BTS’s leader Kim Namjoon, also known as RM has been sharing stories about the hard work behind K-pop’s success throughout his career. The star opened up more about it in a recent interview with El Pais.
RM started off by talking about Korea’s transformation, “People in the West just don’t get it. Korea is a country that has been invaded, devastated, torn in two. Just seventy years ago there was nothing. We were getting help from the IMF and the UN. But now, the whole world is looking at Korea. How is that possible, how did that happen? Because people are working really hard to improve themselves.”
He further continued, “You are in France or the UK, countries that have been colonizing others for centuries, and you come to me with ‘oh God, you put so much pressure on yourselves, life in Korea is so stressful!’. Well, yes. That’s how you get things done. And it’s part of what makes K-pop so appealing. Although of course there are shadows, everything that happens too fast and too intensely has side effects.”
The star also talked about the changes he has undergone over the years, being in the industry. He said, “I went through XXL t-shirts and baseball caps. Then I got into high-end brands… Like Rap Monster, I started wearing only black and white [rolls his eyes upward and shrugs his shoulders]. Now I’m into timelessness, I’m over trends, I’m looking for vintage jeans, cotton t-shirts, natural things that don’t scream ‘hey, I’m here!’”
RM talks about BTS’s split
Namjoon confirmed that he will never leave the band, while talking about his solo career and mandatory military service. “One aspect that needs to be made clear about this album is that, as much as the rumor mill may insist, it does not mean, by any stretch of the imagination, the end of the successful band. I don’t plan to leave BTS. Absolutely not. It’s the first time I’m launching a solo project like this, so I’m trying to stand up and take my first steps,” he said.
“But I’m ambitious and I have willpower. So I don’t want to miss the opportunity to do both. So I will try my best not to lose control and drive these two ships at the same time. A lot of bands split up and fall apart, but I hope that doesn’t happen to BTS. I just love the music, I love my job, I love the band members and I love myself. If I can keep both projects going, I think it can be something legendary in the long run,” he further added.