In the music video for “Rainy Days,” one of the singles released in the weeks leading up to his first solo album, Layover, V dips a baguette in white paint and uses it to paint on a pane of glass. Painting a picture that could be some kind of alien or even a self-portrait, he uses the paint to capture an image of fleeting moods and emotions in the way only V can. His palette allows him to express the contents of his imagination in photos, paintings, language, acting, and music. And V is inspired to create new works by the things he sees, hears, experiences, and enjoys. We followed the scrutinizing gaze of this talented visualist—a master of transforming the senses into visual imagery.

Jazz

It’s no secret that V has a soft spot for jazz, as he elaborated on in an interview with Weverse Magazine: “If you like something for a long time, that feeling sort of intensifies, and whenever I like something, I end up doing something about it. I grew up listening to a lot of jazz, which I love, and I feel like it’s the style of music I want to do be doing now.” So deep is his love of jazz that he called the scene from High Society where Bing Crosby and Louis Armstrong sing “Now You Has Jazz” one of his all-time favorites when he posted a link to it, and sang the genre’s praises on Weverse, saying it’s “an absolute blessing to have the chance to be moved by jazz.” He’s also recommended the dramatization Born to Be Blue for his love of Chet Baker, posted a video of himself “hand syncing” the trumpet to “Autumn Leaves” on Instagram, and even learned to play the instrument through video lessons in season two of In the SOOP. In another interview with Weverse, V talked about how much of an inspiration jazz is to him, explaining how classic jazz like that played by Louis Armstrong “makes me picture things in my head. For example, some songs might make me think of seeing something in front of me while walking down the road somewhere at night when I listen to them.”

Seeing as V wants to make music that “forms synesthetic images from the feelings that arise in someone’s absence,” it’s not surprising that, to him, music is a medium through which to express visual images in sound, and not only did older music like jazz instill in him a unique sensibility from an early age, but it served as fuel for what he saw in his imagination too. V revealed in an interview with W Korea that Layover, his new album, has a jazz feel, which explains why he sang jazz standards “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas” and “Cheek to Cheek” in the “Le Jazz de V” video that went out during this year’s FESTA. V not only express jazz through music but in the way he brings the visual style of jazz culture forward into today’s world. 

Vante

V took the first name of Australian photographer Ante Badzim and affixed his own stage name to the front to give himself the handle Vante, which he uses when posting photos of his own or discussing those of photographers he admires. After V recommended the works of German photographer Hannes Becker and Canadian photographer Callum Snape back in 2019, both artists responded with photos especially for V accompanied by the hashtag #photosforvante. “I do feel affinity with artists across borders,” V said when speaking to Vogue Korea. “I believe that solidarity is important. Appreciating their work and relating to them, I feel that I learn something new.” Indeed, the BTS member doesn’t bring typical yardsticks of artistic merit like nationality, genre, or fame into consideration, communicating instead with artists around the world as he sees them through his own prism of understanding. In one instance, while in the United States on a world tour, V happened upon a gallery in Dallas and bought a piece from an artist, then took the artist’s hand and imparted the words, “May your day shine bright.” Vante started as an alternate ego to talk about his photography hobby, but as he continued to go by the name and discuss all his favorite artists and their work, the nickname grew into something bigger that he uses when he talks about any kind of art. V's own uniquely characteristic painting style can be seen in the jacket he customized, episodes of In the SOOP and Run BTS, and on his Instagram. V has shared so much of what he likes with ARMY through his Vante persona that it wouldn’t be hard to imagine the kind of art you’d find under a label like “by Vante.” That would explain why so many people attributed the baguette-as-brush painting he did in the “Rainy Days” music video released on August 11 to Vante. Just like with the origin of the name, it’s clear to see what V values as a creator through his every move, influenced as he is by the things he loves so passionately and his open communication with other artists. 

보라해, I Purple You, 紫

In “Blue & Grey,” a song off BE that V wrote, he expresses his feelings by drawing comparisons through colors: “The meaning behind my tears in the mirror / My color hidden behind a smile, blue & grey.” He also explained in an interview with Weverse that the lyrics are also a reflection of what he was feeling while writing the song, saying, “When I’m stuck thinking like this, everything is grey, and I’m all blue.” In the song “4 O’CLOCK” he worked on with RM, V represents the passage of time by using contrasting colors, saying, “The whole world’s blue in the moonlight,” and describes someone’s singing as calling forth the “red morning,” while the lyrics to “Blue” off his new solo album borrow the names of several colors—"Green, yellow, red, blue”—to express how the listener is feeling. And the artist’s unique way of expressing emotion through color, like an artist holding a palette of emotions, isn’t just reflected in his music—it can also be heard in the way he speaks. He’s the one who came up with the word borahae (“I purple you”), which has since become inseparable from BTS. In 2016, BTS was holding their MUSTER fan meeting event, and V saw ARMY out in the audience with purple plastic wrapped around their ARMY BOMB light sticks. Overwhelmed by the sight, and recognizing purple as the last color of the rainbow—and therefore a symbol of being with and trusting in one another until the very end—V coined the phrase borahae. It became yet another term of endearment between ARMY and BTS, and V expanded on his Korean neologism to include versions like “I purple you” and “紫” so the purple love could be felt in languages across the world. It became such a potent symbol that Seoul was covered in purple to celebrate the group’s 10th anniversary. It’s since gone beyond simply a means for ARMY and BTS to express their love for one another, entering the public conscience as a phrase expressing connection with another person. Boraehae started from V and his unique way of seeing the world through color and language. 

