WEEK 71 | And You Give Me Life…
May 19-25, 2025
Intention.
Golden Promotional Photo
I can’t define what a pop star is, but I think it’s just enjoying the stage and the music itself.
December of 2022 brought with it the military enlistment of BTS’ oldest member, Jin, and an official temporary halt to all of the group’s activities. Six months earlier, at their annual FESTA livestream, they’d told ARMY they would be pausing as a group to pursue individual projects for awhile, and also to reset their focus for the future of BTS. After living and working together nonstop for just about ten years, they needed a break.
Emotions were heightened in the room, with some of the members even finding themselves in tears while they explained their feelings. Jung Kook, ever practical, simply asked ARMY to understand and give their blessing. “Everyone has their own timeline,” he explained. “The timing should have come to us earlier…but we have to do it now. We promise we will return someday, even more mature than we are now.”
As he spoke, the other members all praised him and exclaimed “Jung Kook is all grown up! He’s so wise now!” Over the next six months, the members were busy—both recording group content to be released later, and working on various solo endeavors. JK himself recorded the song “Dreamers” for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, and traveled to Qatar to perform at the Opening Ceremony.
Golden Promotional Photo
But after Jin enlisted later that year, despite his earlier brave face and confident words, JK found himself adrift—without BTS and without purpose. He knew he needed to work on the solo album he wanted to release before his own military enlistment, but first he took a well-deserved break, getting to spend some quality time in his first solo home with his doberman, Bam, who he’d adopted in 2021. As 2023 began, Jung Kook fell into a pattern of what he later referred to as “doing nothing”, during which he started going LIVE on Weverse from his house (without permission from the company) whenever he wanted—sometimes just hanging out with ARMY for hours at a time, singing, cooking, cleaning. Often, he’d have some drinks, do karaoke, and get really sentimental. We loved getting to spend this time with JK, but there were moments when he seemed unsure, like he didn’t have a direction in which to point himself.
After a few months, once we saw the release of both Jimin and SUGA’s solo albums, and j-hope enlisted, ARMY began to wonder… was Jung Kook working on a solo album, or had his plans changed since that FESTA dinner the previous summer? Luckily, it wouldn’t be too much longer before we got our answer. In July, he dropped his official debut solo single, “Seven (feat. Latto)” and began his months-long takeover of the global pop charts. It was a cultural moment all on its own, but also served as an appetizer to the upcoming main course.
This week we’ll begin our exploration of Jung Kook’s Golden, a solo debut that was both years in the making and the result of several last-minute “trusting your gut” decisions. We’ll see how JK’s constant desire to prove and challenge himself led to him exploding onto the western pop scene with an album completely sung in English, and a brand-new attitude and look to go along with it.
DAY ONE:
“3D (feat. Jack Harlow)” Official M/V
On September 23, 2023, Jung Kook performed at the Global Citizen’s Festival in New York City, an event that aimed to drive urgent awareness and action to end extreme global poverty. It rained almost the entire day, which seems to be something of a tradition now whenever JK visits New York. He sang several songs, including his hit single “Seven” (more on that later), which featured a surprise drop in from Latto, his collaborator on the song. It was not only their first time performing together, but also their first time meeting in person.
Despite the rain, and some obvious sound issues, Jung Kook’s set was amazing. The audience (which was full of ARMY) was thrilled to see him no matter what. And as he wrapped and left the stage, behind-the-scenes cameras followed him as he immediately started reviewing his performance to himself. Suddenly, he perked up as he heard a bit of familiar music play, and a roar of excitement from the crowd he’d just said goodbye to.
“Oh yeah!” he laughed. “3D!” He held up three fingers to the camera, his signature bunny smile on full display, clearly pleased with himself.
What had played was a small teaser for Jung Kook’s second solo single, “3D (feat. Jack Harlow)”. It had only lasted a few seconds, but it was enough for fans to lose their minds. When the song dropped a week later, on September 29th, the insanity increased. And then, after another two days, when Jung Kook’s first solo album, Golden was announced—utter calamity.
