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South Korean singer (born 1995) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Kim Tae-hyung (Korean: 김태형; born December 30, 1995),[1] known professionally as V (뷔), is a South Korean singer, songwriter, and a member of the boy band BTS.[2] Since his debut with the band in 2013, V has performed three solo songs under their name—"Stigma" in 2016, "Singularity" in 2018, and "Inner Child" in 2020—all of which charted on South Korea's Gaon Digital Chart.
V | |
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![]() V in May 2022 | |
Born | Kim Tae-hyung December 30, 1995 Daegu, South Korea |
Education | Korean Arts High School Global Cyber University |
Occupations |
|
Honours | |
Musical career | |
Genres | |
Instrument | Vocals |
Years active | 2013 | –present
Labels | Big Hit |
Member of | BTS |
Korean name | |
Hangul | 김태형 |
Hanja | |
Revised Romanization | Gim Tae(-)hyeong |
McCune–Reischauer | Kim T'aehyŏng |
Stage name | |
Hangul | 뷔 |
Revised Romanization | Bwi |
McCune–Reischauer | Pwi |
Signature | |
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Outside of his music projects with BTS, V had his acting debut in the 2016 television series Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth and contributed the single "It's Definitely You" to its soundtrack. He released his first independent song, the self-composed "Scenery", in 2019. In 2023, V made his official debut as a solo artist with the release of the singles "Love Me Again" and "Rainy Days". His debut solo album Layover was released on September 8, accompanied by a third single, "Slow Dancing".[3]
V was born Kim Tae-hyung on December 30, 1995, in the Seo District of Daegu,[4][5] and grew up in Geochang County.[6] He is the eldest of three children, with a younger brother and sister.[7] He is of the Gwangsan Kim clan.[8]
V first aspired to be a professional singer in elementary school.[9] With his father's support,[10] he began taking saxophone lessons in early middle school as a means of pursuing a musical career.[7][9] V eventually became a trainee for Big Hit Entertainment after passing an audition in Daegu.[11]
After graduating from Korean Arts High School in 2014,[12] V enrolled in Global Cyber University, graduating in August 2020 with a major in Broadcasting and Entertainment.[13] As of 2021, he is enrolled at Hanyang Cyber University, pursuing a Master of Business Administration in Advertising and Media.[14]
Pre-debut, V was the "secret member" of BTS: fans were unaware of his existence as his agency wished to keep him a surprise. He later stated that the concept made him feel lonely and uneasy at the time as he thought it was because he might be cut from the lineup.[15] On June 13, 2013, he made his debut as a member of BTS on Mnet's M Countdown with the track "No More Dream" from the band's debut single album 2 Cool 4 Skool. V was first credited for music composition on The Most Beautiful Moment in Life, Pt. 1 (2015) extended play (EP), as a co-writer and producer of the song "Hold Me Tight"; he also contributed lyrics for the song "Fun Boyz". On the band's follow up EP, The Most Beautiful Moment in Life, Pt. 2, V's melody was used for the song "Run". He co-wrote and composed his first solo track "Stigma" for BTS' 2016 studio album Wings. He also released, unofficially, a cover of "Hug Me" with bandmate J-Hope, and "Someone Like You" by Adele.[16]
In May 2018, V's second solo song, "Singularity", was released as a trailer for BTS' then-upcoming third studio album, Love Yourself: Tear. The track made its UK radio debut on BBC Radio on October 25.[17] One month after its release, The Guardian added "Singularity" to its "Top 50 songs for the month of June 2018" playlist,[18] and Billboard included it in their critics' list of the "Top 50 BTS songs" at number 28.[19] Overall, "Singularity" was generally well received by critics and mentioned on several year-end critic's lists. The New York Times ranked it twentieth on its list of "The 65 Best Songs of 2018" alongside "Fake Love",[20] Los Angeles Times critic Mikael Wood named it the fourth "best and most replay worthy song of 2018",[21] and Guardian critic Laura Snapes included it as one of her favourite tracks in her "Best Music of 2018: Albums and Tracks" list.[22]
On October 24, 2018, V became one of the youngest recipients of the fifth-class Hwagwan Order of Cultural Merit medal, awarded to him by Moon Jae-in, the President of South Korea alongside his BTS bandmates for their role in the spread of Korean culture.[23][24]
