BTS‘ Jungkook has proven his mettle in the music industry again. His recent track, “3D (feat. Jack Harlow),” has skyrocketed to the top, clinching the No. 1 spot on iTunes in eight major global markets. This achievement breaks his own record set by “Seven (feat. Latto).” Adding to the accolades, the official music video for “3D” has already raked in over five million views.

A harmonious blend of past and present

In celebration of this success, Consequence magazine dropped an exclusive interview with the star. The backdrop was his rehearsals for the esteemed Global Citizen Festival in New York. Here, he unveiled his setlist, which featured solo tracks like “Euphoria” and “Still With You,” coupled with BTS‘ English hits “Dynamite,” “Butter,” and “Permission to Dance.”

“So, there I was, preparing for my next single,” Jungkook reminisced, detailing his journey to “3D.” He went through a plethora of tracks before one struck a chord. “I received lots of songs to look at, but didn’t really like any of them until I met this one. The moment I heard it, I chose it naturally.”

The song, a harmonious blend of past and present, is accentuated by Jungkook‘s signature refrains. Jack Harlow‘s rap verses further modernize the track. Scheduling conflicts prevented them from recording the song together, but they made up for that by bonding during the music video shoot. Sharing a behind-the-scenes tidbit, Jungkook revealed, “Just to share with you one interesting episode, there’s a scene in the video where we play chess, so I learned to play for the first time right there. And you know what? I played with Jack, and I won!”

Jungkook on the track’s key points

Diving deeper into the essence of “3D,” Jungkook provided a comprehensive breakdown of the track’s key points. Beginning with the choreography, he said, “If you listen to ‘Seven’ and watch the video, there’s something fresh-faced about it. With ‘3D,’ there’s a little more sexiness incorporated into the choreography,” he teased. “Some parts are very high in intensity, others are more relaxed. There’s a lot of contrast and dynamic moves in the video. The choreography is overall very addictive and easy to follow. The fun vibe of the song adds to the feel. I think there’s a lot to enjoy.”

Transitioning to his inspirations, he reflected on his musical influences—especially the tracks from the early 2000s that shaped his formative years. “So, back in the day when I was a trainee, I listened to a lot of songs to prepare for our work. When I started working on this song, I got the sense that it could really appeal to people who know early 2000s music. There’s a sense of nostalgia,” he explained. “But I also felt it could also appeal to younger people with its sophisticated feel, and that kind of direction felt right to me. I also paid close attention to the pronunciation, the feel of the lyrics, and overall content so that I could bring that feeling to life.”

Pushing boundaries

Highlighting his aspirations, Jungkook‘s ambition and drive shone through as he discussed pushing his artistic boundaries. “What I want to do is test how far I can go with my voice and my capabilities. How far can I go completely on my own? Also, I want to try out many different genres, and it’s important that I’m not fixed on any particular genre. I just want to be open, so when I’m working on a song, I’m focused on that moment. The stories of the songs can appeal to a lot of people and be relatable with different variations on that,” he elaborated.

Concluding his insights, he delved into the symbolism behind his solo endeavors, using color as a metaphor to represent his unique identity. “I picture blueish tints and white. It’s the reason I recently changed the color of my microphone to white! With BTS songs, it’s all the different colors of the individual members coming together—whereas for me, it’s just me and my own unique color. I don’t think I could make something that has all the colors of BTS, but being a part of BTS formed the basis for my solo project.”

Congratulations on the success of “3D,” Jungkook! – K-Pop News Writer

Featured Image: The track soared to the top of the charts upon release. Source: X/@BIGHIT_MUSIC.