On June 16 (local time), French President Emmanuel Macron released a video on his official social media channels welcoming the leaders attending the G7 summit held in Évian, France.
The video features the leaders of each country appearing one by one, with background music symbolizing the image and culture of each nation. Notably, the track 'Into the Sun' by BTS played during the segment featuring President Lee Jae-myung, drawing significant attention.
The National, a prominent English-language media outlet in the Middle East, reported that President Macron personally selected the music to match the nation, culture, and image of each leader. According to the report, BTS's 'Into the Sun' was used for South Korean President Lee Jae-myung, while Tom Petty's 'Love Is a Long Road' was chosen for U.S. President Donald Trump. Additionally, the theme song from the 007 film series, 'The World Is Not Enough,' was used for British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and Celine Dion's 'J'irai où tu iras' was selected for Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.
'Into the Sun' is a track from the BTS studio album 'ARIRANG,' with V participating as the main songwriter and composer. It is known that V completed the song based on a melody that came to him while returning from a workout. Although he previously stated regarding the track, "Even though it's a song I made, I thought I needed to judge objectively whether it fit the album," it was ultimately included following the enthusiastic recommendation of the other members.
Since the release of 'ARIRANG,' 'Into the Sun' has received acclaim from major international media outlets. The New York Times described it as a "hypnotic and soothing track," while the music magazine Rolling Stone commented that "the falsetto harmonies and shimmering tempo showcase the infinite potential of BTS." The BBC also introduced the song, noting that it is "an experimental yet intriguing track that adds a mysterious atmosphere through digital effects."
(Reported by Kang Kyung-yoon, SBS Entertainment News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.