On March 20, 2026, BTS released ARIRANG and immediately held a live broadcast on Weverse, where they discussed the album’s production and creative process. During the stream, a moment in which the members talked about Jin’s involvement in the project inadvertently sparked a major wave of controversy among fans.
From the very first days when the tracklist for ARIRANG was revealed, fans noticed a striking detail: although Jin contributed vocals to the album, his name did not appear in any official credits as a lyricist or composer. In contrast, the other six members were credited in various aspects of songwriting and music production.
Tracks such as Body to Body, Merry Go Round, NORMAL, One More Night, and Please feature contributions from the trio RM, SUGA, and j-hope. Hooligan and Aliens expand this lineup by adding Jungkook, while 2.0 includes one of the largest combinations, with RM, SUGA, j-hope, Jungkook, and V. Meanwhile, SWIM and Like Animals are credited to RM, while songs like They Don't Know 'Bout Us and Into the Sun involve Jimin and V.
Addressing the issue, the BTS members explained that participation in the album varied depending on each individual’s schedule and working style. Leader RM remarked, “Jin hyung probably could have done it too if his tour had finished a bit earlier.”
Jimin described the situation as “a bit of a shame,” while V explained that Jin could have been involved in the album’s production process, but the overlap between the production schedule and his tour schedule affected his health, making it difficult for him to take part. He also wondered: "You must have felt a bit regretful, right?"
Jungkook and Jimin then pointed out that Jin was the first to complete his military service and resume activities. The group discussed how hard he had worked and how he had “protected the team” while the other members were serving. Jin himself later gave a brief response, expressing satisfaction: "It’s nice that there are so many great songs. "
However, the narrative took a negative turn when some fans—often referred to as solo stans—interpreted the members’ comments as suggesting that Jin had been less involved in the album due to his tour schedule. Some viewed these remarks as “blaming” him for not participating more and claimed that his expression in the video appeared uncomfortable, as if he had been hurt by those comments.
One solo stan wrote: “You can spot jealous/toxic friends when they blame you for choosing yourself and pursuing your dreams. When you encounter such selfish people, don’t hesitate to walk away—because true friends will celebrate your success, cheer you on, and never dim your shine.” Others also joined in: "Did none of them realise that they were making him feel guilty for putting his own ambitions first for once?", "do they realize it’s reflecting so bad on them too when they keep speaking of his tour this way?", "Why are they always вυℓℓуing Jin infront of the camera . Look at Jin’s Face", "Can they stop this gaslighting",...
These kinds of opinions sparked significant conflict within the fandom. Amid this tension, a statement Jin made in a recent exclusive interview with Bloomberg seemed to counter the negative αѕѕumptions made by overly reactive fans.
Specifically, when asked, “Did the success of any of your solo work make you guys reconsider coming back? Did you think, okay, now I’m just going to go be a solo act?”, Jin firmly responded: “It’s less of whether our solo albums do better or the group albums do better. We just love doing group promotions more,” demonstrating his unwavering affection for BTS.
Meanwhile, it appeared that Jin was also aware of the tension following the live broadcast, so he shared a post on Weverse to clearly express his feelings. He praised the album’s diversity in sound and genres. Not only did he express happiness at working with the members, but he also thanked them for creating the songs on the album.
“It's great to listen to the album. I've been lying still with music on for a few weeks, but there are a lot of songs and genres, so I don't get tired of it. I'm so happy to be with our members. Thank you for making such great songs. I'm so happy to be on tour with these songs. I'll be by ARMY's side from April, so please wait for me. Please show a lot of love for our music”, Jin wrote.
Following Jin’s lead, many ARMYs also voiced their support for the members, arguing that the clip had been misinterpreted and rejecting the negative narratives pushed by solo stans: "Bro this was their reply to all u antis and solos. That he was tired and couldn't do it. He had already worked so f* hard. You guys always twist up their words as per ur own convenience and narratives when you get slapped hard with facts", "They actually elaborated Jin’s role and told he Jin took most of the weight in the comeback", "They knew fans were speculating why he wasnt credited for songs and they gave the context that his health was more important after a long tour", "Jin on damage control duty again. Him reαѕѕuring his Stans that his okay is sweet. Stop this controversy here, BTS is 7",...
