Okay, Rolling Stone, what happened? Did someone make you throw out your style guide and replace it with a “how to embarrass yourself royally” manual? Because on August 8, 2025, you published your “Every BTS Solo Song, Ranked” feature—written by Jae‑ha Kim—and absolutely lost the gag factor when you suggested that Jungkook, a global vocal powerhouse, basically needs autotune to exist. Yeah, really. His 2023 track Somebody got ranked a soul‑crushing 172nd out of 177. Your comment? “Somebody is singing at the beginning, but it doesn’t sound like Jung Kook. But it is! The vocal distortion is a good effort, but when you’ve got someone who can sing like Jung Kook, why disguise his voice?” Wow. Just… wow. That reads like someone got stuck in a shrink ray and confused Jungkook for an AI demo gone wrong.
ARMY—because of course they did—erupted. Across X, fans demanded a full‑blown apology: “APOLOGIZE TO JUNGKOOK for slandering his vocal abilities, undermining his talent, and making false claims about his supposed use of autotune.” Because yes, this isn’t the first time @GoAwayWithJae apparently sniffed around in a way that made Jungkook shudder. Fan reactions spanned the spectrum from “What kind of cringe is this—does he expect Jungkook to sing Baby Shark or something?” to “You crossed a line. He’s 28 years old—give him some respect!”
Let’s talk about Seven and 3D, too—because apparently, your commentary team doesn’t know when to stop. For Seven, you wrote: “Jung Kook doesn’t apologize for singing about things that men his age (and younger) do.” Huh. So you think the mature themes are somehow off‑limits for a fully grown adult? Get outta here. And for 3D, you mused about “champagne confetti”—did you really think “pickleball” was what people wondered about here? The cringe is off the charts. Fans called these descriptors unprofessional, unacceptable, and frankly bizarre.
Oh—but wait, the joke keeps going. Jon Bellion, who co‑wrote Seven, casually mentioned on The Zach Sang Show that the demo was heavy on autotune… only to promptly show that Jungkook’s natural vocals *still»*shine through in a way that eclipses the processed version. So, enough with the excuses—Jungkook can sing even when you muff things up in production.
Meanwhile, guess what? 3D is not just a track—it’s gold-certified in France, having crossed 15 million equivalent streams. Gold! Because when you actually listen instead of assuming autotune city, people—you know, actual listeners—hear real talent.
In summary: Rolling Stone, you basically wrote:
- Ranking disaster: Somebody at #172 and implication of autotune reliance—both baseless and offensive.
- Tone-deaf commentary on Jungkook’s age and thematic choices in Seven and 3D—unprofessional and disrespectful.
- Ignoring facts: A co-writer thinks autotune is heavy in the demo, but no more than any early track—Jungkook’s voice still dominates.
- Streaming evidence: 3D is gold-certified—like, culturally significant—yet you framed it like he’s hiding behind processing.
To Rolling Stone—and especially Jae-ha Kim: You have one job—talk about music respectfully. Jungkook has proven time and again that he doesn’t need autotune as a crutch. He has real vocal range, real emotion, real artistry. Apologize, retract, and get your act together.
Let’s end this sarcastic ride with some love: Jungkook, you’re a superstar, a real singer, and fans see right through this vocal slander. We’ve got your voice, and you don’t need anyone distorting it—especially not Rolling Stone.
