As world-class artists, it is no surprise that the BTS members are a source of inspiration for many. But probably nobody expected a legendary musician like Jon Batiste to feel the same.
Over the past few years, BTS have befriended some of the biggest names across global music industries. They have a close association with people like Chris Martin, Anderson Paak, Halsey, and Becky G. But unlike all of these friendships that bloomed through musical collaborations, Jon Batiste’s relationship with V flourished through genuine mutual appreciation.
It all started in 2022 when the Twitter account of the Academy Awards replied to a fan’s post saying if Jon and V meet at the award show, they will share the picture. Jon replied to the same post, showing eagerness to meet the BTS member.
Love him 🤍
I’m in! Are you Kim Taehyung? pic.twitter.com/nms6TBIzbt— jon batiste (@JonBatiste) February 24, 2022
Batiste then followed V on his Instagram account and shared a video of him playing “Autumn Leaves” on a trumpet.
[INFO] Academy award winning Jazz Musician, @JonBatiste follows Taehyung on Instagram and shared his post playing “Autumn Leaves” in his Instagram story pic.twitter.com/zFZpGsU68S
— KTH FACTS (@KTH_Facts) February 24, 2022
The two finally met at the 2022 Grammy Awards, where V showed his enthusiastic support for Batiste’s historical win for Album of The Year.
remember when taehyung being the first to stand up & jumped in happiness when Jon Batiste won his grammy
— *✧ (@taeteluv_) May 25, 2023
The two also clicked a picture together, confirming that they had finally met in person.
Embed from Getty Images
A few days later, both V and Batiste posted videos of them hanging out like old friends. The two shared a few laughs over V, trying to teach him some Korean. Batiste even followed V’s suit and thanked the hotel staff in Korean, making him burst into a chuckle.
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Though fans only got a brief look at their friendship, it seems like they have gotten much closer as artists. In a recent Tweet, where the original poster asked people who their celebrity inspiration was, the five-time Grammy-winning Batiste unexpectedly replied to it with “Kim Taehyung,” mentioning V by his real name.
kim taehyung
— jon batiste (@JonBatiste) May 23, 2023
ARMYs are delighted to see that this iconic friendship is still very much there. Given their shared love for Jazz and for each other’s music, this sudden interaction has also made some hopeful that the two artists might collaborate on a project soon!