After “Seven (feat. Latto)”, ARMY didn’t know what to expect next from Jung Kook, but it was safe to say it was going to be devastating. And it was. “3D (feat. Jack Harlow)” is a track that is immediately, from the very first notes, reminiscent of the pop sound of the early 2000s—like something we might have heard once upon a time from *NSync or the Backstreet Boys. (How fitting that a remix was later released featuring Justin Timberlake.) The song is from the perspective of someone in a new relationship, who wants to take it to the next level.
“3D (feat. Jack Harlow)” Dance Practice
So if you're ready (So if you're ready)
And if you'll let me (And if you'll let me)
I wanna see it in motion
In 3D (Uh-uh)
Jung Kook seemed even more confident than he had during his promotions for “Seven (feat. Latto)”, which should have been impossible. But it wasn’t. He, and American rapper Jack Harlow, deliver lyrics that are bold and brash to the girl they want, saying they’re ready for it to be physical—in ‘3D’—but in the same breath, they’re also asking for consent (“So if you’re ready”). Which is perhaps the sexiest thing about the entire song, if you ask me. And considering that the M/V features a shirtless Jung Kook singing about “champagne confetti” and getting wet after taking a sledgehammer to a fire hydrant… that’s really saying something.
"3D" | HERO FILM 01 (0:35)
"3D" | HERO FILM 02 (0:32)
BONUS: "3D" (FEAT. JACK HARLOW) | JACKET SHOOT SKETCH (5:48)
"3D" (FEAT. JACK HARLOW) | OFFICIAL M/V (3:51 - as shown)
"3D" (FEAT. JACK HARLOW) | OFFICIAL PERFORMANCE VIDEO (4:22 - as shown)
"3D" (FEAT. JACK HARLOW) | MUSIC BANK (3:06 - as shown)
"3D" (FEAT. JACK HARLOW) JUNG KOOK FACECAM | MUSIC BANK (3:29)
"3D" (FEAT. JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE) REMIX | COLOR CODED LYRICS (2:41)
JUNG KOOK CHATS "3D" & WORKING WITH JACK HARLOW WHILE BUILDING A 3D BUNNY | SIRIUSXM (5:40)
BONUS: "3D" | ALTERNATE VER. (2:43)
Fun Fact:
Yes, he’s good at film-making too…
Over the years, Jung Kook has shown interest in a lot of hobbies/activities. And we’ve seen him have a natural talent for just about anything he picks up and tries his hand at—drawing, painting, any type of sport, etc. While he’s quick to pick up new skills, he’s also quick to lose interest and move on to something else as well.
However, one of the things he took interest in over the years seemed to stick with him more than anything else: film-making and editing. And, as with most things JK puts even a little bit of effort into—he’s good at it.
After filming and editing several little things for fun, and showing them off, the other members and their company encouraged Jung Kook to do something with his films if he wanted to. They could tell that he enjoyed it, and that he was proud of his results.
And thus was born “Golden Closet Films”, a name coined after Jung Kook’s own nickname within BTS, and also for the literal closet-sized room in which he did all of his editing at Big Hit. JK has produced a handful of films over the years since 2017, pretty much all of them filmed during trips with the other members or during promotional activities. We have them all collected below—enjoy!
WHEN JUNGKOOK POSTED HIS FIRST G.C.F VIDEO WITH JIMIN (0:33)
180430 G.C.F IN OSAKA (4:06)
180716 G.C.F IN USA (3:12)
180725 G.C.F IN SAIPAN (2:44)
181001 G.C.F IN NEWARK VHS VER. (16:09)
191227 G.C.F IN HELSINKI (3:18)
231120 G.C.F IN BUDAPEST (5:00)
DAY TWO:
Have you ever found yourself saying the phrase, “I didn’t know I needed this until I got it”? Of course you have, right? We ALL have at least once or twice. It’s essentially saying “I had no idea I would like this so much until I experienced it.” Maybe it’s about a different ice cream flavor you tried, or a new skin care product that leaves you feeling amazing. Something you were unsure about trying, but once you did, it became essential to your life.
