2021 isn’t close to being over yet, but we’ve already learned several new things about BTS‘s V this year. Check them out!
1. He is no longer a fan of strawberries
V has loved strawberries for years, but that love is no more. In a live broadcast, he revealed that many people sent him strawberries, knowing he likes them. It was too much of a good thing! V no longer likes this delicious fruit as much as he used to because he has eaten it too often.
2. He has a unique way of playing tennis
In Episode 129 of Run BTS!, V found out that he’s a natural at tennis, but that’s not all.
He is also ambidextrous with a racket! In Korea and abroad, ambidextrous players are rare. Currently, Korea only has one ambidextrous professional tennis player, Kim Cheong Eui. Maybe V will be the next one?
3. The artists who inspire him
In a video with Tokopedia, BTS revealed which artists inspired V in the past and present. Jimin guessed Kurt Cobain, an American singer-songwriter and frontman of the rock band Nirvana. “Kurt Cobain was my inspiration when I was a trainee,” V said.
V’s other role model as a trainee was singer-songwriter John Legend. Years later, V’s fanboy dreams came true when he met John Legend in person.
The third artist on V’s list? Canadian singer Justin Bieber, who is now part of the HYBE family. Justin Bieber’s label, SB Projects, is a talent agency under Ithaca Holdings, which is now under HYBE’s American branch. “Holy” is one of V’s favorite Justin Bieber songs.
4. He almost quit being a trainee
On tvN‘s You Quiz On The Block, V opened up about the important role his father plays in his life. When V was having a difficult time as a trainee, his dad told him that it was okay to quit and look for a different job. This ultimately strengthened V’s resolve to keep trying.
Being a trainee was so hard that I called him crying. When I told him I wanted to quit, he told me, ‘If it’s too hard, you can quit. There are lots of other jobs. Let’s look for one together.’ I had nothing to say to that. I felt embarrassed that I said that in the first place. As time passed, those words touched me.
— V
5. He won the “President’s Award”
At the Class of 2020’s virtual graduation ceremony, Global Cyber University awarded their alumni Jimin and V the “President’s Award” for being influential, global role models.
As a model citizen who takes the lead in demonstrating the foundation of our school’s founding philosophy of cultivating global talent, [the receiptiant] demonstrates a positive influence and communication that extends beyond K-Pop, delivering the value of symbiosis required by the global era. Therefore, we are bestowing this award in the hopes the recipients will make even greater contributions to the world and society.
— Global Cyber University
6. His songwriting process
During a live broadcast, V revealed that he usually writes the melody first before he writes the lyrics.
I try to write the lyrics for every note or until that part ends. I write 8 bars of melody, then write lyrics for those 8 bars before I move on. Or I write all the melody before I write the lyrics.
— V
Why does he do it this way? He finds that if he writes the lyrics first, the melody changes to adapt to them.
If I write the lyrics first, the melody changes a lot according to the lyrics. So, sometimes I can’t write the melody I want. It’s pretty frustrating. So, I write the melody first.
— V
7. The reason why he doesn’t post selfies now as much as he used to
In a live broadcast, V revealed that he hadn’t taken a new selfie in six whole months, and his reason completely surprised ARMYs.
I don’t like how my face turns out [in selfies].
— V
He also talked about how he feels about selfies in a Weverse post. Fans flooded the comment section, assuring V that he is as handsome as ever, but they also support his decision to take less photos.
I don’t like selfies so much anymore because of my face.
— V
8. K-Drama companies are dying to cast him
V isn’t planning to return to acting any time soon, but many production companies are hoping for his comeback. After all, it’s been five years since his acting debut in the historical K-Drama Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth.
V has been receiving love calls from numerous K-Drama production companies. His appearance fee is reported to be around ₩200 million KRW (about $177,000 USD), nearly half of what veteran actor Kim Soo Hyun is paid per episode.
