V (singer)

V
V in May 2022
Born
Kim Tae-hyung

(1995-12-30) December 30, 1995 (age 28)
Daegu, South Korea
EducationKorean Arts High School
Global Cyber University
Occupations
  • Singer
  • songwriter
Honours Hwagwan Order of Cultural Merit (2018)
Musical career
Genres
Instrument(s)Vocals
Years active2013 (2013)–present
LabelsBig Hit
Member ofBTS
Korean name
Hangul
김태형
Hanja
Revised RomanizationGim Tae(-)hyeong
McCune–ReischauerKim T'aehyŏng
Stage name
Hangul
Revised RomanizationBwi
McCune–ReischauerPwi
Signature

Kim Tae-hyung (Korean김태형; born December 30, 1995), known professionally as V (), 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".

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.

Career

2013–present: BTS

V in August 2013

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. 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.

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. One month after its release, The Guardian added "Singularity" to its "Top 50 songs for the month of June 2018" playlist, and Billboard included it in their critics' list of the "Top 50 BTS songs" at number 28. 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", Los Angeles Times critic Mikael Wood named it the fourth "best and most replay worthy song of 2018", and Guardian critic Laura Snapes included it as one of her favourite tracks in her "Best Music of 2018: Albums and Tracks" list.

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 the President of South Korea alongside his BTS bandmates for their role in the spread of Korean culture.

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. It was released as a single on June 14, 2019, and debuted at number one on Billboard's World Digital Song Sales chart. He next collaborated with bandmate Jimin on the song "Friends", and helped compose and write his third solo song "Inner Child". Both songs were included on BTS' 2020 studio album Map of the Soul: 7.

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.

2016–present: Solo activities

V crosses his arms, his right hand holding a microphone, and looks left
V in Kobe, Japan during The Most Beautiful Moment in Life On Stage Tour, March 23, 2016

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. He also collaborated with bandmate Jin on the duet single "It's Definitely You" for the show's soundtrack. In celebration of BTS' fourth anniversary, V released "4 O'Clock" on June 8, 2017, a song he co-produced with bandmate RM.

V released his first independent song, "Scenery", on January 30, 2019, through the BTS SoundCloud page. 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. 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. 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.

In 2020, V contributed the indie pop single "Sweet Night" to the soundtrack of the JTBC drama Itaewon Class, released on March 13. Self-written and produced, it received generally favorable reviews for its composition, vocal performance and warm lyrics, debuting at number two on Billboard's Digital Songs chart in the United States. On December 25, he released the Christmas-themed song "Snow Flower", featuring Peakboy.

On December 24, 2021, V released the single "Christmas Tree" as part of the original soundtrack for the Studio N television series Our Beloved Summer. It debuted at number 79 on the Billboard Hot 100 and earned V his first solo entry on the chart. The following year, he starred in the Disney+ reality series In the Soop: Friendcation with Peakboy, Park Seo-joon, Choi Woo-shik, and Park Hyung-sik; the series premiered in July and ended in August. In February 2023, V appeared in a second reality series, the Prime Video exclusive cooking-travel show Jinny's Kitchen, alongside Park Seo-joon and Choi. 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. He became a brand ambassador for Cartier and the face of the Panthère de Cartier campaign in July.

V's self-composed songs "Scenery", "Winter Bear", and "Snow Flower" were made available on digital download and streaming platforms worldwide as official singles on August 28, ahead of his debut solo album Layover, which was released on September 8. 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 as the highest-charting Korean solo artists in Billboard chart history.

Artistry

V possesses a baritone singing voice that has received a generally positive critical reception, with particular praise for his vocal range and "husky" tone. He gained wider vocal recognition for his performance of his solo song "Stigma", and was praised for his falsettos that showed off his vocal range and unique musicality. 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. Similarly, Katie Goh of Vice deemed it as "one of V's best vocal performances." 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," with Tamar Herman from Billboard also noting that V's lower range is a prominent piece of BTS' music. V's musicality is heavily influenced by his love for jazz and classical music. Eric Benet and Ruben Studdard are among his inspirations.

As a performer, V is known for his "duality", or his ability to evoke various emotions on stage. 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". 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.

Impact and influence

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.

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. In a survey conducted by Gallup Korea, V was chosen as the fourth most-preferred idol of 2019, previously ranking ninth in 2018. In 2021, he ranked as the most popular Korean celebrity in Japan for twenty-eight consecutive weeks.

Various artists have cited him as an influence and role model: The Boyz's Younghoon and Hwall; Golden Child's Jaehyun and Jangjun; MVP's Been; Rainz's Byun Hyun-min; Cravity's Serim; Ateez's Yeosang and Mingi; D-Crunch's Jungseung and Dyla; Lucente's Bao; Newkidd's Yunmin; Boy Story's Hanyu; Tomorrow X Together's Beomgyu; Produce X 101 contestants Koo Jungmo, Lee Taeseung and Mahiro Hidaka; and former Wanna One member Park Ji-hoon.

Personal life

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).

Health

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. 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.

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.

Discography

Studio albums

List of albums, showing selected details and chart positions, and sales figures
Title Details Peak chart positions Sales Certifications
KOR
CAN
JPN
JPN
Hot

NZ
UK
Dig.

US
Layover 1 39 2 2 3 1 2
  • KOR: 2,236,119
  • JPN: 259,874
  • US: 88,000
  • RIAJ: Gold
  • KMCA: Million
  • KMCA: 2× Platinum

Singles

As lead artist

Title Year Peak chart positions Sales Album
KOR
KOR
Billb.

CAN
HUN
JPN Hot
NZ
Hot

UK
US
US World
WW
"It's Definitely You" (죽어도 너야)
(with Jin)
2016 34 15 8
  • KOR: 76,657
Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth Original Soundtrack
"Scenery" (풍경) 2019 3 Non-album singles
"Winter Bear"
  • JPN: 6,793
"Sweet Night" 2020 14 19 1 34 Itaewon Class Original Soundtrack
"Snow Flower"
(featuring Peakboy)
2
  • JPN: 6,203
Non-album single
"Christmas Tree" 2021 18 25 82 1 29 6 79 51 Our Beloved Summer Original Soundtrack
"Love Me Again" 2023 22 7 91 76 5 96 1 12
  • JPN: 7,226
Layover
"Rainy Days" 56 21 91 7 16
  • JPN: 7,362
"Slow Dancing" 24 9 60 26 5 24 51 4
  • JPN: 12,134
  • WW: 54,000
“Fri(end)s” 2024 Non-album single
"—" denotes releases that did not chart, were not eligible to chart, or were not released in that region.

As featured artist

Title Year Peak chart positions Sales Album
CAN
Dig.

JPN
Dig.

NZ
Hot

UK
Dig.

US
Dig.

WW
"Wherever U R"
(Umi featuring V)
2023 10 9 3 6 5 99
  • JPN: 6,000
  • US: 4,600
TBA

Other charted songs

Title Year Peak chart positions Sales Album
KOR
KOR Hot
CAN
Dig.

HUN
JPN
Dig.

JPN
Hot

UK
Dig.

US
Dig.

US World
WW
"Stigma" 2016 26 8 22 1
  • KOR: 110,898
Wings
"Intro: Singularity" 54 10 40 23 34 44 1
  • US: 10,000
Love Yourself: Tear
"Inner Child" 2020 24 19 30 7 22 9 1 Map of the Soul: 7
"Blue" 2023 144 22 13 100 89 12 89
  • JPN: 2,661
Layover
"For Us" 151 27 15 85 49 113
  • JPN: 2,596
"Slow Dancing" (Piano version) 19
  • JPN: 2,261
"Slow Dancing" (FNRK remix) 28
  • JPN: 1,891
Non-album singles
"Slow Dancing" (Cautious Clay remix) 32
  • JPN: 1,799
"—" denotes releases that did not chart, were not eligible to chart, or were not released in that region.