“Closer to You” Audacy Live
Or… maybe you’re me, and it was about a certain track on Jung Kook’s solo album Golden—or more specifically—about a very specific performance of that certain track… like the live performance he gave of “Closer to You (feat. Major Lazer)” during his appearance on Audacy.
The first time I listened to Golden all the way through, I really liked the song, which appeared second on the album, but it wasn’t until I saw Jung Kook perform it that I realized I needed it like I need oxygen to live. Hyperbole? Maybe. But also, maybe not.
The song, which features American dance music and DJ trio Major Lazer, combines a steady, pulsing bass line with intricate house beats (and choreography) that give the listener a feeling of being constantly moving toward something… or someone. The lyrics are a fast-paced plea asking for more—a stronger connection and utter devotion.
Feeling like I'm floating
Something's in the air tonight
We're speaking with emotions
Won't look away
Love me at my lowest
I'll love you when you're barely holding on
Lighting up the darkness
I can be a shoulder when you're not strong
In the Audacy Live performance, Jung Kook continuously stalks toward the camera and maintains eye contact. He uses his vocal to further build up the intensity, going from a breathy whisper up to full tones that sound demanding. We see that he’s following a girl, and when he catches up to her, the way he circles around her as he sings—it’s almost like a predator stalking its prey. It’s chilling, yet also incredibly sexy. It feels all or nothing in the way a young relationship often can.
While Jung Kook didn’t contribute to the writing of the lyrics, he selected the song for the album, so they clearly spoke to him when he heard them. This genre and the way he used his voice for it was definitely something new for Jung Kook, who had said that with Golden, he wanted to challenge himself and show the world a more mature side to him.
I think we can all agree that he succeeded.
JUNG KOOK: THE BRAND (0:50)
GOLDEN PREVIEW (3:23)
GOLDEN JACKET SHOOT SKETCH (5:49)
"CLOSER TO YOU" (FEAT. MAJOR LAZER) | AUDACY LIVE CLIP (3:19 - as shown)
"CLOSER TO YOU" JK FOCUS FANCAM | GOLDEN LIVE ON STAGE (2:39)
BONUS: AUDACY LIVE: JUNG KOOK (14:11)
BONUS: JUNG KOOK: LIVE AT AUDACY (13:32)
Bangtan Bubble: What do you think is Jung Kook’s most ‘golden’ trait?
Let us know your answer in the comments below or on social media (include #BangtanBubble)!
DAY THREE:
“Seven (feat. Latto)” Promotional Photo
The third track on Golden was released several months before anyone even knew that an album was also being created. I’m talking, of course, about Jung Kook’s debut solo single, “Seven (feat. Latto)”.
When the single’s upcoming release was announced at the end of June 2023, ARMY went wild over the name of the song. Seven being an incredibly auspicious number, for obvious reasons. It’s so special, in fact, that the members all got friendship tattoos of a “7” over the summer of 2022 to show that they would always be connected to each other, no matter what. (They each have their tattoos in a different place—JK’s is located on his neck, just behind his left ear.)
Given all of this knowledge, and previous evidence of his sentimental songwriting, fans immediately speculated that “Seven” was going to be a sweet song about Jung Kook’s love for his fellow members and ARMY, and maybe about how they’d always “be seven” even though they had to take this time apart for their solos and military service. Heartstrings were pulled and tears were shed. After American rapper Latto (who is well-known for her… suggestive lyrics) was announced as the feature, and we learned that JK had not written the song himself, ARMY paused and said, “Hmmm… that’s interesting”, but still thought we were about to get a sappy tribute song. We continued to bury our heads in the sand even after being inundated with several rounds of shirtless (SHIRTLESS?! Where were those BT21 “Artist Protection” stickers now?!) promotional photos.
Nope. Our Jungkookie was about to give us another amazing fan song to hold near and dear to our hearts while BTS was away in the military. Something we could play when we were crying and missing them. Something that truly celebrated the legacy of the seven. We couldn’t wait.
And we couldn’t have been MORE wrong.
