BTS's RM Shared That He Fears Music Might Stop Being His First Priority But Pharrell Williams Put It To Rest With Just One Statement

Pharrell Williams recently sat down with BTS‘s leader RM for Rolling Stone’s “Musicians On Musicians” interview. Throughout their conversation, the pair exuded quite a comfortable dynamic. RM asked away different questions regarding his artistic process and journey, while Pharrell offered him an experienced perspective.

At one point during the interview, Pharrell shared that he had felt a loss of purpose in his career around 2006. He had put out the album In My Mind, and it didn’t perform as well as he had hoped commercially.

It just didn’t do what I was used to at that time, and that really hit me hard. So that made me start to think about purpose and things having real true DNA and not just aesthetic purpose, but real true meaning and something that could be meaningful to people, but at the same time, still fun.

—Pharrell Williams, Rolling Stone

He proceeded by saying that there was a shift in his perspective as a musician, where he no longer appeased his own ego while creating music. His intention was clear: he wanted to make his art the absolute best it could get.

When Pharrell asked RM about his journey of self-discovery and where he is now, RM replied that he is still in the figuring-out stage. He is exploring many sides of his artistic instinct, and that’s when he revealed his fear of losing his passion for music in the process.

Sometimes as I grow up — and I’m between my chapter one and two, like I said, the group and solo; maybe I’m between music and maybe [visual] art, between that. So sometimes I really feel afraid, like, ‘What if I don’t like music anymore?’

—RM, Rolling Stone

RM honestly shared that he feels scared sometimes to think that a day may come when music won’t be his top priority. But Pharrell’s reply put his anxiety to rest almost immediately.

Williams: Yeah. That’s temporary.

RM: Oh, really? I’m relieved.

Williams: Yeah. Then all of a sudden you go, “Whoa. It’s the only thing I want to think about.” It’ll happen.

—Rolling Stone

This part of the conversation also stuck out to fans, who felt that this solid reassurance from a senior artist that he looks up to must have been all that RM needed during this transitionary period of his career.

pharrell done told him everything he needed to hear pic.twitter.com/ls1HKIlRLr

— zeeyeaux (@jwekweee) November 1, 2022

Pharrell ended the conversation with a sound piece of advice that probably soothed all anxieties of RM for once and all.

You know what? I would just say continue to move forward. Continue to be curious. And don’t put any kind of pressure on what it is that you do by saying . . . No absolutes, like “Oh, I will never do music again,” or “I will never . . . ” I wouldn’t do any of that…Just stay along for the ride. Just keep going.

—Pharrell Williams, Rolling Stone