Jung Kook (정국) is currently in his solo era. The BTS boybander has been busy promoting his solo debut ‘GOLDEN’ around the world. From eating New York pizza for the first time to bringing traffic to a standstill at New York studios when he appeared on the Today Show, there is simply no stopping the phenomenon that is Jung Kook.
In his latest interview with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe, the 26-year-old K-pop star opens up about the advantages of being a maknae in the largest boy group in existence, missing his BTS bandmates, and talking about their special bond together. Of course, the main focus also centered on Jung Kook’s solo career, which individuals inspired him to push forward, the thought process behind his album and what lies ahead in the not so distant future.
Jung Kook on being the youngest member of BTS and learning from his older bandmates…
I think there certainly was a special privilege for being the youngest and I had a lot of help in ways that I may or may not know. And the members are such nice people. I think I took a lot of great things from them. I got so much help from all six of them, it allowed me to grow to where I am today.
Jung Kook reflects on the early days of BTS and feeling uncool…
Ah.. since it’s been more than ten years now, my memories are a bit sketchy. But I would say we were not that cool. Of course, at the time, the other members looked so cool to me. But honestly, I still can’t watch the footage from when we first debuted or even from a few years later. It makes me feel cringe and embarrassed. I’d think if only, what if? I’m thinking, if only I could have some of the emotions I feel now. What if? What could have been? We had that raw vibe for sure. It was just the seven of us all lacking something, but then trying to make it work just by ourselves. I think we are where we are today because of those days of being together and trying to make it work.
Jung Kook on the members of BTS deciding to pursue solo endeavors…
So you know the three rappers, RM, SUGA, j-hope they actually had a big influence on that because ever since they debuted they were working on their own thing and putting it out there. The vocal members actually got a lot of inspiration from that. There were lots of cover songs, fan songs, or holiday songs. So watching them, it became kind of natural, to do your own work and to put out your own work. So given various circumstances, we started working as solo artists on our own….but again, it happened very naturally. As for the reason, honestly, before I released the single “Seven”, I didn’t have any specific plans. When I listened to the piece and I felt, oh, I have to do this. And so that’s how it came through. But in any case, those three had a great influence for making it so natural to do so.
Jung Kook on feeling more pressure to collaborate with others compared to his solo work…
Well, I enjoy doing my solo work. I also enjoy collaborating with others. But I think if anything, in terms of pressure, I feel more pressure with my outside work because it’s not purely mine. I get in this mindset that I shouldn’t be a nuisance to the music, so I get more nervous. When I went to shoot the music video for “TOO MUCH”, I was more nervous because you know, I couldn’t let them down. So if anything, I think I feel more pressure in those cases.
Jung Kook on embracing more honest and unfiltered lyrics…
Well, from “SEVEN” and up to GOLDEN, none of the songs actually are my personal stories. Actually, they’re all love songs, which I felt were the most universal feeling. So I wanted to work on a lot of these good songs that fit within that kind of theme. And so you’ll notice in the album there’s a continuum of that love theme. This is a very important time for me. But as a young artist this would be the time for me to sing lyrics like that and I needed to change up my image a little. Honestly, even for me it was a challenge and I was concerned about the lyrics myself.
Jung Kook on his favorite part of creating ‘GOLDEN’…
Well, there were many different stories and themes and all of these songs are across different genres. And then performing in English. Before I was performing as a part of a group and even if it was my solo work, it was mostly fan songs. But now it was an entire body of work I was working on my own and I really enjoyed that process. It was so much fun to work abroad, side-by-side with a foreign producer. And after we finished each song, I felt a great sense of accomplishment. The process itself was really enjoyable.
Jung Kook on the incredible feeling of performing live for his fans…
It’s a feeling that’s difficult to put into words. It’s like getting all the good words in the world and putting it all together. Is it heaven? I don’t know. In any case, it’s just so so so so good. It’s so great to be singing as an artist in that space with all these people who are cheering me on. It just makes me very happy and even gives me goosebumps from just how happy it makes me feel.
