“Stop Sabotaging Taehyung!” — Fans Demand Action Over BTS V’s ‘Layover’ Vinyl Pre-order Shipping Delays and Insufficient Promotion

BTS’ V, also known as Kim Taehyung, is set to release the Layover Vinyl in South Korea under the HYBE label on Friday, September 20, 2024. Pre-orders for the vinyl edition of Layover began on Tuesday, August 20, 2024, at 11 AM KST.

As the release date approached, many fans expressed frustration as their vinyl pre-orders had not yet been shipped, leading to considerable discontent among Taehyung’s supporters. This delay in shipping spurred a significant online reaction, with fans taking to social media to voice their concerns.

The hashtag “HYBE STOP SABOTAGING TAEHYUNG” quickly trended globally on X, signaling strong support from the K-pop idol’s fanbase. As of this writing, this hashtag has accumulated over 33k tweets from ardent supporters of Taehyung.

Countless comments from BTS’ V’s fans have surfaced online. Many fans who had pre-ordered or were attempting to place orders voiced their dissatisfaction with the apparent understocking and delays reminiscent of the issues faced during the launch of the Layover albums.

“Layover vinyls kept getting sold out on Weverse and various online shops multiple times, and we had to tag Big Hit and HYBE to restock each time. Under-stocking and now delaying shipments just like Layover CDs—isn’t this frustrating?” a fan expressed.

“Pre-orders of Layover Vinyls aren’t being shipped in Korea. There hasn’t been a single post about Layover LP’s release. We see what you’re doing; we won’t stay silent. We respect the artist, and you should too,” another user commented.

“HYBE, what’s happening? I pre-ordered Tae’s album on day one and still haven’t received it. Many others are facing the same issue. This is unacceptable!” an X user tweeted.

In addition to the shipping delays, fans criticized HYBE for inadequate promotional efforts surrounding BTS’ V’s Layover Vinyl release. Concerns were raised about the treatment of Taehyung amidst these issues.

“It feels like the Layover era is repeating itself. How can you call yourself a music company and NOT promote the members releasing music?” a fan remarked.

“Posting about merchandise, photobooks, and teasers 10 times a day but not a single post about Layover LP?! And then they claim to promote music?” an X user commented.

“HYBE has time to tweet about everything else while continuing to undermine Taehyung. When will ARMY finally address Taehyung’s mistreatment?” another supporter said.

“Posting all about merchandise, photobooks (using Tae), teasers non-stop but not a single post about Layover LP since the initial notice—that’s below the bare minimum. This isn’t very ‘we believe in music’ of you,” an X user stated.

BTS’ V’s Layover Solo Album Debuted in September 2023

Kim Taehyung’s first solo album, Layover, launched on September 8, 2023. This R&B and Jazz album includes pre-release songs such as Love Me Again, Rainy Days, For Us, Blue, and Slow Dancing (Piano Version). The tracklist for the vinyl edition remains unchanged.

On August 21, 2024, BTS’ V gained significant online attention as outraged fans drove the hashtag “ADD TAEHYUNG’S MUSIC”to global trending status.

BIGHIT MUSIC (now HYBE Labels) updated the official BTS UK Shop website banners featuring album covers of all members’ solo albums, excluding Kim Taehyung’s. The banners displayed covers of Jimin’s MUSE, Jungkook’s GOLDEN, Jin’s The Astronaut, Agust D’s D-DAY, RM’s Indigo, and J-Hope’s HOPE ON THE STREET.

Supporters of BTS’ V voiced their concerns regarding the omission of his solo album, Layover, and his single FRI(END)S from the website banner. Consequently, fans have shifted their focus towards the HYBE label.

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