BTS’ Taehyung’s latest music video, Winter Ahead, featuring Park Hyo-shin, has sparked a flurry of fan theories and captivated audiences worldwide. Released on November 29, 2024, by HYBE LABELS, the video blends visuals with a complex narrative, leaving viewers intrigued. As reported by Headline Planet, BIGHIT Music states that the video draws inspiration from the Greek myth of Pygmalion.
As per fans’ theories, the story portrays Taehyung as a sculptor who creates a statue that seemingly reflects different facets of himself. The narrative introduces two contrasting versions of Taehyung: one serene and content, the other dark and enigmatic.
The video’s execution and symbolism have led to diverse interpretations among fans. Many fans speculate that the statue represents innocence, purity, or even a reflection of the artist’s inner struggles.
A clip in the video reveals the “X” mark, initially seen on the statue, appearing on the singer’s neck, suggesting that he might be both the creator and the creation. This haunting revelation has prompted theories about self-love, identity, and the reconciliation of opposing aspects of one’s personality.
The internet has proposed various interpretations, with some stating that the peaceful version of the idol created an idealized world to cope with loneliness, only to confront his darker self by the end. An X user, @taessarect, wrote,
“so taehyung 1 (the one we’d been seeing throughout the entire music video) is just another version of tae 2 (the one with bloody head) that he (tae 2) created to build a separate world for him where he is actually happy ?”
Others believe the entire narrative is a metaphor for self-discovery, where all characters, including the statue and even the woman, symbolize parts of the BTS member’s subconscious.
“the girl is taes creation AND there’s another taehyung who taehyung created himself. and he was a sculpture himself all along,” a fan commented.
“Actually statues are him, female is him, hallucinating tae and even the bleeding tae was also him. I feel like he was trying to find love within himself but in the process he tried to destroy everything he made but at the end he accepted the reality check given by his MAIN persona,” another netizen added.
“The woman was not real, and even the statue he was carving in the form of that woman changed (by himself) to become HIM. KIM TAEHYUNG…YOU DID IT AGAIN Mind blown..Jaw dropped….thoughts are being thunk,” a fan remarked.
The climax, where the two versions of V meet with bittersweet smiles, encapsulates the theme of acceptance and the realization of one’s reality.
“the face of realization & acceptance of the fact that he’s not real, nothing of it was real..,” an X user wrote.
“This moment is powerful. The repeated use of the word “paradise,” followed by the abrupt shift in atmosphere, gave me literal goosebumps. I interpret it symbolically, and I suspect it contains autobiographical elements. Imagine Kim Taehyung starring in a psychological thriller,” another netizen remarked.
More about BTS’ Taehyung’s Winter Ahead and other upcoming projects
The intricate storytelling, paired with the Rainy Days singer’s acting and the video’s cinematography, has left fans in awe. The music video, running for 6 minutes and 22 seconds, uses its extended format to explore these themes, blending art and music seamlessly.
In other news, the BTS vocalist is set to release a duet rendition of Bing Crosby’s iconic White Christmas on December 6, 2024. This holiday single, described as warm and comforting, follows his annual seasonal releases like Snow Flower and Christmas Tree.
As of the latest, on November 28, V amazed fans with his dance skills and muscular physique during a practice session with choreographer Lee Jung-lee. Taking a break from his military service, the idol spent time in the studio practicing a dance routine to Ludacris’s’ song What’s Your Fantasy.
The BTS member first teased fans with a snippet of behind-the-scenes of the practice. After a short while, the choreographer posted the full version on her Instagram handle, @leejung_lee. As of this article’s writing, the reel has already amassed 39 million views and 3.2 million likes.
V completed the recording and filming of the projects before his military enlistment in December 2023. He is set to complete his service in June 2025, after which fans look forward to his return alongside BTS.
Edited by Shreya Das
