When
BTS announced their temporary group hiatus in 2022 to focus on solo activities and mandatory military service, many wondered how the world's biggest band would evolve after spending years apart. Now, with all seven members reunited, fans and industry observers are calling this phase BTS 2.0 - a more mature, creatively independent and emotionally grounded version of the group. But, it does not come easy for the septet, comprising RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V and Jungkook. Leader RM got candid about how the members maintain equilibrium, now that all of them have touched their 30s.
BTS values the bond above anything else
The post-military era has not erased BTS' original chemistry. Instead, it has transformed their dynamics, artistic identity and creative process in noticeable ways. During a Weverse live on May 28,
RM shared that one of the team's biggest strengths today is how deeply considerate the members have become toward one another. According to him, every member values the bond they share so strongly that they approach each other with extra care and sensitivity.
How members resolve issues to stay cautious
"Right now, honestly, regarding all the members, one of the things I think is our current strength and weakness. Well, actually, it's a strength that all the members are very careful. They are very considerate of one another. Because nobody wants to break this huge and very close relationship, everyone is extremely cautious. If a member expresses that they dislike something even a little bit, everyone tends to try and respect that," RM said."But the problem is, because of that, we can never narrow things down to just one decision. Like, maybe two people don't want to do something, four people think it’s fine, and one person doesn’t really care and says they'll just go along with whatever the others choose," he added.
Growing old together
RM added that this cautiousness comes from a desire to protect the close relationship they have built over the years, especially after growing older together and going through individual experiences during their solo eras and military service."Because of this, even before getting discharged from the military, I had a hunch that the entire process, from making the album, releasing it, putting on concerts, and doing the tour, would start and end with how we make these decisions. And that hunch was right, in the end. So, out of the tracks we had from that pre-session, we weeded a few out," the leader of the group shared.
BTS is seven members collaborating on collective projects
Instead of functioning only as performers, BTS increasingly operate like seven individual artists collaborating within one collective. This shift gives their music a more diverse emotional palette and greater creative freedom.BTS' comeback album ARIRANG reflects that evolution. Themes now balance personal reflection with large-scale social commentary, while their sound moves more fluidly between genres without relying on a single musical identity.
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