V and J-Hope collaborated with Swedish singer Zara Larsson on the song "A Brand New Day" for the soundtrack album of the BTS World mobile game.[25] It was released as a single on June 14, 2019, and debuted at number one on Billboard's World Digital Song Sales chart.[26] He next collaborated with bandmate Jimin on the song "Friends"—later used in the 2021 Marvel film Eternals[27]—and helped compose and write his third solo song "Inner Child", both of which were included on BTS' 2020 studio album Map of the Soul: 7.[28]
In July 2021, V was appointed Special Presidential Envoy for Future Generations and Culture by South Korean President Moon Jae-in, alongside his bandmates, to help "lead the global agenda for future generations" and "expand South Korea's diplomatic efforts and global standing" in the international community.[29]
In 2016, V made his acting debut with a supporting role in KBS2's historical drama Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth under his real name.[30] He also collaborated with bandmate Jin on the duet single "It's Definitely You" for the show's soundtrack.[31] In celebration of BTS' fourth anniversary, V released "4 O'Clock" on June 8, 2017, a song he co-produced with bandmate RM.[32]
V released his first independent song, "Scenery", on January 30, 2019, through the BTS SoundCloud page.[33] V wrote and composed the ballad and photographed the cover art himself. The track was produced by Big Hit producer Docskim, with additional contributions from Pdogg and Hiss Noise.[34] It reached 100 million streams from 20 million in over fourteen days, a new record on the platform. Over the course of the two weeks following its release, "Scenery" broke the daily streaming record nine times.[35] Seven months later, V released his second solo and first all-English song, "Winter Bear", through SoundCloud, accompanied by a self-directed music video via BTS' YouTube channel on August 9. He co-produced the track with RM, Hiss Noise, and Adora, and photographed the cover artwork under his pseudonym Vante.[36]
In 2020, V contributed the indie pop single "Sweet Night" to the soundtrack of the JTBC drama Itaewon Class, released on March 13.[37][38] Self-written and produced,[39][40] it received generally favorable reviews for its composition, vocal performance and warm lyrics,[40][41] debuting at number two on Billboard's Digital Songs chart in the United States.[42] On December 25, he released the Christmas-themed song "Snow Flower" featuring Peakboy.[43] A second holiday song, "Christmas Tree", followed in December 2021 as part of the original soundtrack for the Studio N television series Our Beloved Summer. Released as a digital single on December 24,[44][45] it debuted at number 79 on the Billboard Hot 100, earning V his first solo entry on the chart.[46]
Switching over to television in 2022, V starred in the Disney+ reality series In the Soop: Friendcation with Peakboy, Park Seo-joon, Choi Woo-shik, and Park Hyung-sik; it premiered in July and ended in August.[47] He appeared in a second reality series, the Prime Video exclusive cooking-travel show Jinny's Kitchen, alongside Park Seo-joon and Choi, in February 2023.[48] The following month, he was announced as a brand ambassador for the Indonesian investment company SimInvest and a global ambassador for the French luxury brand Celine.[49][50] He became a brand ambassador for Cartier and the face of the Panthère de Cartier campaign in July.[51] "Scenery", "Winter Bear", and "Snow Flower" were made available on digital download and streaming platforms worldwide as official singles on August 28,[52] ahead of V's debut solo album Layover, which was released on September 8.[53] Per Hanteo Chart, Layover recorded the highest first-week sales by a K-pop solo artist in history, with 2.1 million copies sold. In the US, it debuted at number two on the Billboard 200, tying V with bandmates Jimin and Suga[lower-alpha 1] as the highest-charting Korean solo artists in Billboard chart history.[54]
