"Respect and treat him equally!"— Fans call out HYBE for limited promotion of BTS' Taehyung's 'Winter Ahead' with Park Hyo-shin on social media

Fans of BTS' Taehyung are voicing concerns over the supposed lack of promotion by HYBE for his upcoming single Winter Ahead (with Park Hyo-shin). Despite the release of the teaser on November 24, 2024, showcasing Taehyung’s visuals, fans claim the label has not properly highlighted the project on their social media platforms, including TikTok and Instagram.

The teaser, which is a minute and 23 seconds long, has drawn praise for its visuals, narrative, and references. However, fans have criticized the absence of a structured promotion schedule for the single, which is set to release on November 29, 2024.

Unlike similar projects by other BTS members, Winter Ahead has yet to see promotional posters, teaser announcements, or posts on the group’s high-traffic social media accounts.

Adding to their frustration, fans pointed out that information about the single’s schedule such as teaser releases and screenings, has primarily come through Korean media outlets. An X user, @Sweety_03091013 wrote:

"Taehyung has been working very hard. It's your job to share his projects on SNS, stop hiding him. Respect and treat him equally! SHARE THE WINTER AHEAD TEASER ON INSTAGRAM AND TIKTOK HYBE."

Some also highlighted HYBE's history of mishandling Taehyung's previous projects, stating issues like limited stock availability, delayed shipping, and minimal social media visibility.

They argued that Winter Ahead, with its cinematic storytelling, deserves better treatment, especially since the artist cannot actively promote the song due to his military enlistment. To make up for his absence, fans expect HYBE to step up their promotional efforts.

"Why are we getting taehyung’s schedule from kmedias now? Like not everyone is going to read articles written in KOREAN . they can’t even post a poster with schedule like other members? why no one talks about how weird this is…," a fan commented.

"Does it make sense that there aren't any articles about the music video teaser on NAVER as well as TikTok or Instagram?!," an X user remarked.

"Hybe would have neglected any promotion of Taehyung’s music if it wasn’t for Shinsegae. Like what label drops a masterpiece their artist put this amount of effort in making without any care or promotion? So incredibly disrespectful to him. HYBE RESPECT AND TREAT V EQUALLY," another user expressed.

They also expressed disappointment that promotional content for Winter Ahead has not been featured on TikTok or Instagram, where other members’ releases often receive significant attention.

A breakdown of posts from the group’s TikTok account has fueled further discontent, showing the Singularity singer's projects are significantly underrepresented compared to his bandmates.

"this isn’t shade to the others. this is pointing out bighit’s blatant erasure of taehyung. layover was a visual album and winter ahead is a short movie. why aren’t they posted?," a fan wrote on X.

"This is so crazy... Hybe is not even hiding anymore," another person remarked.

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More about BTS' Taehyung's Winter Ahead and other recent activities

The first teaser for Winter Ahead was screened at Shinsegae Square, a prime digital media display in South Korea. A second teaser will premiere on November 27, followed by the full music video release on November 29 at 2 pm KST.

While anticipation remains high for Taehyung's duet with Park Hyo-shin, fans hope HYBE will take their concerns seriously and provide the artist with the same promotional support afforded to other members of BTS.

The BTS member is currently serving his military duty since December 2023. He is assigned to the Special Duty Team (SDT) and is scheduled to be discharged in June 2025.

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