I Am Still (2024 | South Korea | 90 minutes | Jun-Soo Park)
Jungkook (JK) may be a member of arguably one of the most famous bands that exists today, BTS, but over the last couple years he’s also been making headlines under his own name. JK set his sights on solo work last year following in the footsteps of his fellow bandmates who have all dropped at least a single of their own if not full-length work. With the pending release of his all-English album Golden and planned stint in the South Korean military looming (a requirement for all Korean men), 2023 was a chaotic time for the up-and-coming artist. Between April and November, he recorded tracks, filmed music videos, released the record and went on a quick promotional tour. No wonder “I’m tired” was a phrase he uttered throughout the film. I Am Still has him reflecting on that time both in interviews and unreleased footage as he rushed head-first through the process.
Golden has the rare privilege of being an all-English album from a Korean pop star, so the popularity of Jungkook’s songs have the chance to pull in Kpop and non-Kpop fans alike… and pull them in it has. With hit after hit, his singles rose to number one quickly and stayed there. So, making this video diary of sorts, seems to be a way for Jungkook to process what he was going through and have a chance to look back on it later when he’s not in the thick of things.
I had a great time with this film for several reasons. First, and probably most relevant, I’m ARMY (a member of BTS’ fanbase) so any behind the scenes content, new footage or fun interactions I can get of the members is always welcome. Considering they’re all serving in the military for a while longer (save Jin and soon-to-be-released JHope), fans (including me) are eager to see what they’ve been up to, even if it’s a year to two old. Second, the footage didn’t hold back or sugar coat what Jungkook went through to create and release Golden. Having a pretty sheen and expectation of perfection is a staple of the Kpop culture. Not to be all “BTS is awesome”, but in large part their popularity stemmed from swimming against the current and changing how fans interacted with their favorite Kpop idols. From the very start they showed themselves as they were: sometimes no makeup, sometimes making mistakes, sometimes getting emotional, sometimes revealing the grueling realities of being a Kpop star, but they were always as genuine as possible. That sincerity is hard to fake, fans can smell it a mile away. I Am Still is no different than any of that older true-to-self content we’ve come to know and love from every member of BTS, so it feels like a natural continuation. The intensity of his work ethic, the passion and humility with which he works every day, it’s just incredible to see all that in someone whose been in such a tough industry for over ten years.
In all this behind the scenes footage we experienced a number of characters involved in the huge endeavor of making an album, especially when it’s compressed into eight months. It was interesting to see the folks that JK worked with while making the record. The LA producer heavily featured in I Am Still, Andrew Watt, did come off *very* LA. A bit loud, a bit raucous and in comparison Jungkook looked almost subdued… but playful, excited all the while. To be honest Watt felt like a bucket of ice water on my head anytime he was over-the-top psyched about a song, but that might have been the push that JK needed to keep up with the grueling schedule. It really is curious how such vastly different folks come together to create art sometimes.
If you’re a fan of BTS, or of Jungkook’s bandmate Suga/Agust D, you may have also headed out to see SUGA: Agust D Tour D-Day the Movie earlier this year (and possibly checked out my review). The two films are entirely different experiences. Suga’s was like having a front-row seat to the three epic performances of his D-Day tour in Seoul. It was intimate, but also filled with raw emotion, live music, and peppered with his thoughts and feelings during those three shows. Jungkook’s film is more of a documentary over the eight months it took to create, promote and release his solo album; an all-access pass to JK’s life during that time.
Without adding spoilers, I can’t get into too much more detail about I Am Still, but needless to say the time I spent with other ARMY in that theater was a joy (not to mention the chit chat and excitement before and after the film). However, and I really mean this, it would be well worth any music fan’s time to go see the film just to experience what a solo artist goes through when creating an album.
I Am Still is in theaters now on a limited run. Check local theaters for show times.