On March 23, 2025, an intriguing development regarding BTS member Taehyung, also known as V, surfaced, igniting excitement among fans. Producer Hye-seung provided insights about a previously unreleased duet featuring Taehyung and acclaimed singer Park Hyo-shin during a recent episode of NUGS RADIO. The collaboration in question is titled “Winter Ahead,”which emerged as an unexpected partnership amid discussions about their musical journey.
During the radio show, Hye-seung elaborated on the song’s evolution. Initially, Taehyung and Park Hyo-shin intended to collaborate on a different duet, but as progress on that project lagged, they shifted focus to record “Winter Ahead.”As translated by user @Romantic_Tae on X, Hye-seung stated:
“Originally, it was V-hyung’s solo song, and the song they were going to do as a duet was a different song. However, as that work of the song progressed slowly, they ended up doing Winter Ahead together.”
The producer further shed light on the music video for “Winter Ahead,”indicating that Taehyung filmed it as a solo project prior to his military enlistment. After discussions, the final product was released as a solo effort from Taehyung, despite the collaborative beginnings:
“However, V-hyung had already filmed the music video for Winter Ahead as a solo before he enlisted in the military, so after discussing it, the music video came out as a solo, and the song and cinematic mv were additionally created and released. It was originally a solo song.”
This revelation captured the attention of dedicated fans, many of whom began speculating about the existence of the unreleased duet. A user on X, @rjk_95 exclaimed:
“So we have unreleased song?????”
The discussion around this topic rapidly gained traction on social media. Fans exuberantly shared their thoughts and excitement, with one user remarking:
“Demo of another taeshin duet existing somewhere in the Hyeseung’s drive is NOT something you want to read about before going to bed unless you’re ready for sleepless night.”
Another fan conveyed their enthusiasm, stating:
“Oh they got another song together??”
Commenting on the prospect of another duet, one individual shared:
“so… there’s another taeshin duet song floating around somewhere in the universe?”
While the potential for future releases thrilled many, viewers also praised Taehyung and Park Hyo-shin’s evident musical chemistry:
“‘Winter Ahead’ was initially only solo by Taehyung, which suggests that there are many more unreleased songs by him. i really hope published soon, and come to light.”
Amidst these speculations, another fan added:
“Ohhh this is interesting. Their voices are so beautiful on it, though, I’m glad we got it with both of them!”
Lastly, a netizen pondered:
“What there’s prob another duet song from them aside of WA???”
The Making of “Winter Ahead”: Insights from Taehyung & Park Hyo-shin
Throughout the NUGS RADIO episode, Hye-seung also recounted the origins of his collaboration with Taehyung. Years prior, since Taehyung reached out seeking songs, Hye-seung facilitated the introduction of Park Hyo-shin into the mix. Originally intended as a solo track for Taehyung, “Winter Ahead”was later transformed into an unexpected duet due to creative decisions.
Discussing the production hurdles, Hye-seung expressed the challenges encountered during the mixing phase, highlighting that the entire process took longer than anticipated, with numerous revisions implemented to ensure high quality. The team exerted tremendous effort, working late into the night to meet tight scheduling demands:
“No, when V-hyung recorded, Pdogg directed. We met to discuss the overall aspects of the music. When it was released, the schedule was so tight that we worked until dawn in a hurry.”
Ultimately, these efforts culminated in the successful release of “Winter Ahead”on November 29, 2024. The song received widespread acclaim, being recognized as Billboard’s “Favorite K-pop Song of 2024″and achieving the status of the longest-charting track by a K-pop artist on the Billboard Holiday Digital Song Sales chart.
The music video’s conceptualization drew inspiration from the Greek myth of Pygmalion, presenting fans with a captivating narrative. Impressively, the video surpassed 100 million streams on Spotify within the first month following its release.
Meanwhile, Taehyung is currently fulfilling his military duties as part of the Special Duty Team, having enlisted in December 2023, with an anticipated discharge date in June 2025.