BTS's J-Hope Explains The Shout-Outs To Fellow Members In "Run BTS"

BTS recently made their comeback with anthology album Proof ahead of their 9th anniversary.

From left: BTS’s V, Suga, Jin, Jungkook, RM, Jimin, and J-Hope in “Proof” concept. | *BIGHIT MUSIC*

Weverse Magazine released an individual interview with J-Hope following the album’s release. He talks about self-expression as an artist, communicating via Instagram, new solo music, and BTS’s latest album.

So, of course, interviewer Myungseok Kang soon enough talked about the release of Proof. He asked, “You just released Proof, a collection of different songs that capture the essence of BTS. How are you feeling?”

J-Hope said it felt like the “right time” to release the anthology album to communicate their history to new ARMYs while also being a nostalgia trip for those who have been there with BTS since the start.

It did need to be organized at some point, didn’t it? By taking a look back on our timeline, we thought it was the right time to show people who recently became ARMY how we got to where we are today and show all the topics we’ve dealt with all in one place. And we think that it will also be an album that stirs up deep emotions for ARMY who have been with us from the beginning.

— J-Hope

So, the album is very much for ARMY. Yet, since BTS and ARMY’s journey is the same, the members too could enjoy revisiting memories.

Our timeline is basically ARMY’s timeline. We made this an album for ARMY who have taken this journey with us, one they would likely cherish, so we had a lot of fun revisiting old memories while making it.

— J-Hope

And speaking of the members, Myungseok Kang mentioned the ARMY-favorite track, “Run BTS.” He pointed out J-Hope’s part in which he gives shout-outs to all his members.

The song ‘Run BTS’ is itself a look back at the path BTS has taken. You give a shout-out to the other members, saying that they have all been through a lot. (laughs)

— Myungseok Kang

English translation of “Run BTS” lyrics. | *LyricsRoll*

J-Hope revealed the reason behind the lyrics that refer to the members. He wanted to acknowledge their hard work through the years.

They really did go through a lot. That’s a fact. (laughs) We all went through a lot and worked hard.

— J-Hope

The rapper explained the specific lines in question. J-Hope used the Korean word “고생” (gosaeng). It basically means “a period of time in which one went through hardship.”

So I compressed all those things into one word—gosaeng—to express it, and I put an ‘s’ at the end to make gosaengs. We’ve conveyed many different messages with each of our albums, from ‘what’s your dream’ in the ‘school trilogy’ to now.

— J-Hope

While everyone knows J-Hope loves his members, he wanted to deliver a sincere message of gratitude to them in “Run BTS.” So, that is how those specific lyrics, shouting out the others, came to be.

But then I wondered, have I ever really conveyed a message to the other members? So, when we were working on the album, I told them I wanted to include something where I could speak my mind to the others. What came out of that process was ‘Run BTS,’ and I wanted to give a shout-out in it to the other members.

— J-Hope

Myungseok Kang then asked, “Shouldn’t you also get a shout-out? Saying you went through a lot, too? (laughs)” J-Hope did end up mentioning himself by saying “Hope” after RM‘s real name. Still, in his response, he wanted to acknowledge the others’ hard work more than himself because he genuinely enjoys BTS.

I have been through a lot, but I think I might be the one who gets the most enjoyment out of what BTS does. Because, through BTS, I can experience things that I would have questioned whether or not I could accomplish alone.

— J-Hope

BTS’s new milestone with their anniversary and anthology album has caused him to reflect even more. So, he is very appreciative of all they have gone through together.

We’ve done so many different kinds of performances on stage and tried and experimented with many things, too. So I’ve been taking a meaningful look back at all those times in the past. Everything, from learning, to mastering what I learned, to experiencing different cultures abroad, has been so fun.

— J-Hope