Kim Namjoon, also known as RM of BTS, has expressed himself over the years as a multi-talented musician and has become a person adored by many. From his love of music to his generally reflective and amiable nature, there are an abundance of reasons why he shines in the moonlight. To celebrate his 27th birthday, we’ve compiled 27 reasons why we love RM. 

 

1. A Lyrical Mastermind 

Having contributed lyrically to many songs on BTS’ discography, RM has shown fans his genius wordplay. For example, in the song “Trivia 承 : Love,” RM sings, “I’m just a person, person, person / You erode all my sharp angles / And make me, make me into love, love, love.” In the Korean lyrics, 사람 (person) literally gets eroded at the edges of the last consonant, ㅁ, to become 사랑 (love). There are many other examples of this higher-level thinking in his lyrics. 

 

2. Namjooning

In an interview with AskAnythingChat, RM explained, “Namjooning is the act of living as Kim Namjoon.” He continued, “This includes taking walks through parks, admiring nature, hanging out with crabs, and having fun with friends.” The word has since become synonymous with these activities and has come to mean engaging in things that you love.

 

3. United Nations Speech

RM gave two speeches at the UN with BTS. During these speeches, RM delivered moving speeches that reached millions of people. He encouraged the world to “Love yourself. Speak yourself.” He also said, “Now more than ever, we must try to remember who we are and face who we are. We must try to love ourselves and imagine the future. BTS will be there with you. Our tomorrow may be dark, painful, difficult. We might stumble or fall down. Stars shine brightest when the night is darkest. If the stars are hidden, we’ll let the moonlight guide us. If even the moon is dark, let our faces be the light that helps us find our way. Let’s reimagine our world. We’re huddled together tired, but let’s dream again. Let’s dream about a future when our worlds can break out of our small rooms again. It might feel like it’s always night and we’ll always be alone, but the night is always the darkest before the first light of dawn. Life goes on. Let’s live on.”

 

4. Our Leader, Our President 

RM has many titles that he holds. Because of his power to lead others while ensuring the members’ voices are heard, he is treasured as the leader of BTS. His maturity, humility, and incredible manner of speaking further this–fans have even dubbed him the title “president” on multiple occasions.

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5. Love for His Members 

The other members of BTS often praise RM for his role as leader, and RM, in return, shows why this is the case. As he is constantly seen respecting the members, being patient, and attending to them, his love for BTS is very apparent. 

 

6. His Hilarious Reaction at the MAMA Awards

A moment in fandom history, RM’s reaction to a Tiger JK performance at the 2018 Mnet Asian Music Awards is always one that makes us laugh. His reaction and the way the other members laugh at him unabashedly make it all the better. 

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7. Graduation Speech 

BTS gave a commencement speech during the COVID-19 pandemic. In his portion, RM expressed his sympathy and gave comforting words to encourage graduates to look forward to a bigger and brighter future. “We may be seeing each other through just a camera and this small screen, but I know your future will bloom into something much bigger and magnificent,” he said. 

 

8. Healing Words 

RM has a very kind way of speaking that shows his deeply reflective personality. In one of his V-Lives, RM said to fans, “in your 20s, if you have so many thoughts, they’re like many branches in a tree. If my brain is a tree, there are so many branches- there’s sadness, desperation, devastation, there’s happiness, hope – everything. But when you get old, it gets cut. We have to feel pain and have to experience many things. But after that, if you got so many branches in your 20s, you feel sad and sometimes get lost, you will someday become a beautiful tree by your 30s and 40s.”

 

9. An Avid Reader

With a reading list that has spurred many fans to explore the recommendations on their own, RM reads books spanning different genres and themes such as misogyny, humanity, existentialism, and more. 

 

10. Elite Rapping Skills

RM has proven to be one of the strongest rappers in the industry, with 9.24 syllables per second. He not only can execute his rap portions well but also never fails to leave ARMY amazed at his skills. He can both execute and write lyrics in a way that moves fans emotionally. 

 

11. His Love of Sea Creatures

Paradoxically, RM both loves and hates fish. He does not enjoy eating seafood, but he is a friend of all sea creatures and treasures them. 

 

12. His Mixtapes

RM has released two mixtapes, RM (2015) and mono. (2018.) In his music, RM explores himself, expressing his authenticity, feelings of homesickness, loneliness, revelations, and just him. Through his solo music, RM bares his soul and reminds listeners that what they feel is okay.

