"He doesn't look like himself"- Fans angered following BigHit Music's alleged over-editing of BTS' Taehyung's Winter Ahead MV Photo Sketch

On Sunday, December 1, BigHit Music released the Photo Sketch of BTS' Taehyung's collaborative single with Park Hyo-shin, Winter Ahead. While fans were elated about the release of the idol's photos, many noticed that images, two in particular, looked different. People also commented that the idol doesn't look like himself in those two pictures.

In further discussions, fans realized that the agency most likely over-edited the images of the idol. Additionally, some fans added that BigHit Music might've used AI to edit the pictures to whitewash or change the idol's features. This naturally left many ARMYs angered. Some talked about how they would always prefer authentic pictures of Taehyung, that don't over-edit or whitewash his skin tone.

Additionally, fans also talked about the poor methodologies used to edit pictures of the idol. Since people speculated that the alleged use of AI might've led to the alleged distortions in Taehyung's recent images, fans expressed that the agency should've hired a professional to edit the pictures. Here are a few reactions from fans regarding the same:

"I got confused for a second, he doesn't look like himself here???"

"The man looks perfect in 144p quality every time. I don't understand this obsession of Hybe's to manipulate pictures," said a fan on X.

"They should stop that. I want authentic pictures and pc. I dont know whom they want to convince that's Tae," added another fan.

"I don't know why hybe had to whitewash things upto this level, he is beautiful inside out, he doesn't need this editing," commented a netizen.

More fans and netizens talked about how they were not happy with the recent alleged over-editing of Taehyung's pictures.

"That's not tae! And stop whitewashing!!! Let his honey caramel skin tone shine!!!!" stated a fan.

"No because his head size doesn’t even make sense," added an X user.

"Can they use their editing skills only for the needed.. Tae got pre edited already by God," commented a netizen on X.

"Seems like they used AI to edit his face. It's damm obvious that it's different from his real face," said another user.

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All you need to know about BTS' Taehyung's recent solo activities: Winter Ahead, White Christmas, and more

BTS' V or Kim Tae-hyung is a 28-year-old South Korean singer and songwriter, housed under HYBE Labels' subsidiary, BigHit Music. While the idol has been an active member of BTS since its debut in 2013, he also made his solo debut with his first album release, Layover, in September 2023.

Following the same, the idol released his second solo project in March 2024, a single called FRI(END)S. While the idol didn't have any music releases for a few months after the single, he rolled out a photobook called Type 1 in July that aimed to document his solo career. Additionally, in October, he also released the vinyl version of his solo debut album, Layover.

Most recently, he released a single called Winter Ahead with Park Hyo-shin. The song also accompanied a music video starring both the artists and it was directed by Lee Han-gyeol, a renowned figure in the K-pop music video cinematography. The song, as described by BigHit Music, is a jazz-pop that sings about the happiness of having someone by your side.

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Taehyung also has one more release scheduled for this year. The idol's posthumously collaborated single, White Christmas, with the late American singer and actor, Bing Crosby, is set to release on December 6. On the other hand, the idol is currently enlisted in the military for his mandatory service and is expected to be discharged in June 2025.