“Seven (feat. Latto)” dropped on July 14, 2023, and collectively, so did the jaws of ARMYs all around the world. Instead of a sappy fan song about the seven members of BTS, what we got was a catchy summer bop in which Jeon Jung Kook informed us that he wanted to love us right “every minute, every hour—SEVEN DAYS A WEEK”. The M/V, featuring Korean actress Han So Hee, showed JK trying to convince her of his devotion despite a series of escalting disasters happening around them. Nothing, not even potential death, would keep Jung Kook from making good on his promise to his love. And what exactly was that promise? Well…
“Did he… did he mean… because it sounded like he means…?”
Cue “Seven (feat. Latto) - Explicit Version”.
“Oh yeah. That’s what he meant.”
Now cue ARMYs everywhere kicking their feet and screaming into pillows.
Are you complaining? Because I’m sure as fuck not.
"SEVEN" CAMPAIGN SHORT FILM (0:18)
"SEVEN" (FEAT. LATTO) | OFFICIAL M/V (3:47 - as shown)
EPISODE: JUNG KOOK "SEVEN" (FEAT. LATTO) MV SHOOT SKETCH (12:47 - as shown)
7️⃣ DAYS A WEEK LISTENING "SEVEN" ON REPEAT❤️🔥 WHO'S JOINING US? AND THERE ARE MORE TO COME 👀🇬🇧 (0:23)
"SEVEN" (FEAT. LATTO) | OFFICIAL PERFORMANCE VIDEO TEASER (1:00)
"SEVEN" (FEAT. LATTO) | OFFICIAL PERFORMANCE VIDEO (3:25 - as shown)
BONUS: "SEVEN" RECORDING FILM (16:00)
"SEVEN" (FEAT. LATTO) | DANCE PRACTICE (3:14 - as shown)
BONUS: "SEVEN" (FEAT. LATTO) | DANCE PRACTICE BEHIND (11:17)
BONUS: "SEVEN" (FEAT. LATTO) | FESTIVAL MIX VISUALIZER (2:59)
BONUS: "SEVEN" (FEAT. LATTO) | NIGHTFALL MIX VISUALIZER (2:58)
Fun Fact
Just let the man eat and sing.
When he was asked why he decided to create his YouTube chat show “Suchwita”, SUGA said the main reason was that he knew all of his fellow members were going to be releasing solo music, and he wanted to create a place where they could come and talk about it comfortably.
I’m fine. You’re fine. We’re NOT crying about this!
And so, all of the members did come on one by one—either taped before they entered the military and released later, or taped and released as their music was coming out. Each had their own episode… except for one, who managed to score himself two. Guess who that was…
Whether it was more because of his weird release schedule, or just maknae privileges, Jung Kook got to be on “Suchwita” twice, and both appearances were as chaotic as you’d expect.
Who can forget that first episode that included not only a million dollar shot of JK’s abs, but also him grilling and eating meat like he’d never be fed again, AND a karaoke session? It lasted so long SUGA eventually went home—leaving Jung Kook and the staff to their own devices.
And during his second appearance, after the release of Golden, we got to see a wayward V (who’d found out about the taping through the band’s group chat) show up and join in, seemingly there just for the vibes and a free meal.
Both episodes are amazingly crazy and fun, and so very Jung Kook.
JEON JUNG KOOK? YOU! YOU'RE👍 SUCH A WONDERFUL FRIEND | SUCHWITA EP.15 (0:51)
AFTER SUGA GOT HOME FROM WORK... (FULL OF KONO SENSIBILITY) 🎤🎶 | SUCHWITA EP.15 (1:00)
BEEKEEPER SUGAR X JUNG KOOK COLLECTION | SUCHWITA EP.15 (0:56)
LEGENDARY 3:37🗣️I'LL💜😉 TEASE YOU ONE LAST TIME | SUCHWITA EP.21 (0:50)
I'M GOING TO SPRINKLE THE WHOLE UNIVERSE🌏! 💜| SUCHWITA EP.21 (0:56)
DAY FOUR:
“Seven (feat. Latto)” Performace at Inkigayo
As we were still trying to recover from the lyrics of “Seven (feat. Latto)”, Jung Kook embarked on promotional activities for the song—his first time ever doing them solo.
