Nile wants in on the BTS Army (Picture: Handout)

Disco legend Nile Rodgers has declared himself part of the BTS Army and has teased he might be working with them.

The 66-year-old has just released his latest album with Chic, It’s About Time, their first release in 25 years, and is gearing up for a headline UK tour, but he’s already thinking to the next project.

The album features all kinds of incredible collaborations, from the likes of Lady Gaga, Stefflon Don, Craig David, and Nile has worked with some of the biggest names in music history since founding Chic in the 70s – including the likes of Bowie and Madonna.



And now he has his sights on global phenomenon BTS.


These guys could be working with Nile in the near future (Picture: BTS)

When asked by Metro.co.uk if he’ll be counting them among his collaborators soon, he said: ‘Probably. The thing is, groups like BTS, it’s not a magical formula, they’ve been doing this for a long time.’

He added that he respects the band for what they put into the performance, for making music visual and working hard.

‘What’s happened is that people have got into the spectacle of performance as well as the content. The songs sound good, but if they couldn’t dance and were just out there singing, I don’t think people would be going bananas like they do,’ he said.

‘That’s what’s happened to music – it’s become a visual medium, which it always has been, but so much to the point where it dominates. It is a powerful sensory experience. You can hear an accident, but when you see the accident you’re like “whoa”. I get why it works, and their songs are super catchy.’

So watch this space, BTS could be getting a little extra disco in their lives.

Nile added that he’s worked with other Asian artists and had a hand in J-pop a few years ago.

‘I’ve worked with a lot of Asian bands,’ he said. ‘I did some boybands a number of years ago when K-pop wasn’t really happening yet, it was J-pop. I had a good time doing it.

‘You never know.’

He added he just ‘loves people’ and working with different artists, even if there is a certain snobbery from others as to who he works with.

‘More importantly I love people and that’s what really freaks me out people wonder “how comes he’s working with XX” You think everyone you meet is some super intellectual. Well guess what? Most of them are cool and act like they’re intellectual,’ he said of criticisms he’s faced in the past.

Nile is set to tour in December (Picture: Mike Pont/Getty Images for Pitchfork)

‘Ask someone who’s got a popular powerful image, ask them the last book they read. They’ll never tell you the truth, they’ll say Anna Karenina. Pop stars are quite aware of the fact sometimes their greatest currency is their image.’



Nile is now gearing up for the vinyl release of his new album, which he branded a ‘celebration of happiness one can have in life’.

When asked if it was a celebration of life, having survived cancer twice as well as numerous other health scares, he replied: ‘That would sound semi corny because it’s not that, it’s a celebration of the happiness one can have in life – how about that!

‘That’s actually a little bit clearer. I now know, and I’m not religious so I’m not trying to be zen, but life can be difficult and hard, and one does have to cherish those fleeting moments of happiness.’

‘But I wanted to make songs that reflect the happiness I feel when I do a happy song,’ he added. ‘I also wanted it to be reflective of the world I see today, which is strange. We can still have a good time and it’s not being apathetic.’

It’s About Time is out now, tickets for Nile’s UK tour are available from Live Nation.

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