Solo performances come with more pressure than performing with fellow BTS members, revealed the K-pop group member Jungkook, who launched his solo single Seven on July 17, during a recent interview with Weverse magazine.

“I feel more pressure now than when I’m with the group. But I think the way I come to terms with that has changed a bit seeing as my personality has changed so much. What made it change like that? Maybe it was just time?” said the BTS member in reply to a question about his feelings about performing alone.

The K-pop star also said he suffered from low self-esteem and couldn’t fathom why fans shower him with so much love and adulation. “When I look at myself, I honestly can’t tell. I’m not someone with very high self-esteem. Why am I so popular? Is it just because they like my voice? Or maybe the way I dance? I still can’t figure it out—about why I’m loved by all these people.”

But the 25-year-old South Korean singer has come to accept that “there must be a reason why they love me so much, even if I don’t know what it is.” He said the BTS fanbase — known as BTS ARMY — inspired him with confidence. “I might not know why all those people love me but I always remember they appreciate me. So I started to think, what’s the point of all those people appreciating and supporting me if I don’t have confidence?,” he added.

Jungkook’s latest solo digital single Seven, featuring rapper Latto, has become the fastest song to top iTunes charts in at least 100 countries. Seven reached the milestone in just over 2.5 hours after its release, breaking several records, including some held by other BTS members and the band itself.

Seven was Jungkook’s second solo release since BTS went on a hiatus last year. The singer previously released Dreamers, which was a part of the 2022 FIFA World Cup official soundtrack.