Veteran Singer Kim Jong Wan Admits To Being “Scared” Of BTS Jungkook’s Vocals

The latest episode of BTS Suga’s YouTube show Suchwita featured singer Kim Jong Wan of the alternative rock band Nell.

Kim Jong Wan (left) with Suga of BTS (right) | | @BTS/YouTube

Fans already know about Suga’s love for Nell’s music, but sitting opposite his musical idol, the BTS member couldn’t help gushing some more, reiterating the impact Kim’s music has had on him.

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Apart from their idol-fan dynamic, Kim and Suga have also worked together for the latter’s solo record, D-2. Kim featured on the song called “Dear My Friend.”

During this episode of Suchwita, the duo’s conversation naturally flowed to their song. Kim Jong Wan mentioned that his rule for collaborating with other artists is to see their portfolio and assess if they really love music. When he went through Suga’s catalog, he realized that he was the right person to work with.

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In fact, to work on the song properly, Kim paused all his other projects. When Suga asked the reason, he responded, “Because the lyrics were so real. I couldn’t take this lightly.”

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Despite his veteran status as a musician, Kim admitted that initially, he was “really scared,” and the reason was Jungkook.

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After D-2’s release, Suga mentioned during a livestream that the demo for “Dear My Friend” was actually sung by Jungkook, and he even played a bit of it for ARMYs.

jungkook 'dear my friend' demo ????pic.twitter.com/fj4GDZzTqJ

— ★ (@fayepjm) October 10, 2023

Kim frankly admitted that Jungkook’s guide vocals were so good that it made him hesitant to record his own version, fearing it might not match up to the same level.

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He also praised the BTS maknae’s unique vocal colors, even admitting that he was subconsciously trying to recreate Jungkook’s rendition despite knowing that Suga probably wanted his unique take on the song.

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Suga couldn’t stay still with his younger member’s mention and agreed that Jungkook is an “incredible vocalist.” Kim was not the only one impressed with his rendition, but Suga mentioned that other people who heard the guide were also full of praises for the youngest BTS member.

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So, after this demo song, BIGHIT Music apparently asked Suga not to have Jungkook sing the guides anymore. The rapper explained that it was because his vocal skills often make the receiving artist feel pressured.

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Though Jungkook’s vocal prowess is no secret to the world, this behind-the-scene anecdote has contextualized how industry insiders perceive him as a vocalist. As expected, the Golden Maknae is always exceeding expectations!

BTS’s Jungkook | Weverse