K-pop group BTS has incredibly multifaceted members in RM, Jin, SUGA, j-hope, Jimin, V, and Jungkook. Between the seven, they divide their talents between producing, songwriting, dancing, rapping, and singing, and are commonly grouped into a rap line and a vocal line.
Since BTS was originally created as a hip-hop group with RM, SUGA, and j-hope, the three were never meant to be vocalists. However, as the group evolved into the pop spectrum, even they have had to belt out a note or two. As for the vocalists, monotony is not in BTS’ glossary. Jin, Jimin, V, and Jungook all bring something wildly different to the band’s sound.
What to keep in mind while determining BTS’ best singer
If ranking BTS’ dancers, rappers, or even songwriters is already a daunting task, then categorizing them as singers definitely takes the controversial cake. Despite the vocal line’s versatility being an undeniable advantage for the band, it does ultimately make it harder to compare each singer, and thus pretty much impossible to rank them fairly. For this reason, this list mainly takes into account pitch, range, control, projection, and consistency, since these are qualities that can be more objectively judged than, say, timbre or interpretation/emotion.
Rankings of BTS’ singers are always cause for animosities. Numbers five and one on this list are the most consensual, while numbers seven and six aren’t really critical since their main job within the band is to rap. It’s the in-between rankings that are notoriously touchier subjects, with numbers four, three, and two essentially interchangeable, but for the purpose of this article, they have had to be ordered.
Disclaimers presented, here is the ranking of BTS’ weakest to strongest singers.
7. SUGA
As mentioned, Suga could just as well be placed in six. While he hadn’t shown as much of a predisposition to sing in the past, his most recent solo work, 2023’s D-Day, changed that scenario completely. The rapper was adamant about pushing himself to work on his vocals and expand his sound to include more ballads and more singing.
Suga previously displayed his singing abilities in solo BTS songs like “Trivia 轉: Seesaw,” but tracks like “SDL” and “Life Goes On” off of his third solo project have really put into evidence not just the strength of his vocals but also his perfect pitch, which come from over a decade of growing as a multifaceted musician. The fact that he sounds just as good live as he does in the studio recordings only speaks in his favor.
6. RM
RM often adds vocal elements to his solo music. His second solo mixtape mono. has singing in almost every track, and while his most recent album Indigo moves back into hip-hop territory, his comforting vocals can still be found in songs like “Forg_tful.”
RM’s singing voice is distinctly low, soft, and breathy, and altogether very pleasant and melodic. As BTS’ main songwriter, RM often serves as a vocal guide in demos for the singers, which are some of the most serious and clearest examples of his vocals.
5. j-hope
j-hope is BTS’ hidden singing weapon. Despite being one-third of the rap line, the 29-year-old usually pulls his own weight when it comes to vocals. j-hope has better pitch, projection, and control than his rapper counterparts, and is generally more comfortable in a higher register.
You can find some of j-hope’s best vocals in songs like “MAMA,” “Spring Day,” “Make It Right,” “Telepathy,” “Life Goes On,” and “Dynamite.” More recently, his “goodbye” single before joining the military, “On the Street,” also showcased the rapper’s melodic skills.
4. Jimin
As a countertenor, Jimin has the kind of voice any group would be lucky to have. The “Like Crazy” singer is responsible for some of the most astounding high notes and moving performances in BTS’ discography. Jimin’s undeniable strength is his head voice, the most effortless, stable, and clean among the vocal line, as well as a natural agility that predisposes him for beautiful stylistic complements like riffing and vibratos, that he uses just the right amount.
To varying degrees, every BTS vocalist struggles with breath support — likely a result of inconsistent vocal training — which harms their abilities to produce sustained power vocals. To add to that, Jimin’s instrument is naturally smaller than his vocal line counterparts, which makes the tension in his voice more evident. All in all, Jimin’s voice is soft, beautiful and, when used correctly, can make BTS’ songs sound incredibly unique. His first solo album Face, as well as BTS songs like “Serendipity,” “Lie,” and “Film Out” contain some of his most striking vocal performances.
3. Jin
Jin, alongside Jungkook, is BTS’ most reliable, consistent singer with impressive projection and power in his voice. The 30-year-old shines the brightest in swooping ballads like “Epiphany,” “Awake,” “Yours,” “Abyss,” and “Moon” where he gets to display the immense strength in his voice through his signature belting and falsettos. His 2022 solo song “The Astronaut” with Coldplay took him to new heights melodically and stylistically.
Jin is less prone to crack or sing off-key in BTS’ performances, but his voice does come off as overly nasal and breathy at times. Jin also tends to shout instead of supporting his high notes, a problem that occurs occasionally in all of BTS. Jin gets third place on this list thanks to his consistency and dedication to improving. In an interview with The Korea Times, Jin’s vocal coach from before he debuted with BTS shared:
“Long after he debuted (…) he sent me a recorded song that he practiced with me when he was an idol trainee saying ‘Please listen to this’. He is a member of BTS which plays numerous gigs, but he still asked me, ‘Didn’t I improve a lot?’”
2. V
V has the biggest range, as well as one of the most powerful voices in BTS (only rivaled by Jin). An impressively strong and versatile singer, he can sing with ease in any register (head, mixed, chest), even if, just like Jin and Jimin, he also struggles with control, support, and especially pitch.
As the only baritone in the vocal line, V is the strongest vocalist in a low register but generally finds it easier to break out of his comfort zone than his counterparts. Considering BTS mostly produces songs suited to tenors, V has had to sing in a register that isn’t his most naturally comfortable, and yet still present gorgeous performances. Much like his seductive, deep voice, V’s growl is also an iconic part of the BTS lore and one of the band’s coolest secret weapons.
V’s most impressive vocals can be heard in songs like “Blue & Grey,” “Singularity,” or “Stigma,” among many others. His first solo project Layover was a personality-filled, soulful album custom-made to highlight the very best qualities of V not just as a vocalist but as a performer and an artist.
1. Jungkook
Jungkook is the main vocalist in BTS for a reason: he has been serious about his singing for a really long time. Whereas the other members in the vocal line only started training their pipes after joining BigHit (Jimin was studying dance, Jin was studying acting, and V was famously just accompanying a friend to the auditions), Jungkook had been trying to kick-start his singing career for a while.
“I had to show improvements and accomplishments. I thought that the only person who could act and make a change was myself. From that moment, I deleted the idea of a vocal training hour in my head. In the car, in the shower… Of the 24-hour day, I tried to sing and was singing during every possible minute.”
Jungkook in an interview for South Korean variety show, You Quiz on the Block.
Much like a blank canvas, Jungkook can do whatever he feels like with his voice. From runs and belting to falsetto, he’s excellent in all techniques. Jungkook’s the perfect pop and R&B vocalist — as shown in his 2023 solo debut album Golden, which dabbles in all kinds of commercial genres — with a silky smooth, clean, and malleable tone. He’s also got amazing pitch and stability, considering he’s often singing while dancing. Of course, as BTS’ main vocalist, the band’s songs are catered to him, but Jungkook could surely make his mark in any popular act right now.
As far as weaknesses go, if one can even call them that, the “Standing Next To You” singer does have some stylistic mannerisms — like breathiness and vocal fry — to his singing that can be distracting at times. Deeper notes are also more challenging for him than Jin or V, but those are simply specks in a world of qualities.
Even if not the most powerful or technically perfect, BTS does have one of the most recognizable vocal lines in K-pop, and the music industry in general. Any person interested in becoming a fan will soon notice how special each voice is and just how lucky the band is to have Jimin, Jin, Taehyung, and Jungkook (and of course the rap line too!).