Jul 03, 2025 05:00 AM IST

It’s official — BTS is reuniting, and ARMYs around the world are counting down the days to 2026. With news of a brand-new group album and a global tour, the excitement is palpable. But as fans gear up for the much-awaited comeback, J-Hope is offering a sweet dose of nostalgia that’s making the wait a little easier to bear.

In a recent interview with Teen Vogue, J-Hope, 31, reflected on some of his earliest memories as a BTS trainee, including his very first day with the group. “When I was a trainee, the first day was, December 24 and it was in 2010, Christmas Eve,” he recalled. “I came to Seoul and went straight to the place that I was going to live in with my members at the time. I had fantasised about being a trainee, and expected everything to be neat and well-structured. But when I got there, it was actually very messy. But in a way, that made it feel more real and human. ‘Wow, this is where I’ll be starting my life as a trainee’, that thought settled in.”

But as expected, the day wasn’t full of big moments or flashy rehearsals; it began with something far more grounded. “That first day was about cleaning up the mess around me. Before starting anything, you have to get your space in order. I went ahead and did just that.”

Even back then, the road to becoming a global icon was paved with effort and vulnerability. “For someone who had always been focused on dancing, I took on the challenge of stepping into rap. Since BTS was all about rap back then, there were only rappers in the group and I tried to rap as well. Because I never rapped before, it was a big challenge for me. I kept thinking about ways to improve.”

J-Hope also shared some heartwarming memories of meeting his fellow members for the first time. “I guess the first thing I taught them was dance, because I am a dancer,” he said. “But it’s different for every member. I didn’t teach dance to all the members right from the start. For example, when Jung Kook first arrived, I taught him the rules of our shared dorm. And it was the same for Tae Hyung. As for Jimin, I met him at the bus stop when he arrived in Seoul from Busan for the first time. I remember telling him what it’s like to be a trainee as we walked together. Since Jin is older to me, I felt like I couldn’t really teach him the rules even though I’d joined before him. So I remember going over these little details with them. For the rest of the members, I actually got help from them instead like with Nam Joon and Yoongi. I got a lot of help from them.”

As for what’s next, the excitement is building fast. “We’ll be releasing a new BTS album in the spring of next year,” the group shared on Weverse yesterday. “Starting in July, all seven of us will begin working closely together on new music. Since it will be a group album, it will reflect each member’s thoughts and ideas. We’re approaching the album with the same mindset we had when we first started.”

And there’s also a world tour on the horizon. “We’re also planning a world tour alongside the new album,” they added. “We’ll be visiting fans all around the world, so we hope you’re as excited as we are.”