As fans know, BTS has very good relationships with many US/UK artists and musicians, including Anderson .Paak. He is a Grammy-winning musician of African αмєяι¢αn and кσяєαn descent and one half of the famous duo Silk Sonic alongside Bruno Mars.
.Paak has become good friends with all the members of BTS and followed each of them on Instagram when they created their personal accounts. He also contributed vocals to the song Still Life from RM’s solo album Indigo. Likewise, BTS attended a Silk Sonic show in Las Vegas. On another occasion, fans spotted .Paak in a dinner scene with SUGA in the documentary SUGA: Road to D-DAY.
SUGA even shared an amusing anecdote: when they first met, .Paak kissed him! Anderson .Paak was initially surprised to hear about what he had done, but then realized he had been drunk at the time. So he apologized before reenacting the moment. He even called SUGA “jagiya,” an affectionate кσяєαn term used for a romantic partner.
Not only do .Paak and BTS admire each other, but Anderson’s entire family—including his wife Jae Lin and their son Soul Rasheed—are also big BTS fans. His son Soul had once been very disappointed when he couldn’t attend a BTS concert in 2020 after it was postponed due to the ¢σνι∂-19 pandemic. However, .Paak later brought his wife and son to the Permission to Dance on Stage show in Los Angeles in November 2021, and Soul even got to meet BTS in person backstage.
Fans still clearly remember how the young boy—both excited and nervous—looked when meeting his idols. Back then he still appeared quite young and innocent. That’s why when fans recently saw a new photo of him on the official account of Complex Networks’s ComplexMusic, they were surprised by how much he had grown.
In the photo, the youthful look had completely disappeared, replaced by a stylish Soul with a trendy vibe. The chubby-cheeked boy who once only reached V’s chest is now slimmer, with sharper features and a height nearly as tall as his father’s.
One fan even bluntly commented, “Son! How old is this man.” Another fan couldn’t believe their eyes and said, “There's no fυ¢кing way this the same boy from BTS PTD concert in 2021??!?” Other fans also left amusing comments such as: “I just know BTS get a culture ѕнσ¢к when they come across stuff like this… because of an ageing kid,” “I remember he was dancing to IDOL during the concert. It’s curious to see Soul and BTS reunite,” “I feel so old. Where did the time go?” “It’s crazy what four years do to an eleven-year-old,” “wth is anderson feeding him,” and more.
Meanwhile, fans also recalled the moment four years ago when Anderson’s family met BTS backstage. V wrapped Soul in a hug, and the boy quickly blended in with the group. Even Jae Lin couldn’t hide her excitement when taking a photo with Jin, though Jin seemed a little flustered. Jungkook commented that Jin-hyung’s face had turned bright red, while V teased that it looked like Jin-hyung was inside a photo booth. After that, everyone spontaneously hummed Leave the Door Open by Silk Sonic together.
Following the meeting, Anderson .Paak also shared several photos and videos on Instagram showing them exchanging signed albums. He even wrote in the caption that the group should contact him if they ever needed another member, because he “work[s] well in groups!” In return, BTS posted a photo with Anderson and the signed Silk Sonic albums he had given them on Twitter.
Finally, fans naturally love the connection between these top artists and are hoping for another reunion this year, when BTS is expected to hold concerts in Las Vegas this May. They are also curious to see whether the members’ reactions when meeting the now-grown Soul after four years will be the same as the fans’ reactions today.
