BTS may be on top of the world right now as they dominate the global music industry but things could have turned out differently if they had pushed through with plans to disband in 2018.
In their documentary Break the Silence, members reflected on the tumultuous time and what prompted them to consider going their separate ways.
According to Jin, members were at a crossroads after the 2018 MAMA in HongKong. Their difficulties made them think about disbanding.
The statement was a huge revelation to BTS supporters because 2018 was a big year for BTS and heralded their meteoric rise to the global stage.
The second eldest member Suga, confided that the roller coaster of emotions from being an idol may have played a part in the member considering whether it was worth it to move forward together.
"I think it's because things got hard at the start of the year. There were a lot of things to think about at the time, and there was a lot of doubt about this work. That was on all our minds that year since this job constantly demands that you be on a roller coaster ride. It turned out to be a year where we could reflect on ourselves. That's what I think," he said.
Even the youngest member Jungkook admitted that he seriously harbored doubt at the time as the members re-evaluated their position and considered whether the hardship was worth it. BTS' golden maknae said that the uncertainties led him to question what path the group would take in 2019.
While BTS has enjoyed strong support from their ARMY fandom even from the start of their career, they came to global attention in 2017 when they received their first Billboard Music Awards win for the Top Social Artist Award and caused BBMA servers to crash due to the volume of votes they received.
That year, BTS beat international stars like Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber and Ariana Grande for the plum and marked the beginning of their ascent to global superstardom. Now, they not only have BBMAs, VMAs, and AMA Awards under their belts, they are also ruling music charts all around the globe and performing at the Grammys.
For J-Hope, their rise to the top brought an overwhelming feeling at the start, which made them rethink if they were going in the right direction.
"In 2018, I think a lot of unexpected things happened that year. Honestly, it felt a bit scary because we never expected so many things that came our way, and we were doing them," he said.
As members reminisce about their uncertainties, they remained thankful that they made the right choice and stuck by each other during difficult times. They also expressed gratitude to the ARMYs who supported them throughout their journey.