@thv
V already had one million followers on Instagram just 43 minutes after he opened his account and 10 million after four hours and 52 minutes, setting a Guinness world record. As of September 5, he has over 61 million followers, the highest of any male Korean celebrity. All told, he’s one of the most notable influencers on the planet. According to influencer marketing firm Lefty, the post V made on Instagram tagging luxury brand CELINE’s account had an EMV, or earned media value, of $12 million, the highest of any post made during Fashion Week. His Instagram gives a glimpse into the life of an iconic celebrity who has been selected as the ambassador for CELINE, then Cartier, and who is only the second male singer to ever grace the cover of British fashion magazine Pop alone after Elton John. But V also uses his account to share regular updates on his day-to-day life with a staggering number of followers. His feed includes slice-of-life posts like the Molang key ring he has dangling from his pants, the plastic bag full of snack food he carries around with his teeth while Jung Kook poses with his hand on V’s shoulder, or his dog Yeontan making a wish at the ancestral table of rites. V also sees Instagram as another way to communicate with ARMY, his self-described “close friend.” He posted a story showing a caricature that a street artist in Paris’ Montmarte village drew of him, and later gave the drawing to a fan waiting to see him at the airport. “I decided to just post things I like,” he said in a previous interview with Weverse. “I can show off my personal flair on that account. I don’t think I need to worry what other people think about it.” Like he said, his Instagram is a compilation of some of his favorite moments in life—where the worlds of the colorful star of international fame and the twentysomething going about his fun daily life collide, taking everything about V’s life and neatly packaging it all under the name @thv. 

Actor

V portrays himself differently in every one of the music videos for the singles released ahead of his new solo album. He stands alone in the “Love Me Again” video, which feels like a snippet of a live performance, conveying the faintest of emotions using only his gaze and the slight tremble of his eyes. The “Rainy Days” music video is more laid back and static, with V acting completely natural. Then there’s the teaser for “Blue,” where he creates a kind of tension as he hurriedly walks and drives, apparently in urgent need of finding someone. In some older videos, like “The Most Beautiful Moment in Life on stage: prologue,” V had to portray a character with complex, difficult-to-express emotions despite his complete lack of acting experience. He’s also first on-screen in the music video for “Spring Day,” tasked with conveying, in close-up, the song’s deep emotions using only the expression in his eyes. “At that time, Colin Firth was my role model,” V said in BEYOND THE STORY: 10-YEAR RECORD OF BTS on The Most Beautiful Moment in Life period of his career. “I liked his vibe so much, and I wanted to give off that vibe myself.” V has always found inspiration in jazz, photography, and art, and he also looks to actors in movies to reflect on how best to perform in music videos and on stage. In another Weverse Magazine interview, he explained how he watched a lot of teen movies and different musicals while getting ready for “Butter,” ultimately settling on embodying the atmosphere of the movie Cry-Baby. He also improvised the part at the beginning of the group’s performance of the song at the 64th Grammy Awards where he whispers in Olivia Rodrigo’s ear. As an actor, V is also his own director, drawing inspiration from other actors and a wide variety of media to put on a different character every time he’s onstage or on-screen.

Vintage

V loves all things analog. He’s posted a whole host of photos that he shot on film to social media, and has attributed his love of film photography to the unique feelings its colors can capture. V went through a phase where he was pairing berets, flat caps, double-breasted jackets, brown square tote bags, and other items that exude vintage vibes with everyday clothes. It’s particularly obvious how much V loves classic and vintage looks when you see anything he’s worked on where he’s involved with the visual planning. In a video titled “Me, Myself and V ‘Veautiful Days,’” made as part of BTS’s Special 8 Photo-Folio project, V elaborated on how he chose a classic look for his photoshoot because he likes the feelings inherit in older things from years past, including black-and-white film, and that he believes “that everything goes back to classic.” He also explained in a production video that pulls back the curtain on the project that he aimed to highlight the vintage atmosphere and stick with natural lighting to make it feel like an old ’80s movie. V’s vision is also clear when watching the music videos that have been released to support Layover so far: The “Blue” teaser looks like an old black-and-white movie, “Rainy Days” like vintage grainy film, and “Love Me Again” like a retro CRT monitor. These videos allow him to make the most of feelings of longing and loneliness—emotions that are at the core of V’s music.

Visualist

“There’s an undeniable thrill and profound satisfaction in bringing an envisioned aesthetic to life, whether in music videos or editorial shoots,” V told W Korea, explaining why he ending up making a music video for every song on Layover, and why there were four rounds of concept photography to promote it. Back in 2021, when asked in an interview for the “Full Story” behind BTS’s album BE where his music is headed, he answered, “I want to express honestly my actual feelings, what I’m doing right now and what life I’m living.” V recently spoke candidly on Weverse Live about his experience shooting for the new album, saying, “I think it showed myself well. I’m Kim Taehyung and like these kinds of things.” It was shot spontaneously, and so he didn’t even wear any makeup—it was as simple as ADOR CEO and the album’s lead producer MIN HEE JIN asking him, “V, do you have time tomorrow? … Come on out for a bit.” That makes Layover essentially a catalog of the aesthetic choices V has always shown. In MIN’s words, “The focus isn’t on how amazing V is but on the simplicity behind him.” V is ultimately both a musician and, at the same time, a visualist who can express his music through what his audience can see as well. He described a similar sentiment before in Weverse Magazine: “I hoped ARMY would picture something for themselves when they listen to my music, even if there was nothing specific to look at, just like listening to a movie soundtrack reminds people of images from the movie itself.” Layover, then, is V’s world as shown through a collection of everything he’s ever dreamed up while experiencing the things that are most important to him and to his tastes—just like how the figure V draws on glass in “Rainy Days” forms a perfect outline of him.