<p>Distinguished by his smoky baritone vocals, South Korean singer, actor, and fashion ambassador V is best known as a member of the globe-conquering K-pop boy band BTS. Along with his bandmates, the artist born Kim
... <p>Distinguished by his smoky baritone vocals, South Korean singer, actor, and fashion ambassador V is best known as a member of the globe-conquering K-pop boy band BTS. Along with his bandmates, the artist born Kim Tae-hyung topped charts and sold out arenas around the world starting in the late 2010s. He also had a trio of his own tracks on BTS albums, setting the stage for his solo career. In 2023, he made the official jump to center stage with the singles "Love Me Again" and "Rainy Days" from his debut effort, Layover.</p>
<p>Kim was born in 1995 in Daegu, South Korea. Musical from his childhood, he played the saxophone and sang before joining the trainee circuit for Big Hit. He was recruited to BTS and made his debut in 2013. From there, the septet went on to storied heights, becoming one of the biggest acts on the planet in a matter of years. In addition to his songwriting credits, V took the solo spotlight on BTS album cuts "Stigma" (from 2016's Wings), "Singularity" (2018's Love Yourself: Tear), and "Inner Child" (2020's Map of the Soul: 7). He also teamed with Zara Larsson for "A Brand New Day." During this period, he contributed composition, production, and vocals for a number of BTS-adjacent songs, including "Friends" with Jimin, "4 O'Clock" with RM, and "It's Definitely You" with Jin, as well as "unofficial" tracks that he directly uploaded online, like "Scenery" and "Winter Bear." He also penned "Sweet Night" for the Itaewon Class soundtrack and "Christmas Tree" for the Our Beloved Summer soundtrack.</p>
<p>During the early-2020s BTS hiatus, V, like the rest of his bandmates, focused on his budding solo career. He became an ambassador for a number of luxury brands, starred in a few reality shows, and released his debut solo album, 2023's Layover. The short set of stripped-down, piano-backed R&B tracks became the highest first-week sales by a K-pop solo artist in Korea's Hanteo chart history, also peaking at number two on the Billboard 200. The singles "Slow Dancing" and "Love Me Again" appeared on the Billboard 100. In early 2024, he relesed the single "FRI(END)S." That July, a series of global exhibitions dubbed "ARTSPACE: TYPE 1" was held in Seoul, Bangkok, Taipei, Vancouver, Los Angeles, and Tokyo showcasing his photo book that captured day-to-day scenes from the artist's life in 2022 and 2023.</p>
<p>Neil Z. Yeung<br />AllMusic.com</p>
