[MV] A song where two V's meet [Winter Ahead]

[Update: 2026/5/1] I found out it's the same director as the '2.0' MV, so adding this note.

The 'Winter Ahead' MV is finally out!

The new song MV by V and Park Hyo-shin, which I spent so much time fantasizing about just from the teaser, has finally been released!

It's amazing that a song about 4 minutes long has an MV nearly 6 and a half minutes long. You can feel V's determination that he's no longer at a stage where he needs to worry about rotation counts, and that he's ready to compete on his own terms here. By the way, Namjoon and Suga talked about song lengths on 'Suchwita (EP.1)'!

So, here are my first impressions of the MV!

Pre-release expectations

Lyrics translation & Part distribution

Since this is an MV, it's very interesting to see who is singing which part and which lyrics are layered over which scenes!

MV Impressions

What is it about?

The MV begins with a scene of one V. In a Parisian mansion, V is sculpting a statue. He eats snacks and dances alone, looking bored yet spending his time at ease. The scene where V rubs under his eyes and the scene where he uses his thumb to carve away material from the same spot on the statue suggest some kind of connection.

He is sculpting a statue of a woman. V gazes intently at the statue and tries to kiss it. One day, he realizes the statue has become a person. V is incredibly cute as he gets flustered when she smiles at him as if to ask, "What's wrong?"

V's appearance, as if he is wondering if she is truly alive, reminds me of how he used to try to confirm the existence of ARMY many times through Weverse. It's almost like he's asking, "Are ARMYs really human?"

Scenes of them enjoying their own world, like going out to the forest and dancing. V stares at the woman's sleeping face as if to check if she is breathing.

V leaves the property for the first time and walks through the city. There's a bear 🐻 for a split second too, lol. He stands on a theater stage, singing alone, and sits in the empty seats. It's a world where only a vast space surrounds him, and feelings of "This is my place" and "There is no one here" intersect.

V rubbing under his eyes again. Is this gesture a way of checking if he is artificial?
The head of a broken statue is shown for a moment.

Even in the driving scene, V is alone in the car. Trapped by the rain, he stares intently outside. The car doesn't move, and he doesn't get out.
It's a scene that evokes the sense of confinement felt during the pandemic.

V carving an X into the statue.

Leaving the room filled with many faces (statues), he suddenly enters a party venue surrounded by many people. It looks fun! Confetti, smiles, and a birthday cake.
People of all races, ages, and genders laughing, chatting, and dancing freely. A festive scene. It reminds me of the clutter inside the diner in 'FRI(END)S'.

When V blows out the candle on the cake, the lights go out.
Although he shows a moment of anxiety, V is drawn into dancing by the liveliness of those around him.

But the light fades, and the people run away.
Suddenly, V is bathed in flashlight and stands frozen. His eyes, in close-up, glow blue like a doll's for a moment.

Emerging from behind the bright light is another V, wounded and bleeding black blood. He is the version of him from a little further in the future, around the time of 'FRI(END)S'.

Scenes of the statues flash by like a revolving lantern, and V clutches his neck. As if remembering the mark he carved himself.
What did V see when he removed the handkerchief covering the statue's face? Short cuts flow by, and his world begins to crumble.

As if he has understood something, V sheds tears while smiling slightly.
After everything has passed, what remains at the end is the harmony singing 'This is paradise' and the backs of V and a woman running into the forest together.

What I thought after watching

After reading the lyrics and watching the MV, my first impression was that it was a farewell letter from V'.
Perhaps I feel this way all the more because I know this is a work V spent two years creating before leaving for military service.

Below, beware of some wild speculation!

The impression of the MV was 'Pygmalion (= the created idol)'.
V created statues, gave them life, and enjoyed time with them. The image of him having created even himself overlaps with the idol who wore various masks and showed us so many faces.

The scene where the door opens with the phrase 'Yes, when all the seasons turn.' and leads to the party looks like the dream world he created, and also like the brilliance of the time he spent with ARMY all over the world.

But then the future V appears. A year older, with strong eyes that seem to say 'It's time,' he is in the final moments before enlistment.
V, smiling while teary-eyed, looked as if he had accepted his fate.

The lyrics resonate in my heart. Only V sings this part, you know...

"Winter (the time of enlistment) will soon arrive."

The time we can spend with ARMY passes in the blink of an eye. Spring passes, summer burns, and then the autumn breeze blows by, and the season of parting arrives. The black V symbolizes the approaching winter, and it is as if he is telling you that you have become the "past." The V who was in the Paris mansion is no longer there.

The same goes for the black V. The blood flowing from his colorless forehead looks like cracks, and we can see that with the time limit approaching, "FRI(END)S" is also becoming a thing of the past.

In every season = when BTS returns, at that time, "Won't you say you want to be by my side?". When this phrase plays, V looks at the woman. Although he is shy and looks away immediately.

"Winter Ahead" seems to be a wish for ARMY that he cannot say directly. The call to ARMY sung by V and the true feelings sung by Park Hyo-shin mingle and resonate as one.

Whether in songs or comments, I feel that BTS never tries to bind ARMY. They could say, "Promise me, stay, definitely wait for me," and it would be fine. Instead, they sing about love and bonds.

Even if it is a created persona, there is still happiness there, and there is a stage. Even if wounded, one can become strong enough not to care about the flowing blood. The time before I met you, the lonely period when I was trapped, and the moments of joy have all become the past. Winter has come. If we are in paradise, we are not afraid of storms. Holding paradise in my heart, I will overcome this winter. Someday, let's run to the forest together again.

The MV looked like such a letter from V. I might have different thoughts when I look back at it later, but these are my first impressions!

Summary

Both of their voices were so good, it was a real treat for the ears! This really suits winter...!! This is the first time I've translated lyrics, and I realize you can start imagining things from there. It's profound. ←Eh?

Personally, I saw professional work in V's sense of distance. In the dance scenes, it looks like they are clinging to each other, but there is a subtle final step left. Like the distance where he is touching her fingers but his palms are apart?

In Takarazuka, to make it look masculine, it's a scene where you first make contact from the palm and crawl your fingers, putting strength into it so the veins on the back of the hand stand out, so I stare at that distance every time. I apologize for being an otaku who constantly mixes in things other than BTS!

I feel like all the BTS members have been trained on maintaining physical distance from women, but the exquisite sense of distance and intimacy that drifts through this MV is a brilliant collaboration born from the craftsman Kim Taehyung and the professional idol V. In conclusion, my expectations and love for the unrivaled Tae just won't stop (´- `*)
This is exactly why Tae's love scenes feel more cute than raw...!

BTS content continues to be supplied.
I'm falling behind on my homework every day and can't keep up at all, but I'll do my best to stay on track!

Update 1

The 'V 'Winter Ahead (with PARK HYO SHIN)' Official MV (Cinematic Still ver.)' is here too! ( *´艸｀)
Now that the official lyrics are out, it's helpful to see where the sentences break!

It's a duet that feels like two handsome men chatting while having a meal at a restaurant. If you turned the sound off, you wouldn't even think it was a singing scene.
The four minutes melt away like sugar candy lol

Looking over the lyrics again, I wondered if winter rain represents hardship or sadness for Tae, and snow represents happiness. I think I'll look over the lyrics of other songs again too.

Update 2

It was the same director as the '2.0' MV for the 5th full album 'ARIRANG'. I was so surprised...! lol

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