The BTS star’s second solo album explores romance in all its facets while pushing the singer’s musical, creative and vocal boundaries.
Jimin
Courtesy of BIGHIT MUSIC
After BTS committed to releasing solo projects in the group’s “Chapter Two,” Jimin set the bar for creative ingenuity and commercial success with his To confront EP last spring. The dark, unconventional pop lead single “Like Crazy” marked the first time a K-pop soloist reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, while the 164,000 equivalent album units To confront sold in its first week, earning it a debut spot at number 2 on the Billboard 200, setting a new series of new records for Korean artists.
Although he is currently serving his mandatory military service in Korea, Jimin still shows his willingness to grow and surpass himself with what he has prepared with the release of his second solo album. A stark contrast to the dark themes of his solo debut, Muse explores Jimin’s journey to find true inspiration to deliver an exploration of love across seven tracks.
Incorporating everything from R&B grooves and light hip-hop to Latin and Afrobeat influences, Muse The album showcases Jimin’s versatility as a genreless artist. At the same time, the record’s songwriting feels intimate and introspective. With Jimin co-writing on six of the EP’s seven tracks, the opening track, “Rebirth (Intro),” posits the multifaceted theme of romance in the search for a lover as part of self-improvement, while the title track, “Who,” explores the longing and confusion in love via Jimin’s first English solo single.
With “Who” and “Smeraldo Garden Marching Band” The Muses singles, all of the full tracks on the EP could fulfill this duty by their ability to successfully represent new facets of Jimin. Here is our ranking of the songs from the BTS singer’s latest solo album, Muse.
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“Interlude: Showtime”
A very nice musical moment to introduce the listener to the “Smeraldo Marching Band” (who we will officially meet later in the album), the interlude gets last place because it is a little over a minute that deprives us of Jimin’s impeccable singing on his solo album. Still, it is a compelling artistic choice and reminiscent of the way Christina Aguilera introduced the second disc of her album. Back to the sources double album with “Enter the Circus”, a spoken interlude equally inspired by carnival.
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“Smeraldo Garden Marching Band” with Loco
Photo Credit: Courtesy of BIGHIT MUSIC
Longtime ARMY fans know that the mysterious Smeraldo flowers entered the BTS universe in 2017 during the group’s breakthrough. Love yourself: She era. Jimin introduced his Muse Jimin debuted with the hit single “Smeraldo Garden Marching Band,” a simple and heartwarming ode to love that sets the tone for his upcoming solo album. The playful, rhythmic production with high-pitched vocal samples is a stark contrast to “Set Me Free Pt. 2,” an eerie opus that introduced Jimin’s debut solo album, To confront, last year to establish the brighter place the star finds herself in today.
With the bright and dynamic nature of the track, Jimin seems positively excited, delivering lyrics like: “Mmm “I love you, baby…/ I want you, baby/ I want to hold your hand” — the last line marking just one example of the song taking inspiration from The Beatles and their 1967 album Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club OrchestraKorean rapper Loco seamlessly slides into the second verse to bring a global update to an iconic album and musical era.
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“Renaissance (Intro)”
Jimin opens Muse with an intimate, gospel-inspired vibe to signify his “rebirth” on the new record. The introspective dialogue of the opening track (“If I try to be special/Can I get closer to you?”) ignites the romantic tone that underscores the album’s focus on love and personal growth. Jimin’s desire to connect, and use it as a means to better himself through love, shines through to make the opening track a heartfelt prelude to the album’s deeper themes. The song ends with him singing, “I’ll be special to you/Special just for you…I wanna be with you” over the hum of a choir.
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“Closer than that”
Photo Credit: Courtesy of BIGHIT MUSIC
After Jimin released one of the best-selling K-pop albums of 2023 with To confrontThe superstar capped off his remarkable year with this sweet song dedicated to fans telling listeners, “Whenever you want me, I’ll be/ Right here where you call me, I’ll be/ I can never let you go” right after enlisting for his mandatory military duty as a heartfelt gift while he was away.
A soothing mix of what sounds like acoustic guitar mixed with a subtle hip-hop beat, “Closer Than This” ends Muse as the final track, nicely wrapping up the overall feelings of affection and intimacy throughout the album for a warm final message that fans can hold on to as they anticipate Jimin’s return in less than a year.
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“Slow Dance” with Sofia Carson
Photo credit: Michael Buckner
From Sofia Carson’s unexpected collaborator to a dazzling saxophone at the end, “Slow Dance” is a delightful duet that offers a sweet surprise halfway through. MuseJimin’s signature high, light notes intertwine with Carson’s whispery, slightly raspy vocals (which sound like they were recorded with Jimin in mind) to create a dreamlike atmosphere. With soft, sentimental melodies and a refreshing R&B groove, the track showcases new facets of both artists’ musical palettes for a soothing yet captivating listen.
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“Be mine”
Another bold and musical departure with Latin and Afrobeat inspirations, “Be Mine” could have easily served as the lead single from Muse —or even a BTS track, given the many genre and style shifts it goes through.
With confident and seductive lyrics (like “I know what you want, and baby, I want the same” or “Baby, come on/ Show me what love is, show me what love is”), Jimin takes on a more mature expression of love on this standout track. His vocal performance undeniably dominates the sultry, rhythmic production and will undoubtedly be one of the top tracks that fans can’t wait to see live one day.
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“WHO”
Photo Credit: Courtesy of BIGHIT MUSIC
Jimin did Billboard chart history when “Like Crazy” debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, a first for Korean pop artists. With the lead single from Muse“Who” finds the superstar breaking new ground once again with his first-ever English-language solo single. From lower-register verses to long, falsetto belts, the single pushes Jimin’s vocal boundaries throughout an emotive performance. It’s one of the most compelling listens in pop this year.
With clear sonic inspirations from the Neptunes and Timbaland’s 2000s productions, “Who” reminds listeners of the global superstar that Jimin has become. Co-produced by Jon Bellion (who is known for creating crossover hits with other K-pop artists like Jackson Wang, Rosé, and BTS’s fellow Hot 100 leader Jung Kook), and backed by backing vocals, “Who” expresses both romantic longing as Jimin sings, “I wanna give her the world and so much more,” as well as confusion, asking, “If I think about her every day, yeah every day of my life / Then tell me why I haven’t found her?” Overall, the song best encapsulates the breadth of romance dissected on Muse while illustrating how Jimin has evolved as an increasingly well-rounded artist.