V (BTS)

Kim Tae-hyung (Korean: 김태형), known professionally as V (뷔), is a South Korean singer, songwriter, and a member of the boy band BTS. 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.

Outside of his projects with BTS, V appeared 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”.

V (BTS)Details:

V Early Life and Education:

V was born Kim Tae-hyung on December 30, 1995, in the Seo District of Daegu, and grew up in Geochang County. He is the eldest of three children, with a younger brother and sister. He is of the Gwangsan Kim clan.

V first aspired to be a professional singer in elementary school. With his father’s support, he began taking saxophone lessons in early middle school as a means of pursuing a musical career. V eventually became a trainee for Big Hit Entertainment after passing an audition in Daegu.

After graduating from Korean Arts High School in 2014, V enrolled in Global Cyber University, graduating in August 2020 with a major in Broadcasting and Entertainment. As of 2021, he is enrolled at Hanyang Cyber University, pursuing a Master of Business Administration in Advertising and Media.

V Career:

Before his debut with BTS, V was kept as a “secret member,” unknown to fans until the group’s official unveiling. This secrecy initially caused him feelings of loneliness and uncertainty about his position within the lineup. However, on June 13, 2013, he debuted with BTS on Mnet’s M Countdown with the track “No More Dream” from their debut single album 2 Cool 4 Skool.

V’s involvement in music composition began with BTS’ The Most Beautiful Moment in Life, Pt. 1 EP, where he contributed as a co-writer and producer for the song “Hold Me Tight.” He also lent his talents to the melody of the song “Run” on the follow-up EP, The Most Beautiful Moment in Life, Pt. 2. His first solo track, “Stigma,” was featured on BTS’ 2016 studio album Wings, which he both co-wrote and composed.

In May 2018, V released his second solo song, “Singularity,” as a trailer for BTS’ Love Yourself: Tear album. The track received acclaim from critics, earning placements on various year-end lists and ranking highly on critic’s lists such as The New York Times and Los Angeles Times.

V’s contributions to BTS’ music continued with collaborations like “A Brand New Day” with J-Hope and Zara Larsson for the BTS World mobile game soundtrack, and “Friends” with Jimin. He also wrote and composed his third solo song, “Inner Child,” which was included on BTS’ 2020 album Map of the Soul: 7.

In July 2021, V was appointed as a Special Presidential Envoy for Future Generations and Culture by South Korean President Moon Jae-in, along with his BTS bandmates, to promote Korean culture and diplomacy on the global stage.

In 2016, V ventured into acting with a supporting role in KBS2’s historical drama “Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth” under his real name. He also collaborated with fellow BTS member Jin on the duet single “It’s Definitely You” for the drama’s soundtrack. As part of BTS’ fourth-anniversary celebration in 2017, V released “4 O’Clock,” a song he co-produced with RM.

V’s solo music journey continued with the release of “Scenery” on January 30, 2019, his first independent song. It quickly gained popularity, setting records on the BTS SoundCloud page. Later that year, he released his second solo track, “Winter Bear,” his first all-English song, accompanied by a self-directed music video.

In 2020, V contributed “Sweet Night” to the soundtrack of the JTBC drama “Itaewon Class,” which received positive reviews and debuted at number two on Billboard’s Digital Songs chart in the United States. He followed this with the release of the Christmas-themed song “Snow Flower” on December 25.

V’s solo endeavors continued to flourish in 2021 with the release of “Christmas Tree,” which debuted on the Billboard Hot 100, marking his first solo entry on the chart. He also starred in the Disney+ reality series “In the Soop: Friendcation” alongside Peakboy, Park Seo-joon, Choi Woo-shik, and Park Hyung-sik.

In 2023, V expanded his horizons by appearing in the Prime Video exclusive cooking-travel show “Jinny’s Kitchen” and securing brand ambassador roles for SimInvest, Celine, and Cartier. His self-composed songs “Scenery,” “Winter Bear,” and “Snow Flower” were released as official singles worldwide ahead of his debut solo album, “Layover,” which achieved record-breaking first-week sales and debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 chart.

V Personal Life (Boyfriend):

Since 2018, V has lived in Hannam-dong, Seoul, South Korea with his bandmates. In July 2019, he bought an apartment worth ₩5.1 billion (2019) (US$4.38 million).

As with all the BTS members, V is currently single, but rumors around his relationship status have filled social media over the years too. The biggest dating rumor was that BTS member V & Korean actress Kim Yoo-Jung but ultimately, there was no evidence to support that the two Korean celebrities were involved.

V Military service:

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. 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.

V Discography:

Studio albums

• Layover (2023)

Singles

• “It’s Definitely You”
• “Scenery”
• “Winter Bear”
• “Sweet Night”
• “Snow Flower”
• “Christmas Tree”
• “Love Me Again”
• “Rainy Days”
• “Slow Dancing”
• “Fri(end)s”

V Filmography:

V TV Series / Web Series: