BTS member V recently appeared on Jung Jae Hyung‘s YouTube channel, ‘Fairy Jae Hyung’. In the video released on March 29, V shared many honest stories about his family, his funny audition, and his life as a global star.
Childhood Memories in Geochang
V grew up with his grandparents in the town of Geochang, while his parents lived in Geoje. He remembered his grandmother pointing at a street banner of the famous, handsome actor Kang Dong Won. She told young V that a real star looks exactly like that. V completely agreed with her at the time. He laughed and noted that now, his own face hangs on those street banners in Geochang. He added that he always loved music. When he danced as a kid, people would call him cute and give him 5,000 won, which made him very happy.
Following His Father’s Dream
V revealed that his father also dreamed of becoming an entertainer and actor. His dad even worked at the Daegu MBC TV station, hoping to get closer to the broadcasting world. V smiled and said that his dad did not make it, but he did. When V was in middle school, he told his dad he wanted to follow his dreams. His dad fully supported him, suggested he go to an arts high school, and bought him an expensive saxophone. V chose the saxophone because the competition to get into the school was much lower than for the piano or drums. He learned to play it for four years, but sadly, he failed the school audition.
A Very Lucky Audition
After moving to Daegu, V attended a dance academy for six months. One day, he went to a private audition for Big Hit Entertainment. He only went to watch because he thought everyone from Seoul was already successful. However, a staff member spotted him and asked him to audition too. V admitted he did not know any real dance moves and only knew a funny comedy dance. Since he grew up with his grandparents, he confidently sang old trot songs, but the judges were not impressed. To save himself, he tried rapping, beatboxing, and playing the saxophone. He joked that the company probably passed him just because they found him fascinating. He acted very confident even though he was not very good at those things yet.
A Heartwarming Family Moment
V shared a very touching memory from his tough days as a trainee. His parents once drove a very long way from Geoje to Seoul just to see him for a short moment before driving all the way back. Later, when he talked to his dad on the phone, his dad’s voice was rough and hoarse. V realized his dad had been crying in the car, which made V break down and cry with him.
Humble Debut and Global Stages
Host talked about BTS‘s early days. He noted that they debuted in 2013 but took a few years to hit it big with their song “Fire.” They did not have their giant fandom, ARMY, right away. V remembered their very first fan meeting. Only about 25 to 30 people came. However, V was so happy and touched because there were more fans there than BTS members.
Host mentioned that after “Fire” hit number one on the charts in Japan, ARMY‘s power really exploded. V humbly gave all the credit to the fans. He said the group did not change what they were doing; they just kept working hard on their music. It was the fans’ passion and energy that spread the word and made BTS famous.
The host and V also talked about BTS performing at big overseas award shows. V shared a very cool behind-the-scenes detail. When they practice abroad, the famous global artists they admire are often practicing in the room right next door. Sometimes, those stars even visit the BTS room to watch them dance. When asked about his mindset for big performances, V said he tries to just have fun. However, the group practices extremely hard. He joked that if he ever makes a mistake on stage, he immediately peeks at J-Hope. He called J-Hope the strict teacher of performances.
