

But the Grammy-nominated septet's label HYBE pushed back on Wednesday as their share price went into freefall, telling AFP that the pop juggernaut would still be working together.

The seven members of BTS, credited with generating billions of dollars for the South Korean economy, dropped the bombshell on Tuesday, telling fans that they were "exhausted" and needed time apart.

"We're going into an off phase now," said Suga, 29, speaking Korean to his bandmates at a group dinner, a video of which was posted to the group's official YouTube channel.

The clip included English subtitles, which used the word "hiatus", but HYBE quickly disputed that, saying group activities would not be suspended.

"They will be doing team and individual projects simultaneously," a representative for the label, whose share price was down 27 percent early Wednesday, told AFP.

In the video, RM, 27, said they were "exhausted" and that they "didn't know what kind of group we were anymore."

"The problem with K-pop and the whole idol system is that they don't give you time to mature," he said, referring to South Korea's notoriously hard-driving music business model.

"Somehow, it's become my job to be a rapping machine," he said, adding that this made him feel "trapped".

"I wanted to shed that for a little bit, but the world wouldn't let me be."

Jimin, 26, said the members are "slowly trying to figure things out now".

"I think that's why we're going through a rough patch right now, we're trying to find our identity and that's an exhausting and long process."

- 'Overwhelming' -

By the end of the dinner, several of the members of the group behind "Dynamite" and "Butter" had grown tearful as they voiced gratitude for their supporters, a fandom known online as the "ARMY".

J-Hope, 28, said the group "should spend some time apart to learn how to be one again".

"I hope you don't see this is a negative thing," the artist implored fans. "And see that it's a healthy plan."

"It's not that we're disbanding -- we're just living apart for a while," said Suga.

Jungkook, 24, said, "we promise we will return someday even more mature than we are now", and asked for the "blessing" of fans.

ARMY's online reaction was tearful but supportive, with tens of thousands of comments quickly posted under the YouTube video.

"I can't imagine how much pressure they felt these latest years. Being called the biggest band in the world, having all that responsibility... must be overwhelming," one fan wrote.

"I really love how honest they are here," wrote another.

"They are also people like us. They get exhausted and worn out. They deserve to rest and enjoy what they love to do," the commenter added.

BTS has said they were going on short breaks before, first in 2019 and later in December 2021.

The news comes just days after the group released "Proof", an anthology album that included a new single, "Yet To Come (The Most Beautiful Moment)".

J-Hope, who is slated to headline Chicago's Lollapalooza on his own later this summer, said in the clip that time apart could help BTS "become a stronger group".

- 'Confusing' -

BTS's label enjoyed a surge in profits despite holding fewer concerts during the pandemic.

But their messaging around the band's next steps was "confusing" and "not clear", Lee Moon-won, a K-pop culture commentator, told AFP.

"It appears what they meant is BTS will continue their 'supplementary' group activities (such as on YouTube) while pursuing solo careers," he said, while not releasing music as a band.

"It would have been more appropriate had the label first issued a statement clearly detailing what it would mean," Lee said, adding that it was a bad decision to have the band announce the development, which was sure to send fans into a tailspin.

BTS are the first all-South Korean act to reign over Billboard's US top singles chart, a milestone they achieved with "Dynamite", the first BTS song sung completely in English.

They're also one of few acts since The Beatles to release four albums that hit number one stateside in less than two years.

The group has twice been nominated for a Grammy but has yet to win.

BTS recently made headlines for visiting the White House to deliver a message to President Joe Biden on the fight against anti-Asian racism.

L.Davila--TFWP