V possesses a baritone singing voice that has received a generally positive critical reception, with particular praise for his vocal range and "husky" tone.[55][56] He gained wider vocal recognition for his performance of "Stigma", and was praised for his falsettos that showed off his vocal range and unique musicality.[57] V's tonality on "Singularity", the opening track of BTS' Love Yourself: Tear (2018), was noted as a prominent "tone setter" on the album by music critic Blanca Méndez.[58] Similarly, Katie Goh of Vice deemed it as "one of V's best vocal performances."[59] Karen Ruffini of Elite Daily stated in their article that "V... has no problem producing super soothing, low tones that are a key element in the overall sound for BTS",[60] with Tamar Herman from Billboard also noting that V's lower range is a prominent piece of BTS' music.[61] V's musicality is heavily influenced by his love for jazz and classical music. Eric Benet and Ruben Studdard are among his inspirations.[62]
As a performer, V is known for his "duality", or his ability to evoke various emotions on stage.[63] British journalist Rhian Daly, writing for NME, particularly noted this when discussing V's performance of "Singularity" during the Love Yourself: Speak Yourself World Tour, describing his movements as "precise and deliberate".[64] Crystal Bell from MTV noted V's performances often work with live cameras in concert venues, and how he utilizes them to create subtle expressions during performances.[65]
V coined the phrase "I purple you" during BTS' fanmeeting in November 2016; since then, purple has become a symbol of BTS and their fans. UNICEF used the phrase in their anti-bullying campaign with BTS.[66]
In 2018, Eugene Investment & Securities Co., Ltd. conducted analytical research on Google search trends relating to the K-pop industry. "V" ranked first on the chart as the most-searched keyword for the past five years in South Korea.[67] In a survey conducted by Gallup Korea, V was chosen as the fourth most-preferred idol of 2019, previously ranking ninth in 2018.[68][69] In 2021, he ranked as the most popular Korean celebrity in Japan for twenty-eight consecutive weeks.[70]
Various artists have cited him as an influence and role model: The Boyz's Younghoon and Hwall;[71] Golden Child's Jaehyun[72] and Jangjun; MVP's Been;[73] Rainz's Byun Hyun-min;[74] Cravity's Serim;[75] Ateez's Yeosang and Mingi; D-Crunch's Jungseung and Dyla; Lucente's Bao;[71] Newkidd's Yunmin; Boy Story's Hanyu; Tomorrow X Together's Beomgyu; Produce X 101 contestants Koo Jungmo,[76] Lee Taeseung[77] and Mahiro Hidaka;[78] and former Wanna One member Park Ji-hoon.[79]
Since 2018, V has lived in Hannam-dong, Seoul, South Korea with his bandmates.[80] In July 2019, he bought an apartment worth ₩5.1 billion (2019) (US$4.38 million).[81]
In October 2018, during the Love Yourself World Tour concert in Paris, V had difficulty singing due to an illness and had to abstain from some of his parts during the concert.[82] In October 2021 V's agency announced he would abstain from choreography during their Permission to Dance on Stage concerts due to a calf injury and would remain seated while singing.[83]
On November 22, 2023, Big Hit announced through Weverse that V, along with bandmates RM, Jimin, and Jungkook, had started the enlistment process to carry out his mandatory military service.[84] He enlisted on December 11. Upon completion of his extended military training, he was assigned to the 'Ssangyong Unit' of the 2nd Corps on February 8, 2024, serving under the Special Task Force of the Military Police Corps.[85]
Title | Details | Peak chart positions | Sales | Certifications | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
KOR [86] |
CAN [87] |
FRA [88] |
GER [89] |
ITA [90] |
JPN [91] |
JPN Hot [92] |
NZ [93] |
UK Dig. [94] |
US [95] | ||||
Layover |
|
1 | 39 | 6 | 4 | 12 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 |
|
Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Sales | Album | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
KOR [129] |
KOR Hot [130] |
CAN Dig. [131] |
HUN [132] |
JPN Dig. [133] |
JPN Hot [134] |
UK Dig. [135] |
US Dig. [136] |
US World [137] |
WW [109] | ||||
"Stigma"[lower-alpha 2] | 2016 | 26 | — | — | 8 | — | — | — | 22 | 1 | — |
|
Wings |
"Intro: Singularity"[lower-alpha 2] | 54 | 10 | 40 | 23 | — | 34 | — | 44 | 1 | — |
|
Love Yourself: Tear | |
"Inner Child"[lower-alpha 2] | 2020 | 24 | 19 | 30 | 7 | — | — | 22 | 9 | 1 | — | Map of the Soul: 7 | |
"Blue" | 2023 | 144 | — | 22 | — | 13 | 100 | 89 | 12 | — | 89 |
|
Layover |
"For Us" | 151 | — | 27 | — | 15 | —[upper-alpha 19] | 85 | 49 | — | 113 |
| ||
"Slow Dancing" (Piano version) | —[upper-alpha 20] | — | — | — | 19 | —[upper-alpha 21] | — | — | — | — |
| ||
"Slow Dancing" (FNRK remix) | —[upper-alpha 22] | — | — | — | 28 | — | — | — | — | — |
|
Slow Dancing (Remixes) | |
"Slow Dancing" (Cautious Clay remix) | —[upper-alpha 23] | — | — | — | 32 | — | — | — | — | — |
