Kim Taehyung has… a lot of quirks. In the early days of BTS he was loud, full of energy, and never missed a chance to put on a show for the camera. As he began to grow up, some of his energy mellowed—he became a bit quieter, and often thought more before saying whatever was on his mind. Now, I often hear V described as “mysterious” and “hard to get to know”. Taehyung was 17 when he debuted. As he’s aged, V has become more than just his stage name. V has become a different persona. V is the mask he puts on when performing. But if you dig a little deeper and look behind the mask… if you pay attention carefully to the lesser-known aspects of his personality, the quieter and quirkier parts, you’ll find the mystery will fall away to reveal sweet warmth, a depth of character and intelligence, and a clever sense of humor. While over the years the distinction between Kim Taehyung and V has become more stark, both pieces are still part of the whole. He is both Taehyung AND V. This week we’ll explore the years during which BTS hit new heights of creativity and fame, and reached new lows of exhaustion and pain. We’ll see Taehyung explore the mask of V, and how he learned to use it to both his advantage and detriment.

”It’s all a scam. They’re trying to trick you.” These were the words Kim Taehyung heard from his grandmother, after Big Hit Entertainment called to invite him to a second audition to become an Idol trainee at their company. Taehyung was confused. It was true he hadn’t intended to audition for the company, he’d only gone along because his friend was trying out. But he’d seen how professional they were, and when they’d asked him if he also wanted to try, he’d been so happy. He didn’t know what to think now. Was it really all a trick? Did they not actually want him? Luckily staff members at Big Hit also reached out to Taehyung’s father to assure him that they were legit, and that they wanted his son to audition again, this time privately, not at an open casting call. This time, the family believed what they were hearing, and they got Taehyung to that second audition. Which he passed easily. Big Hit knew that Taehyung had talent, but they weren’t sure what to do with him at first.