The song was in English, featured an up and coming American rapper, and had extremely mature lyrics. It was clearly meant for a very targeted audience—an arrow aimed directly at the western music market. Jung Kook went in hard promoting in the west, making appearances in both the United States and the U.K.
When these performances started happening, ARMY immediately recognized one of the dancers by JK’s side: well-known American choreographer/dancer Brian Puspos. Jung Kook has been a fan of his since BTS’ early years (see him and Jimin practicing Puspos’ ‘Own It’ choreograpy all the way back in 2016), and the group had actually worked with him several times over the course of their career. He created the choreographies for three of their songs—”Butterfly”, Jimin’s solo “Serendipity”, and “Butter”. Now, someone that Jung Kook had spent years admiring, was a fan of his, and supporting him as a backup dancer.
Jung Kook also promoted at home in South Korea, making his Music Show solo debut on “Inkigayo”, where he claimed the top spot (much to his surprise). Fellow BTS member V came out to support him, giving ARMYs in the audience a special treat when he joined JK out on stage for a brief moment to perform a little bit of the “Seven” choreography with him.
Throughout all his performances, it was clear Jung Kook was determined to always give 110%. He said later, in an interview during promotions for Golden that he wanted to show the best of himself with his music and to push himself further than he ever had before. And with a song like “Seven”, it seemed like his dedication would pay off.
The song charted on the Billboard Hot 100 for 13 weeks. It debuted at #1 and remained there for 13 consecutive weeks, making Jung Kook the second Korean soloist in history to debut at #1. (The first being his fellow bandmate, Jimin.) Additionally, “Seven (feat. Latto)” was the first song of 2023 to debut atop the Billboard Global 200 and spend its first seven weeks at the top.
It became the song of the summer that year, playing everywhere including in American grocery stores. Suddenly, Jung Kook was becoming a bit of a household name, driving many new fans to YouTube and other streaming platforms asking, “Who is Jung Kook? Who is BTS?”
"SEVEN" (FEAT. LATTO) | GMA 2023 SUMMER CONCERT SERIES (3:32)
"SEVEN" (FEAT. LATTO) | GMA PRACTICE BEHIND SHORT FILM (0:38)
JUNG KOOK OF BTS TALKS OFFICIAL GLOBAL SOLO DEBUT SINGLE "SEVEN" L GMA (2:12)
"SEVEN" (FEAT. LATTO) LIVE IN THE LOUNGE | BBC RADIO 1 (3:13)
"SEVEN" (FEAT. LATTO) | BBC RADIO 1 LIVE LOUNGE BEHIND SHORT FILM (0:56)
"SEVEN" (FEAT. LATTO) LIVE FROM LONDON | BBC: THE ONE SHOW (3:01)
"SEVEN" (FEAT. LATTO) | THE ONE SHOW BEHIND SHORT FILM (0:53)
"SEVEN" (FEAT. LATTO) | INKIGAYO (3:26 - as shown)
BONUS: "SEVEN" (FEAT. LATTO) | ALESSO REMIX VISUALIZER (2:48)
BONUS: "SEVEN" (FEAT. LATTO) | DAVID GUETTA REMIX VISUALIZER (2:38)
Fun Fact:
The Global Citizen’s Festival.
We know that Jung Kook loves to perform and will do his best for his audience, no matter what. He was thrilled to be invited to take part in the Global Citizen’s Festival in September 2023, excited to give American ARMYs a performance that would hopefully make up for the chaos that had happened when he’d tried to perform a few months earlier during “Good Morning, America”’s summer concert series. That performance had been cancelled due to heavy storming, and he’d only been able to make due with taping the rehearsal time. It had been a source of disappointment for JK.
Unfortunately, Jung Kook apparently brings the rain with him when he travels to New York City, because it poured the entire day of the Global Citizen’s Festival as well. This time however, his performance went on as planned, and he gave it everything he had, singing some deep cut fan favorites like “Euphoria” and “Still With You” along with his more commercially recognized “Seven (feat. Latto)” and BTS’ “Dynamite”, “Butter” and “Permission to Dance”.
