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Fans of BTS’ Jin have come out in strong support of the singer following ageist remarks made online. The negative comments came after the release of his concept photos for his upcoming solo album, Echo. The images released on April 24 showed the idol in a bold rockstar look. The look featured long dyed hair, face tattoos, painted nails, leather jackets, and layers of silver jewelry.
While many praised his visuals and styling, some netizens criticized the concept, calling it too “young” for someone in their 30s. Several online comments mocked the style, questioning why a 32-year-old was doing an edgy emo-inspired concept, while others even exaggerated his age.
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But fans of the member didn’t hold back in defending him. They stressed that creativity shouldn’t be restricted by anyone's age, calling the criticism outdated and shallow. Fans praised the rock concept as a refreshing move. An X user, @seokj1nuts, wrote,
"I'm so confused with the qts. Since when 30y is "old" and since when is rock a teenager's genre? Yall just want hate to hate, not even making sense anymore."
Many pointed out the double standards in K-pop, where idols are judged both for debuting too young and for experimenting past their 20s.
"the qrts are crazy, cuz how are you guys mad at companies for debuting minors but age shame people older than 25," an X user mentioned.
"Yall go all crazy when a minor debuts but can't handle a 32 year old man. Imagine tryna drag him cus of his age, yall really in drag drought," a fan remarked.
"Mocking a 30-something year old for experimenting with style is exactly why all dads only wear Bermuda shorts and sandals Forbidding creativity due to someone's age is actually kinda fascist," a fan wrote.
"this is why kpop companies keep debuting minors coz the moment an artist turns over 25 y'all start age shaming them," another person added.
Fans highlighted how rock as a genre has no age limit. They also reminded others that some of the greatest rock legends still perform well in their 70s and 80s.
"That's why no one recognizes K-pop abroad. Most K-pop fans are teenagers and children who don't know anything about music... The most famous rock bands abroad are over 70 and they still perform on the biggest stages in the world with tens of thousands of fans in attendance.," a fan commented.
"am i the only one who sees absolutely nothing wrong with this.. or am I just western.. cause 30 year old rock members is pretty damn normalized over here," a netizen added.
"y’all got me defending a bts member holy shit! saying: “doing rockstar concept at 40 is something” MOST ROCKSTARS RN ARE IN THEIR 60s," an X user wrote.
More on Jin’s upcoming album ‘Echo’ and tour plans
Jin's second mini-album, Echo, is set for release on May 16 at 1 PM KST. The album features seven tracks across various genres built around band instrumentation. Jin participated in writing several of the songs, including Nothing Without Your Love, Loser (featuring YENA), and On a Journey With the Clouds.
The lead track of Jin's album, Don’t Say You Love Me explores the complex emotions of a relationship nearing its end.
The Echo era also marks the beginning of Jin’s first solo fan-concert tour titled #RUNSEOKJIN_EP.TOUR, which kicks off in Korea before heading to Japan, North America, the UK, and Europe. Fans attending the concerts will experience live performances from Echo as well as from his previous release, Happy.
Jin's Tour Schedule:
- June 28–29 – Goyang, Korea @ Goyang Auxiliary Stadium
- July 5–6 – Chiba, Japan @ Makuhari Messe
- July 12–13 – Osaka, Japan @ Kyocera Dome
- July 17–18 – Anaheim, USA @ Honda Center
- July 22–23 – Dallas, USA @ American Airlines Center
- July 26–27 – Tampa, USA @ Amalie Arena
- July 30–31 – Newark, USA @ Prudential Center
- August 5–6 – London, UK @ The O2
- August 9–10 – Amsterdam, Netherlands @ Ziggo Dome
Jin was the first BTS member to enlist in the military. He was discharged in June 2024 and has kept a busy schedule since then.
