BTS Is Back! The K-Pop Kings Talk Their New Album and Ever-Evolving Style

Photo: Courtesy of Big Hit Entertainment

It was the comeback heard around the world: BTS, the international K-pop kings, returned this week with a brand-new album. For the group’s seven members, the last year has passed like a dream: winning their first daesang (a top Korean music award), a scene-stealing appearance in Saint Laurent at the Billboard Music Awards to pick up Top Social Artist, and a string of invitations to hang with stars like the Chainsmokers, Charli XCX, Ansel Elgort (anyone, more or less, passing through Seoul was apparently eager to catch some of the BTS wave). Now, with this week’s release of their fifth EP, Love Yourself: Her, BTS are poised to capitalize on that startling momentum.

The truth is that no other Korean artists in recent memory have been able to penetrate the U.S. market in this way; in turn, that international success has made them more relevant back home, where they were once a smaller act. They can thank a dedicated fanbase—appropriately named Army—whose frenetic devotion rivals that of Directioners and whose greatest numbers lie overseas. To further tap into it, they added a new meaning to the acronym BTS in July (the original, Bangtan Sonyeondan or Bulletproof Boy Scouts; the second, Beyond The Scene) as an alternate “brand identity.” More clear-cut, they hope to deliver a dynamic return by flipping the switch and revealing an entirely new side of themselves once more.

Love Yourself: Her is a musical and visual evolution of previous themes—of young boyish love, with the soft yet vivid quality of a waking dream. The first music video, for “DNA,” features gentle guitar strumming, basketball jerseys, and jumpers in bold primary colors; it received more than 20 million views in less than 24 hours, setting a new K-pop record. Today, BTS performed the set live for the first time on the show Music Bank in liquid silk shirts and simple trainers that let their fluid dancing take the spotlight.

Just ahead of the release, the members sat down for an exclusive interview with Vogue to break down their new look and evolving personal style. Despite a long day of filming and dance rehearsals, they were in good spirits, laughing and chattering happily. “Let’s go!” J-Hope said. Here, we do.

Photo: Courtesy of Big Hit Entertainment

Tell us about the new visual concept for this album. What kind of style did you pick to express it?

Suga: It’s about boys falling in love. There are four versions of love, and we shot four different photos to show them. Though each one is different, the same feeling of love comes through in every shot. There’s a sense of playfulness, of friends hanging out comfortably at home in their free time, and that kind of fluttering feeling. Visually, we cover a lot of ground.

The lyrics and the music themselves are about finding your fate. In this album, we cover a wide range of songs: There are high-energy ones, very hip-hop ones. It’s quite diverse. To match it, the style covers a range of colorful, sporty, leisure, and boyish clothes. They go well together: powerful music, colorful clothes.

J-Hope: It’s very colorful and sporty, overall. I think there’s a slightly retro feel, too. Among the seven members, I think we each kind of bring out our hidden boyishness through our clothes.

Suga: It’s totally different. When we did You Never Walk Alone, we wore a lot of casual clothes. This time, it’s a lot flashier. Super colorful, yet more high-end and comfortable at the same time. More of that comforting feeling.

J-Hope: Right, this time we wanted to show more of that boyish style.

How would you describe BTS’s style in general, looking back across your work?

Rapmon: Just style.

Jimin: Truthfully, we have a very energetic style, I would say.

A lot has been said about the kind of individuality you hope to express as a band. Is that something that comes into play with your style, letting each member’s own persona come through?

Jimin: Of course; it’s important. With each new album, we do a lot of fittings. And each time we do those fittings, we talk a lot and always share our thoughts as we go. We put a lot of effort into looking for clothes that express ourselves and the feelings we want to express with each album’s concept. We want to show that, [but] without losing our individuality either.

V: I don’t think we have one signature. With each concept, we change it up completely and the styles have been so diverse. For “Boy in Luv,” we wore school uniforms. For “Blood, Sweat & Tears,” it was a range of suits and white shirts. As artists, we have to change our style to match each concept. We’re always changing, ever changing.

Do you have a favorite piece you wore for this comeback?

Suga: I loved all the oversize shirts.

Jungkook: Me too. There’s a loose, navy chiffon shirt I wore with slacks that was particularly light and comfortable. I liked that a lot.

J-Hope: I liked wearing those basketball jerseys, and those ultra-colorful sweaters, too.

Rapmon: There was a really big windbreaker that I liked because it was so big.

V: I liked everything, but the accessories most of all. Particularly all the rings and earrings, I liked those the most.

Jimin: For me, it was the bright red shirt from “DNA.”

Who do you think has changed the most since you debuted?

J-Hope: V?

Suga: V has changed a lot, and Jimin changed a lot.

Rapmon: Jungkook, too.

In what way?

Jimin: We’ve all gotten old.

J-Hope: Our maknae line [the youngest members] has changed a lot. They are the youngest and looked it when we debuted, but now, they look more grown-up.

Jin: Like Jimin. Overall, his face changed from cute to sexy.

Photo: Courtesy of Big Hit Entertainment

What do you want most for this comeback?

Suga: To make the Billboard Hot 100 is my dream.

J-Hope: Let’s get it! Dream!

Rapmon: I would like all the members to be healthy.

J-Hope: Health!

Suga: It’s the most important thing, really.

Jimin: I would like to be 3 centimeters taller.

V: For real. I want to have wide shoulders like Jin.

Jimin: Me too [laughs]. For real.

Suga: If everyone could be happy, I would be happy.

J-Hope: Peace!

Jungkook: For me, I’d like to travel a lot. Anywhere would be great. And if I could learn to speak English and Japanese well, that would be great, too.

J-Hope: I also would like the members to be healthy and happy. And everyone else, all our fans.

Any last words for your American fans?

J-Hope: Of course, American Army.

Suga: No matter what, our American Army is so big, and we are so very thankful to them. From now on, we want to put on even cooler performances, be cooler, be better, so look forward to it. Please, always look forward to it.

V: Thank you! We love American Army so much!