The crowd loved every moment of it, and it was clear that JK had a great time in spite of the weather and sound issues. He got to meet and perform with Latto in person (finally), and also premiered his new single, “3D (feat. Jack Harlow) at the end of his set. All in all, it was another brilliant step in Jung Kook continuing to assert himself as an important figure in the world of global mainstream pop music.
JUNG KOOK 2023 GLOBAL CITIZEN FESTIVAL | FULL CONCERT (21:23)
"STILL WITH YOU" FANCAM | 2023 GLOBAL CITIZEN FESTIVAL (3:52)
"STILL WITH YOU" REHEARSAL FANCAM | 2023 GLOBAL CITIZEN FESTIVAL (2:21)
JUNG KOOK AND LATTO PERFORM "SEVEN" | 2023 GLOBAL CITIZEN FESTIVAL (3:08)
JUNG KOOK ADDRESSES A CROWD OF ACTION-TAKING GLOBAL CITIZENS | 2023 GLOBAL CITIZEN FESTIVAL (0:44)
"PERMISSION TO DANCE" FANCAM | 2023 GLOBAL CITIZEN FESTIVAL (1:39)
DAY FIVE:
Do you ever find yourself walking into a room and immediately forgetting why you went in there in the first place? It happens to me all the time. You catch yourself thinking, “Now what was I doing?” or “What was I looking for?” Every day tasks and details sometimes slip our minds, but then we can recall certain memories from our past with complete clarity. For instance, I still remember exactly what I was doing (sleeping late in bed, enjoying the very last bit of summer vacation) when my mom burst into my bedroom on September 1st, 1997 to tell me that Princess Diana had been killed in a car crash the night before. (Incidentally, this also happens to have been the day that Jeon Jung Kook was born, thousands of miles away in Busan, South Korea.)
Likewise, I’ll never forget the moment, 26 years later, when Jung Kook’s Golden album released and I heard its title track, “Standing Next to You” for the very first time. Because I’m not exaggerating when I say that song changed me, and my entire outlook on JK as an artist.
“Standing Next To You” Official M/V
I was sitting in my bed (it was midnight after all), with YouTube pulled up on my laptop, watching the premier of the music video. And as soon as I heard the first funky notes and saw JK prowling toward the camera with his full sleeve of tattoos out for, I knew my mind was about to be blown.
Standing next to you
Standing in the fire next to you, oh
You know it's deeper than the rain
It's deeper than the pain
When it's deep like DNA
Something they can't take away, ayy
Take-take-take-take-take-take off
Jung Kook said in an interview that as soon as he heard “Standing Next to You” he could immediately picture himself performing it on stage. And he wanted to. Badly. Luckily for us, we have that moment captured on video as it happened while he was in Los Angeles to record “Seven (feat. Latto)”. During a break, producer Andrew Watt said, “Hey, I’ve got this song I think would be perfect for you. Do you want to hear it?” And from the slow smile that spread across his face as soon as the music began, it was clear Jung Kook knew this song would be life-changing for him as well.
“Standing Next to You” sounds like it belongs in a movie. The instrumentation alone, with all the horns and the funky bass line, is worth the price of admission. But then the music video feels like a mashup of “Goodfellas” meets Baz Luhrman’s “Romeo + Juliet”. The choreography is INSANE, with several nods to the late, great Michael Jackson. And through it all, the video, the live performances, the remix he recorded and filmed with legendary R&B star Usher—Jung Kook looked at us through the camera with a singular focus—as if to say “Forget any other music you thought you liked before this. Look at me. I’m your Captain now.”
And the only logical response to that is: “Aye aye, Captain”.
