To keep up with the pressure of being the world’s biggest boydband, BTS has to speak the lingua franca of the globe: the English language.
This remains true even when their music clearly transcends language and cultural barriers. They now have a bigger audience to entertain, and speaking English has become a necessity for the lads.
So, if you’re curious as to which BTS member can speak English, stick around!
Rap Monster is the English Master of BTS
During international interviews, it can be observed that RM, the leader of the band, does most of the talking. This is because he’s the only member of the group who’s fluent in English.
Of course, he hasn’t achieved native-like proficiency. But it’s amazing how someone who came from a country where English isn’t explicitly taught can speak full sentences in English.
And if that isn’t impressive already, RM revealed that he never took any formal English class. Instead, he learned English by watching a very popular TV show called Friends. Namjoon told this story during their interview in the Ellen Show:
“My English teacher was the sitcom Friends. Back in the days, when I was like 15, 14, it was quite like a syndrome for all the Korean parents to make their kids watch Friends. I thought I was kind of like a victim at that time, but right now, I’m the lucky one, thanks to my mother. She bought me all 10 DVDs — all the seasons. So firstly, I watched them with the Korean subtitles, and then next time, I watched with the English subtitles, and then I just removed it.”
Of course, it’s up to you whether you buy his story or not. But you cannot deny the fact that his interest in the language definitely paid off.
His speech during the band’s appearance in the United Nations General Assembly wowed many people around the world with not just his heartfelt message, but also his English skills.
Other BTS Members Can Speak and Understand English
While the rest of the Bangtan boys are still miles away from RM’s current level of English language proficiency, at least they’re not starting from scratch.
Suga, Jimin, Jin, V, JHope, and Jungkook all speak in English from time to time, both to their fans and to other members of the group.
Suga and Jungkook seem to be the most committed members in terms of learning the language. They have expressed their desire to learn the language multiple times in several interviews.
In fact, Jungkook is spending more time with native English speakers such as Charlie Puth. This is a great opportunity for him to practice his English speaking skills!
BTS Has Released A Few English Songs
Their hit song Butter, which involved lyrics written entirely in English, can be considered by many as their golden ticket to the global stage. But it’s actually not the first and only English song they’ve released as a band. Here’s a list of BTS songs that are written purely in English:
- Permission to Dance
- Dynamite
- Butter
Aside from that, members have also covered English songs, such as Falling by Harry Styles, We Don’t Talk Anymore by Charlie Puth and Selena Gomez, and Someone Like You by Adele.