Jung Kook on why “Standing Next To You” is his favorite song on the album and why he wants fans to experience it as loud as possible…
“Standing Next To You”. Of course, the song itself is great, but more than that, it just allowed me to see this grandiose picture when I heard the song and I could see myself right away performing on stage with that song. So I I felt that that was the best title track for the album. That’s how I chose it. It has a very special place in my heart because the recording process was really difficult. But one thing that I would like to ask of ARMY is to not listen to it with earphones on or with their smartphone, but to listen to it loud on a loud speaker.
Jung Kook on his expectations heading into the release of “Seven”…
When I first released “Seven”, or even before the release. I think I was confident and I had expectations for the song, but it wasn’t that I wanted to take this single and maybe set records or set, you know, a record high. But I just was very curious to know, here is this song that I really like and love. Would people relate to it? Would people relate to how I relate to those songs? Would people like the same songs that I like? I was really curious about those. I honestly am not sure what to expect even from myself. I don’t know what will happen. I could, all of a sudden, do something else. But, I have a lot of passion for music. There is a lot of life left in it for me and I expect that to continue into the future.
Jung Kook on missing BTS, looking forward to reuniting and why starting up again in 2025 will be “Incredible”…
Well, no, I don’t think it’s too far along in the future. Preparing as a solo artist and also working as a solo musician…there were times where I really missed. When I was in the waiting room or standing by myself on stage or eating with the staff. We were always together for so many years that I felt the void of them not being next to me. You know, I miss them. And I was thinking about them. So I suppose that year could seem far away, but I don’t want to think that way. I think the synergy of BTS in 2025 will be incredible. I am so looking forward to it.
Jung Kook on what he loves most about the special bond with ARMY…
Well, there’s a saying in Korea “you follow your friends to Gangnam”… but between BTS and ARMY, I don’t know who’s following who. Maybe BTS is following ARMY or ARMY is following BTS, I don’t know. There’s this very special bond and also a sense of depending on one another that I think is very special. And then going beyond that, I want to have authentic and comfortable conversations with ARMY…at the end of everything, the real me. Honestly, there’s a line a singer shouldn’t cross with the fans. But of course, I won’t cross that line. I will be courteous to the fans. But if anything, just like a friend you can talk to about anything. So I think there’s something like that with my fans.
Jung Kook on staying focused on the present moment…
Yes, I only look to the future. I try my best to not leave anything from the past. Because personally, I just really don’t like staying at one place like that. Regardless of it being an actual place, a memory, or a mistake I made. But because I really hate staying there so I am always looking at the present. Even for the present or the future, instead of looking only at the future, I see in the present right now. That’s how I am. But it’s not that I try to erase what has already happened. I acknowledge and recognize things for what they are, and then I move on and take my next step forward. I’m able to think, make judgment, and move on because of that process. But I think it’s foolish to stay there, to be stuck. So for things I regret, I regret in the present, and then move on from them. That is my life motto.
Jung Kook on why he puts ARMY before everything else…
But what I think of as the top priority is.. this is a little inconsistent, but the biggest issue is to not think about myself, but I think of ARMY first. It’s not my family, it’s not the BTS members, but it’s ARMY. So as Jung Kook of BTS, I think more about what I do together with ARMY. Rather than a goal or something like that, by these people, or thanks to these people, or because of these people, that I’m able to create and have purpose and then as I enjoy myself doing that, it becomes an accomplishment… the order never goes the other way around.
Jung Kook on his early musical memories…
Well, when I was growing up, I wasn’t one of those kids that were really into music as a child. But as I started to get into the music industry, I gradually started to like it. And when I was working on our album called ‘The Most Beautiful Moment In Life’, when I listened to that album. Well, really, the music. So from the perspective of a musician. When we created that, I felt impressed. It was this new feeling in music for me. So from then on,it made me want to seek out cool, great music, to listen to the songs and also create that kind of music.
Jung Kook on the possibility of pursuing a career in design one day…
I think I could possibly see myself going into design or drawing somehow, or go into sports. I liked drawing since I was a child. I definitely want to study drawing sometime in the future. I have a weak spot for creative work. I really want to try it out myself someday.
Watch the full interview here:
