BTS announces hiatus and solo projects and fans are really going through it

It’s been less than a week since BTS released “Proof,” the highly anticipated anthology album and fans are now processing some unexpected news: the group is going on hiatus.

During the hour-long video 2022 BTS FESTA, which was released on June 14, members RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jungkook return to the dormitory that they used to share.

Over dinner and drinks, there were some surprise revelations: they plan to get matching friendship tattoos and Jungkook has multiple mattresses in almost every room in his home (“To lie down whenever I feel like it”). But perhaps the most unexpected confession was that the members will be putting a pause on BTS to pursue their solo careers.

“Whenever I write lyrics, it’s really important what kind of story and message I give out but it was like, that was gone now,” said RM, the group’s leader. “I don’t know what kind of story I should tell now.”

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He explained that the K-pop industry and idol system don’t give artists “time to mature.”

“You have to keep producing music, you have to keep doing something,” he said.

Fans won’t have to wait too long for new music — the members confirmed that their solo albums are already scheduled for release.

J-Hope will be kicking things off as the first South Korean artist to headline at Lollapalooza on July 31. Recently, Suga collaborated with “Gangnam Style” singer PSY to produce his comeback song “That That.”

“We [can] focus on our solo work this time,” said V. “And later, when we gather again as a group, that synergy will be like no other.”

Meanwhile, their fans, also known as ARMY, are processing.

hiatus or not I saw joon cry today and that’s enough to send a person into emotional turmoil so

— ✧*ava☽⁷ (@tpwkjimin) June 14, 2022

BTS HIATUS 7 ALBUM COMING pic.twitter.com/WRHM32fMvj

— 𝓟 ⁷ 💜 (@patchie_0613) June 14, 2022

bts taking a break to focus on themselves is something im never going to complain about.. it could be thousand years and I’ll still be waiting for them with open arms

— ْ (@pjmvelvets) June 14, 2022

not letting the bts hiatus distract me from the fact that jungkook has eight mattresses in his house

— ⁴⁴⁴ (@angelseok444) June 14, 2022

Yoongi, Jungkook, Jin & Joonie’s apartments according to Bangtan: pic.twitter.com/eaZZ9AqYb5

— Aurelia 💜 (@AureliaOT7) June 14, 2022

watch yoongi come back with a bachelor degree in interior design and architecture

— . (@GLOSSN0TES) June 14, 2022

However, BTS won’t be completely disappearing from the screens. RM confirmed that they’ll still be filming Run BTS, the group’s game show, available on the South Korean streaming platform V Live.

“Whether that’s playing games, working on music, or just resting, I just love that we get to do those things freely now,” said Suga.