The BTS star’s sophomore solo release explores romance in all its facets while pushing the singer’s musical, creative and vocal limits.
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 Face EP from last spring. The brilliantly unconventional dark-pop lead single “Like Crazy” marked the first time a K-pop soloist hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, while the 164,000 equivalent album units Face sold in its first week, resulting in a No. 2 debut on the Billboard 200, created another set of new records for Korean artists.
Despite serving his mandatory Korean military service obligations at the moment, Jimin is still showing his willingness to expand and push himself with what he prepared with the release of his second solo record. A sharp contrast to the dark themes of his solo debut, Muse explores Jimin’s journey to find true inspiration to deliver an exploration of love through seven tracks.
Incorporating everything from R&B grooves and light hip-hop to Latin and Afrobeat flair, Muse flexes Jimin’s versatility as a genre-less artist. Meanwhile, the songwriting within the record feels intimate and introspective. With Jimin co-writing on six of the EP’s seven tracks, the opening song, “Rebirth (Intro),” sets the multifaceted theme of romance in searching for a lover as part of one’s self-improvement while the focus track “Who” explores the longing and confusion in love via Jimin’s first solo English single.
With “Who” and “Smeraldo Garden Marching Band” being Muse’s singles, all of the EP’s full tracks could fulfill that duty for their ability to successfully represent new sides of Jimin. Here’s our ranking of the songs on the BTS vocalist’s latest solo album, Muse.
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“Interlude : Showtime”
A very cool musical moment to introduce the listener to the “Smeraldo Marching Band” (which we’ll officially meet later in the album), the interlude gets the last rank because it’s just over a minute that deprives us of Jimin’s flawless vocals on his solo album. Still, it’s a compelling artistic choice and reminiscent of how Christina Aguilera introduced the second disc on her Back to Basics double album with “Enter the Circus,” a similarly carnival-inspired, spoken-word interlude.
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“Smeraldo Garden Marching Band” feat. Loco
Image Credit: Courtesy of BIGHIT MUSIC Longtime ARMY fans know the mysterious Smeraldo flowers came into the BTS universe in 2017 around the band’s breakthrough Love Yourself: Her era. Jimin introduced his Muse era with the pre-release buzz track “Smeraldo Garden Marching Band” as a simple, feel-good ode to love to set the tone for his forthcoming solo record. The playful rhythmical production with pitched-up vocal samples is a sharp contrast to “Set Me Free Pt. 2,” an ominous opus that introduced Jimin’s first solo record, Face, last year to establish the brighter place the star finds himself today.
With the track’s bright and bouncy nature, Jimin sounds positively excitable, delivering lyrics like, “Mmm I love you, babe…/ I want you, babe/ I wanna hold your hands” — the last line marking just one example of the track taking inspiration from The Beatles and their 1967 album Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. Korean rapper Loco seamlessly slides into the second verse to bring a global update to an iconic album and musical era.
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“Rebirth (Intro)”
Jimin opens Muse with an intimate gospel-inspired ambiance to signify his “Rebirth” on this new record. The intro track’s introspective dialogue (“If I’m trying 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 yearning for connection, and using it as a means for self-improvement through love, shines to make the introductory track a heartfelt prelude to the album’s deeper themes. The song closes with him singing, “I will be special all for you/ Special just for you…I wanna be with you” over the hums of a choir.
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“Closer Than This”
Image Credit: Courtesy of BIGHIT MUSIC After Jimin released one of 2023’s best and biggest-selling K-pop albums with Face, the superstar closed his remarkable year with this sweet, fan-dedicated song telling listeners: “Anytime you want me, I’ll be/ Right here where you call me, I’ll be/ I can never let you go” just after he enlisted for his mandatory military duties as a heartfelt gift during the time away.
A soothing blend of what sounds like acoustic guitar mixed into a subtle hip-hop beat, “Closer Than This” closes out Muse as its final track by nicely wrapping up the overall sentiments of affection and intimacy across the album for a warm, final message for fans to hold on to as they anticipate Jimin’s return in less than a year.
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“Slow Dance” feat. Sofia Carson
Image Credit: Michael Buckner From the unexpected collaborator in Sofia Carson to a dazzling saxophone flourish at the end, “Slow Dance” is a delightful duet delivering a sweet surprise at the halfway point of Muse. Jimin’s signature feathery high notes intertwine with Carson’s whispery, slightly raspy vocals (which sound as if she recorded them with Jimin in mind) to create a dreamy atmosphere. With soft and sentimental melodies and a refreshing R&B groove, the track showcases new facets of both artists’ music palettes for both a calming and captivating listen.
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“Be Mine”
Another bold, musical departure with Latin and Afrobeat inspirations, “Be Mine” could have easily served as the main single of Muse — or even a BTS track, given the many genre and style shifts throughout it.
With confident and seductive lyrics (like “I know what you want, and baby, I want the same” or “Baby, come/ Show me what, show me what love is”), Jimin embraces a more mature expression of love on the standout track. His vocal performance is undeniably commanding over the sultry, rhythmic production and will undoubtedly be one of the top tracks fans look forward to seeing live one day.
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“Who”
Image Credit: Courtesy of BIGHIT MUSIC Jimin made Billboard chart history when “Like Crazy” debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, a first-of-its-kind achievement for Korean-pop artists. With the lead single of Muse, “Who” sees the superstar once again breaking new ground with his first-ever solo English single. From the verses in his lower register to drawn-out falsetto belts, the single pushes Jimin’s vocal limits throughout an emotive performance. It makes for one of the most compelling listens in pop this year.
With clear sonic inspirations from the ’00s productions of the Neptunes and Timbaland, “Who” reminds listeners of the global superstar Jimin has become. Co-produced by and supported with background vocals from Jon Bellion (who is known for crafting successful crossover tracks with other K-pop artists like Jackson Wang, Rosé and BTS’ other Hot 100 chart-topper Jung Kook), “Who” expresses both romantic longing as Jimin sings, “Want to give her the world and so much more,” as well as and confusion, asking: “If I every day I think about her, yeah every day of my life/ Then tell me why I haven’t found her?” Overall, the song best encapsulates the range of romance dissected on Muse while exemplifying how far Jimin has come as an increasingly fuller artist.