 

13. His Award Show Speeches

RM consistently delivers heart-melting award show speeches, filled with endless gratitude for the fans, reflection on the group and their struggles, and anecdotes that are enough to cause chills with his magical way of speaking. 

14. Perseverance 

It is well known that BTS has endured a lot to get to where they are today. RM read hate comments earlier in his career and looked at the camera, and with power behind his words, he stated, “I will prove it to you all.” Today, BTS is one of the biggest music groups globally and has shown that they overcame many hardships to get to where they are today. 

 

15. Speaking English 

It is common knowledge RM has learned English through the popular American television program Friends. Beyond being another testament of his genius mind, RM uses his English skills to represent BTS in their US promotions. (Of course, the other members show off their great English ability as well!)

 

16. Scenic Photography 

RM has taken us through all the seasons with his photos. As picturesque as ever, it gives fans a glimpse of his “namjooning” adventures. 

 

17. His Faith in BTS 

From the beginning, RM believed that BTS would achieve great feats. In a hidden camera prank, he even chose to continue promoting as a group instead of going solo and did so without any hesitation. This firmly held belief exacerbates RM’s power as a performer and leader. 

 

18. Fashion King

RM has certainly found a blend of comfortable and stylish fashion. He often dresses in oversized or baggy pieces with muted tones and stand-out accessories, like silver chains, hats, and crossbody bags. 

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19. Soothing Singing 

Although a rapper, RM’s smooth vocals have made their appearance on multiple occasions. Some examples include “4 O’CLOCK,” his mixtape mono., and his most recent release in celebration of BTS’ 8th anniversary, “Bicycle.” 

 

20. Clumsiness 

An adorable quality of Namjoon is his clumsiness. It is well-known that he has lost numerous pairs of AirPods (33 pairs, at least.) He’s also lost his passport in a Bon Voyage episode and has broken several items unintentionally. 

 

21. Dimple

RM often smiles, showing his deep-setted dimple. Easily enthused and perpetually young at heart, RM’s bright smile is always one to anticipate. 

 

22. His Love for ARMY

RM is always ready to share his love for ARMY and offer his words of comfort. In his United Nations speech, he said, “We truly have the best fans in the world.” RM often shares the importance of loving oneself and his struggle in doing so. With this openness and his little acts of care, RM has shown time and time again his love for his fans. 

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23. Weverse Replies 

RM consistently communicates with fans through his Weverse account, responding to fan’s comments lovingly and wittily. One such example was when a fan expressed sadness after failing their driving test, and RM responded, “no worries, at least this planet has Namjoon.” After the sweet comment, he followed it up with a hilarious, “that’s why I never do the test.” 

 

24. A Moonchild at Heart

Showing admiration for the moon, stars, and all the components of the galaxy, RM is the ultimate moonchild. The term was still introduced to us in the lyrics of his FESTA 2017 performance with V, “4 O’CLOCK”, where he rapped, “I call you moonchild: / we’re children of the moon / breathing the cold air of the morning.” He was even pictured telling the stars he loved them and wishing the moon a good night. 

 

25. Thoughtfulness

Whether it be with his members or others, RM is a gentleman in all forms of the word. From encouraging the other members to accept the group’s awards and make speeches to comforting them when needed, RM exudes empathy and does not hesitate in showing care towards others. 

 

26. Support of LGBTQ Community 

RM has shown his support for the LGBTQ+ community time and time again. In an interview with Billboard, Namjoon explained that the feelings that BTS tries to convey through their songs “transcend genders, cultures, and barriers between people ” so the songs are gender-neutral. He also showed support through BTS’ UN speech in 2018. “No matter who you are, where you’re from, you’re skin color, your gender identity, just speak yourself.” 

 

27. His Musical Credits

As of September 2021, RM has 177 Korea Music Copyright Association (KOMCA) credits and continuously expresses his lyrical ability through various projects for his group and other artists. It all comes together beautifully–his personality and mind, his caring nature toward others, and his deep reflections spawn meaningful lyrics that have become songs treasured by many. 

 

Happy birthday, RM! 

Want more BTS content? Check out our recap of Jungkook’s Birthday V-Live here! 

Thumbnail courtesy of Big Hit Ent.

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