ARMY, the passionate fanbase of BTS, is furious with a US music industry executive following a bizarre response regarding Jimin‘s upcoming solo album release.
As excitement builds for Jimin’s second solo album MUSE scheduled for release on July 19th, with the pre-release track “Smeraldo Garden Marching Band (feat. Loco)” dropping on the 28th, fans worldwide took to the online platform X to urge Big Hit Music, Universal Music Group, and Geffen Records to provide purchasing channels to support the album.
However, Ray Kurzeka, the Vice President of Streaming and Head of Streaming at Geffen Records, the US distributor for HYBE’s music, left a comment on an X post asking for pre-order details for Jimin’s album. Instead of answering the fans’ request, Kurzeka simply stated “song of the year” alongside a link to a song by Gracie Abrams featuring Taylor Swift.
This seemingly dismissive comment sparked outrage among ARMY. Fans viewed Kurzeka’s actions as disrespectful, and his focus on a U.S. artist while answering questions about Jimin’s album release was inappropriate and dismissive of their requests.
When faced with ARMY’s demands for an apology and proper communication regarding purchasing channels, Kurzeka deleted the post, privatized his X account, and deactivated all his personal social network accounts. This avoidance tactic only intensified the backlash.
With no official response from Geffen Records, Kurzeka himself, or even Jimin’s agency HYBE, ARMY’s frustration continues to mount. Some fans have even criticized HYBE for failing to live up to its promises of protecting its artists and actively supporting their endeavors.
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It’s absurd what they’re doing to Jimin again, in the Face era it was the same thing, sabotage after sabotage, and where’s Hybe who doesn’t say anything
Thank you for this news coverage