Kim Tae-hyung — the South Korean artist best known as V from the world-famous, seven-headed pop band BTS — brought a live backing band of eight to a studio in Seoul in August to remotely record a three-song set for NPR’s Tiny Desk concert series. With support from Blake Straus on guitar, Brett White on keys, Pete Jonas on bass, Destin Johnson on drums, Jacob Scesney on sax, and a three-piece vocal section featuring Iyanu Anderson, Trudi Henderson, and Jewaun Word, V stuck strictly to his solo work, playing neosoul-informed renditions of “Love Me Again,” “Slow Dancing,” and “For Us.”
In October 2022, BTS announced that they would be temporarily disbanding in order to fulfill the mandatory 18–21 months of military service required in South Korea from every able-bodied male before they reach the age of 30. V, the second-youngest member of the band, must serve his term before December 29, 2025. In a video discussing the hiatus, V said in Korean that BTS “could focus on our solo work this time, and later when we gather again as a group that synergy will be like no other. We’ll be better than before.”
A full reunion is expected in 2025, once all seven members complete their obligations. Despite their sabbatical, BTS shared a previously released track titled “Take 2” back in June.
