Recently, K-POP has emerged as a global phenomenon, captivating audiences worldwide with its distinctive musical style, appealing aesthetics, and fashion. Among the various groups, BTS has undoubtedly secured a special place in the hearts of fans, or Army, as called by the group, emerging as an all-time favorite.
BTS is known to release hit bangers including Butter, Dynamite, Fake Love, and Permission to Dance. In October 2022, it was announced that the members of BTS would have to undergo military enlistment as a mandatory duty for their country. Fans or Armys were quite saddened by the fact that they would not get to enjoy the music of BTS till 2025 when all the members would have completed their training.
The military enlistment allowed the members to focus on their solo music. Currently, V or Kim Taehyung of BTS released his new album, Layover. His album allowed his fans to better understand his personality and ideology.
V’s album includes five songs- Rainy Days, Slow Dancing, Love Me Again, Blue, and For Us. There is also a piano version of Slow Dancing. Based on the names of the songs, we can assume it to be a chill, romantic, and rainy vibe.
The first song, Rainy Days seems to have a cozy aesthetic. In the music video, V is reminiscing about the times spent with a special someone in the days of rain. Based on the lyrics, it seems like V had a bad heartbreak and tries to find ways to talk to the person but doesn't have anything to say. The interesting aspect of the music video is that it tells the story from the point of view of a dog named Yeontan, who is portrayed by an actor dog. The song also has jazz music which makes the music video more romantic.
Blue, the next song feels like a song that can be played at a late-night bar after many people have left and the ones who stay just wish to relax. The music video showcases V driving to some place in search of someone. It could be assumed that he had kept his dog with someone. Since he was unable to find his dog he became restless and called the police. In the end, he is shown sitting heartbroken, and that’s when the police bring up a dog that looks like the one he has. The lyrics of the song feel like V is willing to change to make the relationship better. But V feels that no matter how much he changes, the other person will still be blue.
Love Me Again is a declaration to his lover to love him again. The song brings attention to V’s perspective of wanting the same person because she’s the one who can make everything better for him. The music video has a karaoke setup, and we can assume V is singing this song in front of her.
Slow Dancing music video starts with V going with his friends on a trip to the beach. The aesthetics of the music video include titbits about his dog, Yeontan, a big ship in the sea, starry nights, and lots of dancing. The lyrics of the song suggest V dancing with someone special the whole night, and the music video shows him enjoying himself with his friends. Another theory that could be made from the music video is, that V is a lonely being and imagines his life if he had friends and how he would spend his life. At the end of the music video, he is seen with his dog, Yeontan who never leaves his side.
The last song of the album is For Us. For Us is like the ending of the storyline for V. The song lyrics suggest that V is ready to leave everything behind for the special person or he forgets everything about that person and moves ahead in his life. The music video showcases behind-the-scenes of other music videos which sums up the song. The last song in the album could also be a nod to the Armys or fans who will miss him once he goes for his military training.
Overall, the main theme that runs through the album is the feeling of loneliness mixed with the feeling of freedom. A high level of creativity can be seen in the aesthetics of the videos. V has expressed his emotions in a sophisticated yet fun way. The title Layover came to V when he was deciding what to do in his life in terms of career and music. Layover is like a first step towards understanding who is Kim Taehyung or V.
V’s debut album, Layover, also created history in terms of sales records. Having sold 1,672,148 copies, it became the highest-selling record on day one. Like always, the members of BTS supported the album release of their fellow mate V. BTS as a band will never leave each other and will keep embracing their styles and expressing their true feelings through their songs.