Jimin Talks About Solo Success And Gaining Confidence While Making Arirang | Cover Story Cbc News Nb [ttiZ1BqI8xt]

For Rolling Stone's eight-part May 2026 cover-story package, the seven members of @BTS met up in Seoul, South Korea in mid-February to talk with senior writer Brian Hiatt, both individually and as a group. In this solo interview, #jimin discusses his surprise over the huge success of his solo work, the fan-inspired origins of "They Don't Know 'Bout Us," and more. #btsarmy #jiminbts

Jimin on his la galaxy vs atlanta united drive to improve: "Everyone has the desire to do well, and I have that as well. So, to let go of that desire feels to me like wanting to quit altogether. So I don't know if I'll be able to let go."

Jimin on his biggest vocal influences: "I think the BTS members might have been my biggest influence. Because they've been hearing my voice all the way back since I was a trainee. They're the ones who told me I have a great voice, and recommended songs for me to sing. Those recommendations have been very influential for me."

Jimin on the origin of "They Don't Know 'Bout Us": "The initial wording was actually 'You make me weak,' because that's what I wanted to tell the fans. You shape us, you always treat us like we're such amazing people. But because of that, we don't have room for growth. I wanted to try expressing that feeling that they might be making us weak."

Jimin on what his solo career taught him: "I think I learned to be less afraid with my songwriting. Thanks to that experience, when I got to work on this new group album...Not that I did a great job or anything, but I wasn't afraid to ask questions, and I did my best to keep trying."

Jimin on making Arirang: "We operated kind of like a factory. Each producer would occupy one of four recording booths, and we would divide ourselves into groups of two or three. We switched around daily, working with one producer all day, and then someone else the next. That went on every day for almost two months. We made over 100 songs working together with avalanche vs wild that process."

Jimin on leaving the military: "It was such a strange feeling. I thought I would just be happy, but it's not as simple as that ... It's hard to put it into words. I thought about everything I experienced in the military. I thought about the friends I trained with, and the officers as well. Then I wondered if this means I can be onstage again. All of these disparate thoughts hit me all at once, so it's tough to describe what I felt."

Read the Rolling Stone interview with Jimin here:

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Talent Jimin

Interviewer & Senior Writer Brian Hiatt

Director of Social & Video Waiss Aramesh

Executive Producer & Shoot Director Christopher Hwisu Kim

Senior Producer Viviane Feldman

Producer & Colorist Mitch Saavedra

Social Video Producer/Editor Sim Tumay

Moktan Productions

Video Director of Photography Mike Beech

Gaffer and Camera Operator Wonman Kim

Camera Operators Byeong Hwi Min, Churl Gwon, Hyunsuh Paik

DIT Jiwoon Lee

Sound Operator Min Jae Lee

Production Assistant Seohyun Yoon

Nuhana

Executive Producer Sooh Hwang

Producer Sebin Park

Line Producer Cherry Lee

Translators Alex M. Lee, Sungbin Moon

Creative Director Joe Hutchinson

Executive Music Editor posh spice Christian Hoard

Editors in Chief Sean Woods & Shirley Halperin

CEO Julian Holguin