BTS’s Suga and Jin get honest about life in the spotlight

Started in August this year, In the SOOP is partly a reality show, partly a behind the scenes montage of the popular K-Pop boy band BTS. The band has always been very conscious about connecting with their fans personally, including an exclusive membership club for the BTS ARMY, frequent social media appearances, and words of gratitude for their loyal fanbase every now & then. 

The seven-member boy band has shot to fame exponentially, so it’s no surprise that adjusting to life in the spotlight has been daunting for them. Success, fame, and adulation are commonplace in their life – after all, this K-Pop group dethroned pop queen Taylor Swift from her record-breaking Spotify debut when their latest single Dynamite raked in 7.77 million streams on its debut day.

The sheer reach & power of their music can make one giddy. Add to that the fact that all the members are fairly young & you know how every day can be so overwhelming. Two of the Bangtan boys sat down for a candid chat about how their life has been completely changed by the band & its popularity on their show In the SOOP.

Life changes: The good & the bad

Suga has previously spoken about his life as a superstar. In March, he did a live stream to interact with fans on his birthday. One of the most prominent questions asked was, “How do you feel about being a superstar?” To this, Suga answered very honestly about how fame had made a lot of difference to BTS’ professional life, but that his daily life hasn’t changed much at all.

He explained that the fancy superstar life isn’t the reality, even though material comforts include being able to buy whatever expensive equipment they want. In their docuseries, Break the Silence too, Suga has mentioned how he misses certain aspects of normal life.

He explained, “I’m really jealous of people who can go out to eat, travel, go to the movies with friends, and things like that. Those things are really special to me because I find them hard to do.” 

Like this isn’t one of the cutest things ever 🐰🐹🐰#jinkook #kookjin #jin #jungkook #inthesoop pic.twitter.com/cwGwyAZy7H

— jin and Jin (@Jinsalanghae) October 7, 2020

Clearly, the pros & cons of fame aren’t lost on him as he added, “You gain as much as you lose, and vice versa. It’s a loss of the ordinary. That’s been the biggest change. What’s ordinary to others is special to me, whereas what’s special to others is very ordinary to me.”

Jungkook had shared concerns about the downside of fame in 2019 & how every move of his is under scrutiny, when he told a magazine, “I realized that I should think twice before I do anything, and not forget where I am, no matter what situation I may be in. The pressure [of being perfect] is always there.”

Tete-a-tete

On this particular episode of In the SOOP, Jin & Suga reflected on what life would’ve been like if they hadn’t achieved all this fame or if they hadn’t pursued their passion for music. Jin very vulnerably shared his apprehension that he perhaps wouldn’t have achieved this fame. Suga talked him up by telling him he would’ve achieved success with or without BTS.

Jin then humbly shared that the major life changes haven’t just been a result of the fame or popularity, but also because of the incredible band mates he gets to work with. He has learned a lot from them, and considers his band mates – J-Hope, V, Suga, RM, Jungkook and Jimin – his idols.

Jin had previously shared on Break the Silence that fame has cost him his friends outside of BTS, “There’s a lot of pressure to meet up with people. I haven’t changed, but my friends find it difficult to be around me. It’s quite a shame to see them grow apart from me. I’ve lost a lot of people around me. What makes up who I am now is our fans, ARMY, and they are the reason I’m able to do music.” It’s a tricky balance indeed.