KEY POINTS

  • A video of RM rapping inspired Jungkook to become a singer
  • Jungkook and other BTS members spoke about the success of “Dynamite” on “Bae Chul Soo’s Music Camp”
  • BTS said its new album will be dropping later this year with songs of varying genres

BTS’ Jungkook has credited the group’s leader, RM, and his bandmates for helping him understand the joys of making music.

Jungkook — who sat down for a chat on the radio show “Bae Chul Soo’s Music Camp” with his fellow BTS members on Monday, Sept. 14 — revealed that he had little interest in being a singer during his school days. But this changed when he saw RM performing.

“When I was a student in Busan, to be honest I wasn’t that interested in singing,” the 23-year-old revealed on the radio show.

“Of course, I wanted to be like the amazing singers I’d seen, but after I spent a while looking, I came across a video of RM rapping,” Jungkook recalled. “It was around the same time that (management agency Big Hit founder) Bang Si Hyuk was doing the show ‘Star Audition – The Great Birth,’ so I decided to go to that agency, and I’ve learned a lot from the older members.”

Jungkook added that he believes his fellow BTS members, Jin, Suga, RM, J-Hope, V and Jimin, helped him become who he is today.

Like Jungkook, BTS' oldest member Jin also believes that his bandmates had the biggest influence on him musically.

“The people who’ve really been a big influence on me are the members of BTS. It was thanks to them that I started doing music and was able to write songs too. Also, since they’re the ones who are most often singing by my side, they’ve been the biggest influence on me,” he told the host.

Meanwhile, rapper Suga, who produces songs for BTS and often collaborates with other artists, shared that Epik High inspired him to start making music. He also said that he had hoped to work with one rapper he likes, T.I., for his mixtape, but the collab didn’t work out.

During the radio interview, Jungkook also talked about how he spends his free time.

“I can’t focus on just one thing, so I try a lot of different things,” he said. “Working on songs is the base thing. I was boxing, then playing guitar, then painting, then reading books, then I tried cooking and working out. I edit videos too and I’m doing a lot of different things.”

Jungkook’s latest interest is pizza making.

BTS also discussed its latest all-English single, “Dynamite,” which has taken the no. 1 spot on Billboard’s Hot 100 for two weeks in a row, as well as its upcoming album.

Commenting on the songs in the new album, Jimin teased that they are much better than “Dynamite.” Meanwhile, RM noted the songs all have different genres.

“There are a lot of different genres on the album,” RM said of their next release, which is set to drop later this year. “The songs’ messages are what are needed the most right now during these times.”

BTS at Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve
The boy band BTS is pictured. Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images for Dick Clark Productions