As the cover star of Vogue’s January 2022 issue, each BTS member did their interview, and RM started his interview by reflecting on how BTS’ music has changed since they debuted in 2013.
RM said that while preparing for an online concert, he looked back at all the music products the group had released, which caused the BTS leader to have his concerns about his career.
RM said, “Our music at the time was very popular with our fans, but the trend changed quickly, and I realized that my perception of music changed quite a bit. “Will “Butter” and “Permission to Dance” become obsolete as time goes on?
He continued, “Because we live by trends, but I don’t think I should. I’m not sure what to do, but I wanted to produce something “lasting” and “timeless”. Now that it’s been almost 9 years since I debuted as a BTS member, I’ve started to think about that a lot.”
Regarding how he has changed as a songwriter, RM shared, “In the past, I used to have a lot of rules in my head, like ‘You need to do this or that and I was caught up in the idea of ​​wanting to show off something significant, such as a dramatic technique.
These days, I focus on creating a particular texture that I want to convey abstractly. I have developed the ability to think in multi-sensory dimensions, visual or tactile. When you make music, there are different factors like lyrics, melody, rhythm, and voice, and my approach is to look at the totality of all of these to see if they can be. Does it show what I originally wanted to convey?
In recent years, BTS’ influence worldwide has extended beyond music, with the members attending the United Nations General Assembly and even being appointed special envoys of the President. Korea earlier this year.
When asked if their role as national representatives was musically constrained or as a source of artistic inspiration and new opportunities, RM replied, “All of that.”
“Sometimes, representing the country feels great, and other times, it can be a lot of pressure,” he confessed. “What is certain is that this role is not something we landed on because we were looking for it, and it is not something that disappears just because you want it. I think it’s my destiny to accept it and do the best I can. If I had to put it into words, I would say that I want to live my life while thinking, ‘This life is also fun’.
RM also talked about his love of visual arts, especially painting, and explained that he would love to be immersed in a completely different field. “I can be honest about my feelings when it comes to visual arts,” he reveals. “Because with music, it’s hard if you start to feel jealous of other musicians. There are so many great musicians, and there are always loads of new ones.”
Opening up about his interest in his career, RM continued, “And painters have such long careers. Some artists hold their first exhibition at the age of 40, and some artists don’t sell a single work until they are 60. But I debuted at the age of 20, and I was told that I represented the country at the age of 28, and I was asked what my next step was.”
RM commented, “Some people say that focusing on the present is more important than your dreams regarding his life philosophy. They are right, and I understand that. Society forcing people to have dreams is not good, but dreams are also significant. I hope that many people still hold that deep in their hearts who believe in hard work and hope.”
“I’m having a hard time too,” he continued. “The expectations that others and myself have for me are too high. Even if I work in a completely different field in the future, people will expect me to achieve something, and I may not meet those expectations.”
Finally, RM ended his interview with an inspirational summary of his goals as an artist. “I believe that everyone is born for a reason,” he said. “I hope that everything I do leaves something meaningful.”
