After days of anticipation and promotion, BTS' eldest member Kim Seokjin, also known as Jin, has officially released his solo EP Echo. On May 16 (Friday), the K-pop star unveiled the seven tracks: Don't Say You Love Me, Nothing Without Your Love, Loser featuring YENA, Rope It, With the Clouds, Background, and To Me, Today.
As expected, right after the album dropped, ARMY ¡ª BTS' loyal fandom ¡ª waited for Jin's livestream on the fan platform Weverse. And Jin didn't disappoint¡ neither did the other members.
To promote Echo to ARMY, Jin hosted a live broadcast, following a tradition BTS and each member have maintained over the years. During the stream, Jin spoke about the album, shared his thoughts on the songs, and explained how Echo reflects his "perspective on universal life experiences, capturing everyday emotions with warmth and sincerity."
Interestingly, Jin wasn't alone during the stream. Four members ¡ª J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jungkook ¡ª hilariously flooded the comments section. Some praised Jin for his hard work, while others simply chatted amongst themselves, creating pure chaos in the best way possible.
V (Kim Taehyung) had trouble joining the live, and by the time he returned, it was nearly over. Jungkook updated fans that V had tried calling him, but he didn't answer ¡ª which led to V sending him some "choice words," making ARMY laugh.
Jimin revealed that he and Jungkook were sitting next to each other watching the live unfold. J-Hope, who is currently in Macau for his Hope on the Stage tour, chimed in frequently with laughter, while the other members reminded him not to get injured.
Even after Jin ended his live stream, the broadcast continued, and the members kept chatting, much to fans' delight. Eventually, Jin had to return to the chat to playfully tell them all to leave.
With less than a month left for the OT7 (all seven members) reunion, it's clear that even the members are looking forward to it. Fans were overjoyed to see the same chaotic energy, unbreakable bond, and closeness that BTS is known for.
Many also noted the absence of leader RM and rapper SUGA in the live comments and expressed their hope to see them join in the fun soon.
Two BTS members ¡ª Jin and J-Hope ¡ª have already completed their mandatory military service. Jin, who began his enlistment in December 2022 was discharged on June 12, 2024 while J-Hope who enlisted in April 2023 completed his service in October 2024.
The remaining five members ¡ª RM, V, Jimin, Jungkook, and SUGA ¡ª are still serving. RM and V are both scheduled to return on June 10, 2025 while Jimin and Jungkook will be discharged the following day, on June 11.?
SUGA, who is fulfilling his duty through an alternative service route due to a past shoulder injury, is expected to be the last to return, with his discharge date set for June 21, 2025.?