Other songs

List of other songs released, showing year, other performing artist(s), and album name
Title Year Other artist(s) Album Ref.
"95 Graduation" 2014 Jimin Non-album releases
"4 O'Clock" 2017 RM

Writing credits

All song credits are adapted from the Korea Music Copyright Association's (KOMCA) database unless noted otherwise.

Name of song, featured performers, original release, and year of release
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" V Itaewon Class Original Soundtrack 2020
"Winter Bear" V Non-album release 2019

Videography

Music videos

Name of music video, year released, director, and additional notes
Title Year Director(s) 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.
"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.
"Sweet Night" 2020 Unknown Comprises various scenes from Itaewon Class. V does not appear in the video, but is heard singing in its audio.
"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.
"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.
"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.
"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.
"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.
"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".
  • V appeared in a short film titled BTS Wings Short Film #3 Stigma, released in September 2016 in promotion of BTS' fourth studio album Wings.

Filmography

V holds his left pointer finger to his temple and leans against in front of the LA skyline
V in a photoshoot for D Icon magazine, November 2017.

Television

V television work
Year Title Role Note(s) Ref.
2014 Show! Music Core Himself Host, with Kim So-hyun
2015 Music Bank Host, with Park Bo-gum and Himchan of B.A.P
Show! Music Core Host, with Zico and Kim So-hyun
2016 Celebrity Bromance Season 1, episodes 1–4; with Kim Min-jae
Inkigayo Host, with J-Hope, Moonbyul, and Wheein
2016–2017 Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth Seok Han-sung Supporting role
2017 Music Bank (Singapore Special) Himself Host, with Park Bo-gum and Irene
Inkigayo Super Concert in Daejeon Host, with Jisoo and Jinyoung
2022 In the Soop: Friendcation Cast member
2023 Jinny's Kitchen Prime Video exclusive series; cast member

Music video appearances

Year Title Artist Director Length Ref.
2024 "Love Wins All" IU Um Tae-hwa 5:22

Awards and nominations

Name of the award ceremony, year presented, nominee(s) of the award, award category, and the result of the nomination
Award ceremony Year Category Nominee(s)/work(s) Result Ref.
Asia Artist Awards 2023 Popularity Award – Actor V Nominated
Popularity Award – Male Singer Nominated
APAN Star Awards 2020 Best OST "Sweet Night" Won
2022 "Christmas Tree" Nominated
Circle Chart Music Awards 2024 Artist of the Year – Album Layover Nominated
DDU Korean Drama Awards 2022 Best OST "Christmas Tree" Won
The Fact Music Awards 2023 Best Music – Fall "Slow Dancing" Won
Hanteo Music Awards 2024 Artist of the Year V Won
Global Artist Award – Africa Won
Global Artist Award – Europe Won
Global Artist Award – Asia Nominated
Global Artist Award – North America Nominated
Global Artist Award – Oceania Nominated
Global Artist Award – South America Nominated
MAMA Awards 2022 Best OST "Christmas Tree" Nominated
Song of the Year Nominated
2023 Album of the Year Layover Longlisted
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
2023 Millions Top 10 Layover Nominated
Seoul International Drama Awards 2022 Outstanding Korean Drama OST "Christmas Tree" Nominated
Soompi Awards 2018 Best Idol Actor V Won
2019 Best Choreography "Singularity" Won
Seoul Music Awards 2024 Main Award (Bonsang) V Won
Fan Choice of the Year Won
Hallyu Special Award Nominated
Popularity Award Nominated

State honors

Name of country, year given, and name of honor
Country or Organization Year Honor or Award Ref.
National Tax Service Gyeonggi-do 2022 Conscientious taxpayer from Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do

World records

List of world records held by V, showing the name of publication, the year the record was awarded, and the name of the record
Publication Year World record Ref.
Guinness World Records 2021 Fastest time to reach 1 million followers on Instagram
Fastest time to reach 10 million followers on Instagram

This page was last updated at 2024-03-18 19:36 UTC. Update now. View original page.

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