BTS Star V's Journey: From An Accidental Audition To Global Stardom
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While growing up, Taehyung liked singing and also played the saxophone.
In just a few weeks, BTS will reunite after nearly three years, following their mandatory military service. While Jin and J-Hope have already made their mark with successful solo projects, the countdown is on for the remaining members—RM, Suga, Jimin, V, and Jungkook—who are set to be discharged in June.
Among the septet, one name that continues to shine is Kim Taehyung, better known to millions of his fans as V. He has carved a space for himself in the ever-competitive industry with his unique deep voice and unmatchable looks. Ahead of his return from the military, here's everything to know about the K-pop powerhouse.
Born on December 30, 1995, in Daegu, South Korea, Taehyung completed his studies at Korea Art School and Global Cyber University. He grew up singing and playing the saxophone. While he had a knack for music since childhood, he never planned to audition for Big Hit Entertainment. He had accompanied his friend, who went for an audition at the company. But as fate would have it, the company showed interest in Taehyung and asked him to audition as well.
While his friend failed, V went on to become a trainee. During the training, he once had a difficult time and wanted to quit being a trainee. He endured the challenges and then debuted with BTS in June 2013, becoming one of the most successful Hallyu stars at present. Taehyung is one of the vocalists of BTS, as well as a songwriter and visual.
Apart from his work with BTS, V is also known for singing a few K-drama OSTs, including Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth's It's Definitely You and Our Beloved Summer's Christmas Tree. In January 2019, he released his first independent song, Scenery. He wrote and composed the song along with the cover art for it. The same year, he released another single titled Winter Bear, the first all-English song. In December 2023, V released his debut solo studio album, Layover. Comprising six songs, his album debuted at the No. 2 spot on the Billboard 200 chart. Last year, V released two singles, White Christmas and Winter Ahead, while serving in the military.
Besides his singing career, BTS' V also took on acting projects. He made his on-screen debut in 2016 with the historical drama Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth. The 29-year-old K-pop idol is also part of a friends group called Wooga Squad, which comprises actors Park Seo Joon, Park Hyung-sik, Choi Woo Shik and rapper Peakboy. All five of them starred in Disney+'s reality show In the Soop: Friendcation.
He is also the brand ambassador of luxury brands Celine and Cartier and has been recognised as the Most Handsome Man Alive a few times. V has also been credited for coining the term 'I purple you" in 2016, which has since become a symbol of BTS and its fans. He currently enjoys a fan following of over 66 million on Instagram.
Speaking of his military service, V enlisted on December 11, and after the completion of his basic training, he was assigned to the Special Task Force of the Military Police Corps. He is expected to be discharged by June 10, 2025.
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