| ||
"Fri(end)s" (Instrumental) | 2024 | —[upper-alpha 24] | — | — | — | 16 | — | — | — | — | — |
|
Fri(end)s (Remixes) |
"Fri(end)s" (Sped Up) | —[upper-alpha 25] | — | — | — | 32 | — | — | — | — | — |
| ||
"Fri(end)s" (Slowed Down) | —[upper-alpha 26] | — | — | — | 34 | — | — | — | — | — |
| ||
"—" denotes releases that did not chart, were not eligible to chart, or were not released in that region. |
Title | Year | Other artist(s) | Album | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
"95 Graduation"[lower-alpha 3] | 2014 | Jimin | Non-album releases | [150] |
"4 O'Clock" | 2017 | RM | [32] |
All song credits are adapted from the Korea Music Copyright Association's (KOMCA) database unless noted otherwise.[151]
Song | Artist(s) | Album | Year |
---|---|---|---|
"4 O'Clock" | RM and V | Non-album releases | 2017 |
"95 Graduation" | Jimin and V | 2014 | |
"Blue & Grey" | BTS | Be | 2020 |
"Boyz with Fun" | BTS | The Most Beautiful Moment in Life, Part 1 | 2015 |
"Hold Me Tight" | BTS | The Most Beautiful Moment in Life, Part 1 | 2015 |
"In the Soop" | BTS | Non-album release | 2020 |
"Inner Child" | BTS | Map of the Soul: 7 | 2020 |
"Introduction: Youth" | BTS | Youth | 2016 |
"Outro: Circle Room Cypher" | BTS | 2 Cool 4 Skool | 2013 |
"Run" | BTS | The Most Beautiful Moment in Life, Part 2 | 2015 |
"Run" (Alternative Mix) | BTS | The Most Beautiful Moment in Life: Young Forever | 2016 |
"Run" (Ballad Mix) | BTS | The Most Beautiful Moment in Life: Young Forever | 2016 |
"Scenery" | V | Non-album releases | 2019 |
"Snow Flower" | V and Peakboy | 2020 | |
"Stigma" | BTS | Wings | 2016 |
"Sweet Night"[38] | V | Itaewon Class Original Soundtrack | 2020 |
"Winter Bear" | V | Non-album release | 2019 |
Title | Year | Director(s)[upper-alpha 27] | Description | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
"Singularity Comeback trailer" | 2018 | Yong-seok Choi (Lumpens) | V sings the song while performing choreography together with a small group of male dancers, and on his own in a dark space surrounded by white theater masks while dressed in white. He is also seen in dark clothing surrounded by flowers and thorns, and interacting with a reflective pool of water. At the end, V dons a white mask with a single, black tear dripping from one eye. | [152] |
"Winter Bear" | 2019 | V | A retro-inspired music video comprising clips of V exploring Los Angeles, New York, Paris, and London on his own during BTS' Love Yourself: Speak Yourself World Tour. Shown with his cameras in hand, the video also includes shots of animals, landscapes, and architecture taken by V. | [153] |
"Sweet Night" | 2020 | Unknown | Comprises various scenes from Itaewon Class. V does not appear in the video, but is heard singing in its audio. | [154] |
"Christmas Tree" | 2021 | Comprises footage of Choi Woo-shik and Kim Da-mi from Our Beloved Summer. V does not appear in the video, but is heard singing in its audio. | [155] | |
"Love Me Again" | 2023 | Filmed in a cave in Mallorca, V performs the song dressed in sequined clothing and surrounded by analog television screens that display the lyrics karaoke-style as he sings. | [156] | |
"Rainy Days" | Shin Dongle | V spends a "gloomy" day at home alone in his retro-styled apartment. He is shown lying around in bed, preparing food while his dog looks on, watching cartoons, working in his art studio, and falling asleep while the cartoons play in the background. | [157] | |
"Slow Dancing" | V takes a road trip with friends through the mountains to a sunny beach. They spend time in the water, dancing on the shore, and watching the night sky while on a yacht. The video ends with a shot of V and his pet dog Yeontan together on the terrace of a building. | [158] | ||
"Blue" | A grayscale video, V drives around looking for someone. He pounds on the door of an apartment and becomes increasingly impatient with each unanswered knock and phone call. He searches potted plants for a spare key to the apartment, drives around some more, then returns to the same building and sits on a swing set outside, looking melancholy as his search was unsuccessful. In the background, a woman lets a small dog (presumed to be V's) off a leash and it runs towards him. | [159] | ||
"For Us" | Comprises outtakes and behind-the-scenes footage from the music videos for "Love Me Again, "Rainy Days", "Slow Dancing", and "Blue", presented in the style of a "vintage home video". | [160] | ||
