“BTS is our starting point and the driving force”: Bang PD lavishes praise on Bangtan at HYBE's 2022 Briefing With The Community video

On November 10, 2022, HYBE’s owner and BTS' producer Bang PD lavished praise on Bangtan members during the 2022 HYBE Briefing With The Community video.

The press briefing was held to inform the media, fans, and stakeholders about HYBE’s plans for their roster of artists and update them about new releases and comebacks. Amidst all this, Band PD expressed his gratitude to Bangtan members for being wonderful role models and elevating their, as well as the company's, success.

Additionally, he also thanked the group’s dedicated global fanbase, ARMY, for their continued love and support towards Bangtan. He said:

“BTS is our starting point and the driving force that has made us come this far. We cannot go even one step without ARMY.”

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Bang PD called BTS "sort of like family" in HYBE's Briefing With The Community video

This is BIG HIT MUSIC’s first time addressing the media ever since they announced BTS’ plans to enlist in the military on October 17.

Today, Bangtan, as a band, owes its due credit to Bang PD. It was he who personally picked the group's members, starting with RM, SUGA, j-hope, and followed by Jin, Jung Kook, V, and Jimin to complete the seven-member group.

According to ARMYs, Bang PD nurtured Bangtan's musical talent and supported the members in their solo activities and endeavors. Moreover, he usually attended the septet's concerts as part of the audience and cheered for them.

Besides calling BTS members their "starting point" and "driving force," Bang PD revealed Bangtan members are a "sort of family" because they have been through everything together for 10 years now.

Additionally, Bang PD thanked ARMYs for their love and support throughout the years:

"We've went through everything together in the process. Being together for 10 years makes you a sort of family".

ARMYs pointed out that Bang PD has never forgotten to acknowledge Bangtan’s enormous contribution to their own growth and success, as well as the company and country’s growth.

In fact, in RM’s recent interview with Rolling Stone, he revealed that Bang PD has always given importance to music producers and engineers and has nurtured their raw musical talent and creative abilities. This allowed BTS to explore their unique musical voice and color, allowing them to become the superstar group they are known to be today.

Moreover, HYBE’s CEO Park Ji-won detailed the company’s plans for its diverse portfolio of artists, both current and the ones they plan to launch in the future. He confirmed that Bangtan members will focus on their individual activities from now onwards. RM will be the third member to release his solo album this year, after j-hope and Jin. He added:

“Please give lots of encouragement and interest for BTS’s activities”.

Bang PD also revealed that HYBE is committed to pushing the envelope and creating new and exciting content for fans.

To support Bang PD’s statement, the company announced plans to launch a new Japanese boy group. They further added that TOMORROW X TOGETHER, SEVENTEEN, fromis_9, and New Jeans’ will return shortly with a comeback. Moreover, fans can now look forward to ENHYPEN’s new album and world tour, along with LE SSERAFIM’s upcoming tour.

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BTS RM’s upcoming album: What we know so far

BIG HIT MUSIC had earlier ended the media's debate surrounding Bangtan's military by revealing the septet’s intentions of enlisting in the military, starting with Jin. The group's oldest member will enlist by the end of the year, which will be followed by other members. However, before conscripting, the members have solo plans to release an album as a parting gift to their fanbase.

RM is the third member in line this year to release his solo album after j-hope’s Jack in the Box and Jin’s The Astronaut.

This will be his first solo album after his two mixtapes, RM (2015) and Mono (2018). It is believed the talented rapper is set to collaborate with a roster of interesting Korean and international artists, including Cherry Filter, BIBI, and Pharrell Williams, among others.

While there has been no official confirmation regarding the release of the album yet, the BTS rapper briefly shared that his new album will be a step forward from Mono. It will comprise a record of his twenties and a mix of different genres while keeping his own musical voice intact.

The album is expected to drop on November 25, 2022.