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V “hearts” Drake and shared his admiration for other K-pop artists. The singer also pulls inspiration from old jazz musicians, including Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr.

Here’s what this BTS member said about some of the music he’s listening to and how it helped inspire his “Dynamite” performance. 

V of BTS arrives at the photo call for the 34th Golden Disc Awards
V of BTS arrives at the photocall for the 34th Golden Disc Awards | THE FACT/Imazins via Getty Images

BTS’ V is known for his ‘soulful’ voice and impressive dance moves

He loves his dog named Yeontan, Panda Express, and photography. V is one of the singers and dancers in the K-pop group, BTS, performing alongside vocalists Jin, Jimin, and Jungkook. Of all the BTS singers, V is considered to have one of the lowest registers. 

For one video from 2014, Iris Stevenson, a choir director known for somewhat inspiring the film Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit, listened to V sing, calling him “soulful” as a result. 

V also shares videos of himself singing everything from “Never Not” by Lauv to “Home” by Michael Bublé. For one interview, the artist even shared some of the “old jazz” music and artists that he’s listening to.

This BTS member shared his love for ‘old jazz songs’

V has often extended his appreciation for artists like John Legend and Drake. The K-pop idol also shared his appreciation for old jazz musicians. At the time of the interview, V shared that he was in the Christmas spirit, purchasing several LPs to enjoy during the holiday season. 

“I’m also listening to old jazz songs by Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr.,” V said. “Frank Sinatra is cool, like chilled wine; Sammy Davis Jr. is crazy talented.”

As a songwriter and performer, V shared that he also drew inspiration for being “upbeat” and “cool” from these older artists. Notably, he stated, while working on the chart-topping 2020 release, “Dynamite.”

“Those two were also a big inspiration to me while we were working on ‘Dynamite,’” he continued. “Sinatra has all this jazzy body language, but he also threw some disco in there. And I imagined how Sammy Davis Jr. might dance if there were a mic on stage and he had to dance around it. They were a lot of help when I was finding a way to be upbeat and cool at the same time in ‘Dynamite.’”

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BTS’ Jimin Reveals How ‘Permission to Dance’ Uplifted Him — ‘It Lit up My Life’

V released solo songs outside of his work with the K-pop group BTS

Alongside members like Jimin, Jin, Jungkook, Suga, RM, and J-Hope, V performed on the award-winning single titled “Dynamite.” He wrote the original song from Be (Deluxe Edition) titled “Blue & Grey.” 

Under the same stage name, V also released solo songs, including the all-English single and its corresponding YouTube video, “Winter Bear.”

The “Dynamite” video is now available on YouTube. Music by BTS, including their recently released album, Map of the Soul: 7, is available for streaming on Spotify, Apple Music, and most major platforms.