BTS – You Never Walk Alone

By starrymag | April 3, 2017

By: Jamie Steinberg

 

Q) How would you describe your sound?

 

JK: BTS music is what people of our age can relate to. We try to adapt the hottest, trendiest music there is and it is one of many reasons people like our music regardless of cultures and languages.

 

V: BTS music has a very wide spectrum from powerful, up-beat dance to emotional songs and I don’t see any limits to our music. We’re continuing to expand our boundaries as we grow.

 

Q) Who are some of your musical influences? Any American artists that you love? 

 

Rap Monster: J. Cole, Drake, dvsn, THEY., Frank Ocean

 

SUGA: Kanye West. He always successfully creates his music in the freshest and trendiest ways. I admire him.

 

j-hope: J. Cole, Mac Miller.

 

Jimin: Ariana Grande

 

Q) Talk about the story behind your new song “Spring Day.”

 

SUGA: I wrote most of the lyrics and “I hate this moment this time flowing by we are changed you know, just like everyone you know” is based on my personal story with my old friend. I tried to remember the good memories with him.

 

Q) What do you think it is about the song that fans connect to?

 

Jin: It’s really up to each individual to connect to the song and feel what they want. I think it’s what music is for; you connect to it based on your life and emotions. Most of BTS music is based on our personal experiences and thoughts.

 

V: I personally think about my old-time friends whenever I listen to “Spring Day’” I don’t get to meet them as often as I used to, but I still miss them very much.

 

Q) How does the video play into the message of the song?

 

Jin: The video conveys how you feel when you miss someone. You feel lonely when you’re alone, but get your smiles back once you have your friends around you, just like in the movie. I’d like you to pay special attention to all the small details and props in the movie as well.

 

JK: “Not Today” is very straight-forward in many ways. We tried to make the killer group dance scenes with dozens of dancers. I think it is one of the best out of all the BTS videos. I personally like the part where it says “Not today you never die today” and it syncs with the powerful dance moves.

 

Q) Which track off your album Wings / You Never Walk Alone means the most to you and why?

 

JK: “Begin,” my first solo. The track is about my story when I was fifteen years old and first met BTS members. Rap Monster wrote great lyrics for me and I tried to deliver my emotions in detail when recording. The song means a lot to me and I’m grateful to Rap Monster.

 

Q) What is your song writing process? Do you need music before you can create lyrics?

 

Rap Monster: I usually write lyrics first and put melodies to them. And I write rap part at the end.

 

SUGA: I create beats first and write the rap that goes with it and then put up melodies.

 

j-hope: I think about the bigger picture or theme for each song and then write beats to go along. With key melodies ready, I develop the song filling in details in phase. 큰 주제를

 

Jimin: I need a topic or theme to write melodies and lyrics, so I try to come up with melodies I like after a specific topic for the song.

 

Q) How much of hand do you have in the production of your music?

 

Rap Monster: I get a lot of help from the professional producers, but I try to tune in EQ and reverberation on my own by repeating it over and over until it meets my original intentions.

 

SUGA: It varies really. I have a lot of hand in production for some tracks while I get a lot of help from in-house producers.

 

j-hope: I definitely have a lot of hands in production by taking a long time with small details.

 

Jimin: “Lie,” my first solo was my genuine production and I had a lot of hands on it over and over.

 

 

Q) What songs off the album can you tease will be getting music videos beyond “Spring Day” and “Not Today?”

 

Jin: We don’t have video planned yet, but if there’s any, it will be awesome as always!

 

Q) What can fans expect from a live BTS performance?

 

V: BTS’ powerful, top-notch performance on the stage. We’ll show our fans what we can do on stage and it will rock! Stay tuned!

 

Jin: Fans can expect my unique sense of humor as always. I do my best to deliver what makes fans smile.

 

Q) What songs off Wings / You Never Walk Alone are you most looking to performing live?

 

JK: I’m performing solo with “Begin.” I’ve already revealed it to my fans in Korea and they loved it. I hope BTS fans in the USA like it even more.

 

Jin: I really look forward to performing “Lost,” a unit song for BTS vocalists. WINGS concert is the only place where you can hear “Lost” live so stay tuned!

 

Q) Your new album reached the top spot on the iTunes album charts in 13 countries. How does that make you feel?

 

Rap Monster: Reaching the top spot is always the best thrill. I want to top the chart in more countries.

 

SUGA: It feels great to be loved by many fans around the world. We’re very grateful.

 

j-hope: It is my honor to be loved by so many international fans. I’ll make more, better music to live up to your expectations.

 

Q) What do you hope listeners take away from hearing your album?

 

Rap Monster: I hope our listeners get inspired, comforted or emotional in their own worlds. If you feel something and be influenced by our songs, that would be just great.

 

SUGA: I hope my fans get a lot of positive energy by listening to BTS music. We’re all going through a dark, gloomy time, but I want everyone to be courageous to live on.

 

j-hope: I think BTS is trying to deliver a message to people of our age. Please cheer up by listening to our songs.

 

Jimin: I’d be more than happy if people emphasize and touched by our songs. If you’re touched by a song, it should mean something special and positive.

 

Q) You are a part of social media. Why is that such an important way for you to connect with your fans?

 

Jin: We’ve been trying to communicate with our fans worldwide even before we made debut in 2013. We connected to people via social media although we couldn’t meet them in person.

 

JK: We connect to people and reach out to them with our music through social media. It is a very important tool for all of us to make people understand BTS and the band’s music for last four years. I feel very close to my fans worldwide thanks to all different social platforms. It is literally part of BTS.

 

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your work?

 

Jin: Thank you for your love and we’ll do our best to create and deliver the best music for you always.

 

V: I’m doing what I love to do and people love me so much for what I am as an artist. I must be so lucky to be part of BTS. I’ll prove myself to you by performing at my best. Thank you!