RM Had a 'Hard Time on a Human Level' After BTS Break

As we all know, BTS is currently on extended break while all seven members complete their mandatory military service, as South Korean law requires every able-bodied man to serve at least 20 months in the army before they turn 28. So with eldest member Jin already serving, j-hope currently training and Jungkook, V, Jimin and Suga awaiting their own conscriptions, RM's had a lot of time to think about who he is "after 10 years as a member of BTS."

"I didn't know who I was and I wanted to know," the 28-year-old musician (a.k.a. Kim Namjoon) told Spanish news agency EFE in a new interview.

"I started out as a teenage rapper, then BTS came along and it was all very intense," he continued. "Now that the group is inactive, I've gone back to thinking about the beginnings and the real reasons why I joined BTS."

As RM explained, the break's allowed him to focus on himself as both an artist and individual, as proven by the release of his first solo album, Indigo, this past December. And with a second record in the works, he decided to continue this period of creative self-exploration in Spain, shirking current trends in favor of classic artists like Pablo Picasso, Francisco Goya and Diego Velazquez.

"K-pop and k-drama are in fashion," he continued. "So, ironically, I am at the center of the trend at a time when I feel the need to step away from that and have time to think and create with a more timeless outlook."

However, getting to this point wasn't exactly easy. While he's since embraced the opportunity, the rapper still had a "hard time on a human level" with his swift transition into solo work. But even so, he knows that the experience is essential before adding that he's confident BTS will be better than ever when they start back up in 2025.

"When you are famous, staying on top is very difficult," he said. "But I think BTS will make it. It will come together again when we finish our military service, and we will look for new synergies between us to enter a second phase."

RM concluded, "But, in any case, nothing lasts forever."

You can read RM's entire interview with EFE here.

Photo via Getty / The Chosunilbo JNS / Imazins