"STANDING NEXT TO YOU" | OFFICIAL M/V (3:47 - as shown)
BONUS: BTS' JUNG KOOK TALKS NEW SINGLE GOING PLATINUM AND TEACHES JIMMY HIS "STANDING NEXT TO YOU" DANCE | THE TONIGHT SHOW (13:27 - as shown)
"STANDING NEXT TO YOU" CHOREOGRAPHY VER. | OFFICIAL M/V (3:32)
"STANDING NEXT TO YOU" | M!COUNTDOWN (4:02 - as shown)
BONUS: "STANDING NEXT TO YOU" HORIZONTAL VER FANCAM | M!COUNTDOWN (3:42)
"STANDING NEXT TO YOU" | STAGE MIX (3:35 - as shown)
"STANDING NEXT TO YOU" USHER REMIX | OFFICIAL PERFORMANCE VIDEO TEASER (0:35)
"STANDING NEXT TO YOU" USHER REMIX | OFFICIAL PERFORMANCE VIDEO (3:50 - as shown)
"STANDING NEXT TO YOU" USHER REMIX | PERFORMANCE VIDEO BEHIND (0:55)
JUNG KOOK, USHER - "STANDING NEXT TO YOU" (USHER REMIX) | BEHIND THE SCENES (2:37)
BONUS: "STANDING NEXT TO YOU" - USHER REMIX OFFICIAL PERFORMANCE VIDEO SKETCH (10:14)
BONUS: THE BEST OF BTS’ JUNG KOOK | THE TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JIMMY FALLON (23:53)
BONUS: "STANDING NEXT TO YOU" | FUTURE FUNK REMIX VISUALIZER (3:22)
BONUS: "STANDING NEXT TO YOU" | SLOW JAM REMIX VISUALIZER (3:20)
BONUS: "STANDING NEXT TO YOU" | HOLIDAY REMIX VISUALIZER (3:14)
Bangtan Bubble: What was your first thought about “Standing Next to You”?
Let us know your answer in the comments below or on social media (include #BangtanBubble)!
FINAL THOUGHTS:
Before Golden’s release, I’ll admit I was apprehensive over how I might feel about the album. While I had enjoyed “Seven (feat. Latto)” and “3D (feat. Jack Harlow)” well enough, pop has never been my go-to music genre. When I found out the upcoming album was to be all in English, put together by western producers, and that Jung Kook hadn’t contributed lyrics to any of the tracks, I worried about whether or not I would be able to connect to the songs. I knew I would support Golden no matter what, but would I love it?
The answer is “YES.” Of course I loved it. And not only did I love it, but I was floored by just how versatile the album was and how intentionally Jung Kook had arranged it, despite not being one of the songwriters. “I want to be a singer who can pull off various genres,” he said in his Q&A with reporters during the album’s promotions. “I want to make music that only I can make.”
And so he did. We’ll return next week to explore the rest of Golden and everything that happened during his time in the military. (He’s almost back!) See you then…
Side Quest
He’s our boyfriend now.
So, there are parasocial relationships, and then there’s… whatever the fuck Jeon Jung Kook was carrying on with ARMY during all of his Weverse LIVEs in 2023.
After a period of boredom and listlessness in which Jung Kook sat on his butt at home by himself for a few weeks doing a whole lot of nothing—missing his band members and missing talking to ARMY—he decided to take matters into his own hands. Instead of waiting for a scheduled time when he would be at HYBE, JK started going LIVE on Weverse when he was at home… whenever the fuck he wanted.
Which turned out to be… kind of often. And for hours at a time. Suddenly, Jung Kook was in ARMYs’ faces more often than not (no one was complaining)—singing karaoke, cooking meals, folding laundry, or vacuuming his house at 2 AM. Basically, he was just hanging out with us.
During these marathon LIVEs, we got to know a lot more about this new, more adult version of JK. He was still sweet and funny, but there was a new flirty edge to him now. He challenged fans in the comments who said they wanted to date him, asking, “Do you feel confident you could handle me? I’m not an easy person.” And let’s not forget the times he took ARMY to bed with him, one time half-dressed and teasing us with what was under his blankets, and the other sweetly mumbling to us until he fell asleep and softly snored for another 40 minutes before someone pulled the plug on the LIVE for him.
We all grew a lot closer to JK throughout those live streams and I know that they were what I found myself missing the most about him after he enlisted. I think we all hope we’ll see a return to them once he’s back.