"Fri(end)s" | 2024 | Samuel Bradley | Actress Ruby Sear appears in the video as V's girlfriend. V is shown alone in his apartment then surrounded by happy couples wherever he goes until he is hit by a car while crossing the street. The video repeats the previous scenes, but this time V is seen with his girlfriend while the couples around them fight and break up. He is hit by a car once again, and wakes up next to himself in bed at the end. | [161] |
Year | Title | Role | Note(s) | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
2014 | Show! Music Core | Himself | Host, with Kim So-hyun | [163] |
2015 | Music Bank | Host, with Park Bo-gum and Himchan of B.A.P | [164] | |
Show! Music Core | Host, with Zico and Kim So-hyun | [165] | ||
2016 | Celebrity Bromance | Season 1, episodes 1–4; with Kim Min-jae | [166] | |
Inkigayo | Host, with J-Hope, Moonbyul, and Wheein | [167] | ||
2016–2017 | Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth | Seok Han-sung | Supporting role | [168] |
2017 | Music Bank (Singapore Special) | Himself | Host, with Park Bo-gum and Irene | [169] |
Inkigayo Super Concert in Daejeon | Host, with Jisoo and Jinyoung | [170] | ||
2022 | In the Soop: Friendcation | Cast member | [171] | |
2023 | Jinny's Kitchen | Prime Video exclusive series; cast member | [48] |
Title | Year | Other performer(s) credited | Director | Description | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
"Love Wins All" | 2024 | IU | Um Tae-hwa | Set in a post-apocalyptic, dystopian world where humans are hunted and killed by ominous floating Cubes, IU and V portray a couple on the run. They briefly avoid detection by hiding out in an abandoned mall, where they find a camcorder that shows them an alternate, happier reality when they look into its viewfinder. Subsequent scenes show them pretending to have a romantic dinner, taking wedding photos, and dancing at a party. A Cube eventually finds and chases them through the mall before they meet their demise. Their deaths are not shown on-screen, but the camcorder captures their final moment together. | [172] |
Award ceremony | Year | Category | Nominee(s)/work(s) | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
APAN Star Awards | 2020 | Best OST | "Sweet Night" | Won | [173] |
2022 | "Christmas Tree" | Nominated | [174] | ||
Asia Artist Awards | 2023 | Popularity Award – Actor | V | Nominated | |
Popularity Award – Male Singer | Nominated | [175] | |||
Circle Chart Music Awards | 2024 | Artist of the Year – Album | Layover | Nominated | [176] |
DDU Korean Drama Awards | 2022 | Best OST | "Christmas Tree" | Won | [177] |
The Fact Music Awards | 2023 | Best Music – Fall | "Slow Dancing" | Won | [178] |
Hanteo Music Awards | 2024 | Artist of the Year | V | Won | [179] |
Global Artist Award – Africa | Won | ||||
Global Artist Award – Europe | Won | ||||
Global Artist Award – Asia | Nominated | [180] | |||
Global Artist Award – North America | Nominated | ||||
Global Artist Award – Oceania | Nominated | ||||
Global Artist Award – South America | Nominated | ||||
iHeartRadio Music Awards | 2024 | Favorite Debut Album | Layover | Won | [181] |
MAMA Awards | 2022 | Best OST | "Christmas Tree" | Nominated | [182] |
Song of the Year | Nominated | ||||
2023 | Album of the Year | Layover | Longlisted | [183] | |
Artist of the Year | V | Longlisted | |||
Best Male Artist | Nominated | ||||
Best Vocal Performance – Male Solo | "Love Me Again" | Nominated | |||
Song of the Year | Longlisted | ||||
Melon Music Awards | 2017 | Best OST | "It's Definitely You" | Nominated | [184] |
2023 | Millions Top 10 | Layover | Nominated | [185] | |
Seoul International Drama Awards | 2022 | Outstanding Korean Drama OST | "Christmas Tree" | Nominated | [186] |
Soompi Awards | 2018 | Best Idol Actor[lower-alpha 4] | V | Won | [187] |
2019 | Best Choreography | "Singularity" | Won | [188] | |
Seoul Music Awards | 2024 | Main Award (Bonsang) | V | Won | [189] |
Fan Choice of the Year | Won | ||||
Hallyu Special Award | Nominated | [190] | |||
Popularity Award | Nominated | ||||
Country or Organization | Year | Honor or Award | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
National Tax Service Gyeonggi-do | 2022 | Conscientious taxpayer from Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do | [191] |
Publication | Year | World record | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
Guinness World Records | 2021 | Fastest time to reach 1 million followers on Instagram[lower-alpha 5] | [192] |
Fastest time to reach 10 million followers on Instagram[lower-alpha 6] |