The year 2023 marked the beginning of Chapter 2 for the globally popular band BTS, a group under the South Korean label BigHit, as they entered their tenth year, and the members continued their solo album journeys, before being enlisted into the South Korean military for their conscription or mandatory service.
BTS’ Golden Maknae (youngest member) Jeon Jungkook did so too. As the trailer of the documentary “I Am Still” launched last month, it sparked curiosity and excitement among the “ARMY” (BTS fans).
A blend of full-length concert clips from his Golden concert that was held last year in November, and at other significant venues like Times Square and Rockefeller Center in US, alongwith moments from various interviews and behind-the-scene recording studio clips, ‘I am Still’ revolves around the eight month journey of the 26-year old K-pop global star and BTS maknae Jeon Jungkook, before the release of his first single album Golden.
“I just follow my own compass,” said Jungkook, who is on his own path to finding recognition through his debut as a solo artist. The film takes a deep dive into his eight-month journey, finding his recognition as a solo artist, not only in his country but in the western music industry too, while navigating his true self, finding his flaws and working on them. People other than the members who have worked with him, like BTS choreographer Son Sung Deok, had always praised him for his energy and dedication towards the group since his trainee days. Jungkook recalls that as a trainee, he never majored in any one particular dance form. Yet as fans have noticed, he has been quick in picking up any dance form and is known to be the main vocalist of the group.
Jungkook is the first Korean artist to make history with multiple chart achievements, including three UK top-10 singles, a No. 2 debut on the Billboard 200, record-breaking streams on Spotify, and multiple wins at the 2024 People’s Choice Awards for his album Golden.
Directed by Jun Soo Park, the documentary is visually stunning, balancing quiet, reflective scenes with high-energy performances to highlight the duality of Jungkook. On stage, he is larger than life; off stage, he is humble, and grounded. While the film might seem tailored to the BTS ARMY, the title ‘I am Still’ explains his relevance even as a solo artist and not only as a member of the group. The scenes that won the heart of the ARMY is when he said, the fans always fire up his energy and that inspires him to work harder. There’s a clip where he is seen to be excitedly jumping and moving towards the stage while saying, “It’s always fun to be with the ARMYs”. This gratitude and humility have attracted fans not only to him but to all the members.
A huge load of cheer comes from the fans, where there is a clip of V (Kim Taehyung) greeting Jungkook in the recording room. The film ends with the most self-healing song, Magic Shop, co-written by Jungkook, followed by a touching scene of him getting a buzz cut ahead of his military enlistment, keeping his fans teary eyed. He is seen to be recording his last song ‘Never Let Go’ for ARMY day (that was released on 9th July, 2024) and later meeting another band mate Jimin (Park Jimin), with whom he enlisted in the military later.
The film as per the Korean Film Council is the highest grossing film event by a K-pop idol in Korean Box Office history, earning $223,387 as declared by World Music Awards in a tweet.
Listed as per the order of the fan chant in the end credits, the film lastly features tributes to Jungkook’s fellow BTS members — RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, and V, showcasing his attachment to his members, strong connection to his roots and his journey as an artist.