230202 HA HA HA HA HA HA | WE-LIVE (1:37:46 - as shown)
230203 WAITING FOR CHICKEN ~WAITING FOR CHICKEN~ | WE-LIVE (7:31)
230203 ㅋㅋㅋ (DELETED) | WE-LIVE (1:02:26)
230228 ? | WE-LIVE (28:27)
230303 HOLD ON ~잠깐~ | WE-LIVE (2:20:31)
230314 :| | WE-LIVE (49:39)
230314 2 | WE-LIVE (1:13:17)
230314 3 | WE-LIVE (46:21)
230314 BYE ~안녕~ | WE-LIVE (5:23)
30324 I'M HUNGRY... FIRST MEAL... FRIDAY (TGIF) | WE-LIVE (48:51)
230328 SUCHWITA | WE-LIVE (1:36:47)
230408 HAH | WE-LIVE (12:21)
230425 DON'T BE SICK AND I HOPE YOU HAVE A COMFORTABLE DAY | WE-LIVE (1:29:15)
230524 KNOCK KNOCK | WE-LIVE (1:02:29)
230605 HUH | WE-LIVE (1:45:18)
230612 AM GOING TO GO SLEEP | WE-LIVE (45:37 - as shown)
230629 HOOHOOHOO... | WE-LIVE (1:50:04)
230705 97 | WE-LIVE (1:54)
230718 7DAYMMMMMMN | WE-LIVE (18:58)
230722ᄁ | WE-LIVE (1:06:54)
230726 - OH, YOU'RE HERE? (2:27:43)
230728 HELLO | WE-LIVE (2:58)
230728 SORRY | WE-LIVE (4:42)
230728 ?? | WE-LIVE (25:23)
230730 OH, OKAY ~ | WE-LIVE (55:13)
230803 I'M SLEEPY | WE-LIVE (43:19)
230804 HA... | WE-LIVE (2:21:30)
230805 JUNG KOOK 2ND TT LIVE (1:37)
230806 JUNG KOOK 3RD TT LIVE (7:36)
230831 ㅎ... | WE-LIVE (8:57)
230924 3D | WE-LIVE (13:24)
231004 HI | WE-LIVE (1:24:14 - as shown)
231103 GOLDEN | WE-LIVE (53:02)
231208 YO 여 | WE-LIVE (1:30:17)
231205 I'LL BE BACK SAFELY! - RM, JIMIN, V, JUNG KOOK | WE-LIVE (38:00)
241218 MISSED YOU A LOT | WE-LIVE (2:24:17 - as shown)
CREDITS:
YouTube/Web
BANGTANTV, HYBE LABELS, AUDACY MUSIC, BBC, BBC Radio 1, Brilliant, BTS ARMY BOY♡, BTS LIVE ARCHIVE, ENJOY BTS MORE, girl bye, Global Citizen, GMA, HEADLINER, HYBE AREA, JAEGUCHI, Japduckee, KBS Kpop, KBS WORLD TV, KOREA NOW, M2, MNET KPOP, SBSKPOP X INKIGAYO, SiriusXM, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, theultimatedodo, USHER, Zaty Farhani, ARMY 💜 BTS💐, ⟭⟬BTS BORA WORLD⟬⟭; Web:
ARMY Project 529 Volunteers
Research Team: Angel (TikTok: Lilangel2828), Leslie Day (TikTok: Leslie Day), Merry (TikTok: merryj67), Sam T (TikTok: samt_26), Shelley (TikTok: shels167), Trudy (TikTok: theeducationmommy), Viv (TikTok: VivEliz); Video Team: Leslie Day (TikTok: Leslie Day), Namz (TikTok: Namz07)
Join us LIVE every Sunday evening at 8pm ET for #the529live, a wrap up of each week's “Monday Muster”, thoughtful discussions, and tons of laughter! And catch us on TikTok each Wednesday night at 9pm ET for #the529tea, when we talk Bangtan news and dish about any TEA that might be happening on Kim Namjoon’s internet.
Sunday’s LIVE is hosted on ARMY Project 529’s YouTube channel: @ARMYProject529 while Wednesday’s LIVE is on our project TikTok: @ARMYProject529.
