V (singer)
Kim Tae-hyung (Korean: 김태형; born December 30, 1995),[1] known professionally as V (뷔), is a South Korean singer, songwriter, and a member of the boy band BTS.[2] Since his debut with the band in 2013, V has performed three solo songs under their name—"Stigma" in 2016, "Singularity" in 2018, and "Inner Child" in 2020—all of which charted on South Korea's Gaon Digital Chart.
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Outside of his projects with BTS, V appeared in the 2016 television series Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth and contributed the single "It's Definitely You" to its soundtrack. He released his first independent song, the self-composed "Scenery", in 2019. In 2023, V made his official debut as a solo artist with the release of the singles "Love Me Again" and "Rainy Days". His debut solo album Layover was released on September 8, accompanied by a third single, "Slow Dancing".[3]
Early life and education
V was born Kim Tae-hyung on December 30, 1995, in the Seo District of Daegu,[4][5] and grew up in Geochang County.[6] He is the eldest of three children, with a younger brother and sister.[7] He is of the Gwangsan Kim clan.[8]
V first aspired to be a professional singer in elementary school.[9] With his father's support,[10] he began taking saxophone lessons in early middle school as a means of pursuing a musical career.[7][9] V eventually became a trainee for Big Hit Entertainment after passing an audition in Daegu.[11]
After graduating from Korean Arts High School in 2014,[12] V enrolled in Global Cyber University, graduating in August 2020 with a major in Broadcasting and Entertainment.[13] As of 2021, he is enrolled at Hanyang Cyber University, pursuing a Master of Business Administration in Advertising and Media.[14]
Artistry
V possesses a baritone singing voice that has received a generally positive critical reception, with particular praise for his vocal range and "husky" tone.[54][55] He gained wider vocal recognition for his performance of his solo song "Stigma", and was praised for his falsettos that showed off his vocal range and unique musicality.[56] V's tonality on "Singularity", the opening track of BTS' Love Yourself: Tear (2018), was noted as a prominent "tone setter" on the album by music critic Blanca Méndez.[57] Similarly, Katie Goh of Vice deemed it as "one of V's best vocal performances."[58] Karen Ruffini of Elite Daily stated in their article that "V... has no problem producing super soothing, low tones that are a key element in the overall sound for BTS,"[59] with Tamar Herman from Billboard also noting that V's lower range is a prominent piece of BTS' music.[60] V's musicality is heavily influenced by his love for jazz and classical music. Eric Benet and Ruben Studdard are among his inspirations.[61]
As a performer, V is known for his "duality", or his ability to evoke various emotions on stage.[62] British journalist Rhian Daly, writing for NME, particularly noted this when discussing V's performance of "Singularity" during the Love Yourself: Speak Yourself World Tour, describing his movements as "precise and deliberate".[63] Crystal Bell from MTV noted V's performances often work with live cameras in concert venues, and how he utilizes them to create subtle expressions during performances.[64]
Impact and influence
V coined the phrase "I purple you" during BTS' fanmeeting in November 2016; since then, purple has become a symbol of BTS and their fans. UNICEF used the phrase in their anti-bullying campaign with BTS.[65]
In 2018, Eugene Investment & Securities Co., Ltd. conducted analytical research on Google search trends relating to the K-pop industry. "V" ranked first on the chart as the most-searched keyword for the past five years in South Korea.[66] In a survey conducted by Gallup Korea, V was chosen as the fourth most-preferred idol of 2019, previously ranking ninth in 2018.[67][68] In 2021, he ranked as the most popular Korean celebrity in Japan for twenty-eight consecutive weeks.[69]
Various artists have cited him as an influence and role model: The Boyz's Younghoon and Hwall;[70] Golden Child's Jaehyun[71] and Jangjun; MVP's Been;[72] Rainz's Byun Hyun-min;[73] Cravity's Serim;[74] Ateez's Yeosang and Mingi; D-Crunch's Jungseung and Dyla; Lucente's Bao;[70] Newkidd's Yunmin; Boy Story's Hanyu; Tomorrow X Together's Beomgyu; Produce X 101 contestants Koo Jungmo,[75] Lee Taeseung[76] and Mahiro Hidaka;[77] and former Wanna One member Park Ji-hoon.[78]