One day left until the official end of the solo era. And we have some hard data, don't we?
Albums and Singles
(I'll only be listing as singles and collaborations the ones that didn't appear as parts of their albums)
RM
Albums: 2 — Indigo (10 songs), Right Place, Wrong Person (11 songs)
Singles: 1
Outside collaborations: 4
Jin
Albums: 2 — Happy (6 songs), Echo (7 songs)
Singles: 3
Outside collaborations: 1
Suga
Albums: 1
Singles: 0
Collaborations: 3
j-hope
Albums: 3 (one of which completely dismantles the siege mentality around Jimin's solos) — Jack in the Box (10 songs), HOPE ON THE STREET (6 songs), Charm of HOPE (6 songs — and yes, this is the one that dismantles it)
Collaborations: 3 (though I'd really rather not have to count Angel, because as much as I love it, it's a little demeaning to show up just to sing backing vocals... Nothing like hitching a ride on BTS's popularity, right?)
V
Albums: 1 — Layover (6 songs)
Singles: 2
Collaborations: 1
Jungkook
Albums: 1 — GOLDEN (11 songs)
Singles: 3
Collaborations: 2
Okay. But What Does Any of This Mean?
Artistic output leads to awards and sales figures, my dears. And the numbers are not kind to anyone claiming Jimin underperformed.
Jimin went and collected records wholesale. But let's do this properly and in order.
Because honestly, the solo era was never about which of them did better. Though one could make the argument that Jungkook (in the mainstream sense) and Jimin (through fanbase strength and "consistently solid" material) left the rest pretty far behind — I'm going to stick with the position that the BTS members were simply given completely different assignments for this solo era. Each one different.
The Assignments
Jungkook: Crack the American Market
Take JK, his full promotional machine, and the strategy of betting everything on seasonal hits. JK wasn't supposed to make an artistic statement — because if that's his peak, then no thank you — but rather, dressed up under his own brand, to pave Hybe's way into international (primarily American) markets.
Partially successful, because JK genuinely became a radio voice, heard everywhere and not just on streaming platforms. Partially unsuccessful, because even though his material was tailored for American audiences (including a departure from the sugary idol image — god forbid he be modest, polite, or not vulgar!), it still didn't translate into anything beyond sales and reach.
Jimin: An Entirely Different Job
And here I completely understand the points made by Jimin Solo Stans — myself included — who argue he was treated as an afterthought. Because yes, fan meetings arranged like awkward elementary school Q&As, apparently saving money on balloons at lives, generally less push overall... Yeah, that wasn't great.
But also — Jimin didn't release an album to go commercial. Notice that he was only actively involved in the promotion of Face, and Face is an introspective album. By design, it was meant to feel close to the listener. By design, he was supposed to bare himself and shake off the whole aura of money and promotional machinery. Muse is something different, but do you really believe the release order was outside his control? I don't. And if he had control over it — or at least real input into which came first — choosing the far more personal content felt far more like Jimin than trying to slot him into what JK got and did, don't you think?
Beyond that, Jimin had a completely different set of tasks. First, he was partly meant to fill the gap in the Korean domestic market (his promotion was clearly tailored for Korea — even his solo stans can't argue against that, and if they tried... well. Just look at how little promotion j-hope got). Second, his success had to be organic, because he is Park Jimin, and we all know that whatever else you can say, Jimin's fanbase is the most disciplined part of BTS. Nobody expected it to go to the scale it did — I think Hybe itself was surprised — but that he'd succeed with minimal financial investment? Every market analyst in the building saw that coming.
The Rest: Protecting BTS's Identity as a Collection of Individuals
You might ask what everyone else was doing. Here too I can tell you:
Maintaining BTS's identity as a collection of individuals. Yes, we know they're different, varied, more or less artistic, more or less commercial. But we know that — ARMY, solo stans, OT7, OT6, OT-whatever-number-you-like. The person JK pulled in from the Western market? They don't know that yet. That mythical new listener arrives lured in by JK (and maybe stumbles onto Jimin by accident), and then discovers: rock, pop, poetic rap, furious rap, R&B, jazz, and literally everything — all wrapped in a very aesthetic package of seven quite attractive boys. They just have to dig long enough.
We can debate who balanced this task with their own break and their own identity better or worse, but roughly? That was the point.
Suga: The Test Case
Suga got his tour before enlisting. First, because as one of the "ready" members — those who had enough material for a full tour — he was the only one with time left to do it. Second, because he's objectively a litmus test.
Giving Jimin a tour wouldn't have answered the question of whether BTS member solo tours are profitable (because Jimin's disciplined fanbase isn't the same thing as ARMY, even if they overlap). Giving it to JK wouldn't have answered it either. Giving it to RM also wouldn't — his music is far more lyrical, more poetry than pop, and it doesn't reach Hybe's target demographic.
So Suga was the safe tester for j-hope, and the proof of concept overall. It worked — because after coming back from the military, both Hoseok and Jin got their own tours, right? Right.
Did Anyone Actually Lose?
Despite finding the solo era as a whole disgustingly boring with occasional bursts of fireworks — I don't think any of the BTS members actually lost anything here.
RM put out exactly the albums he wanted. Lyrical, a little more artistic, less pop, more poetry.
Jin proved himself as a solo artist. Presumably gave his ego a boost — though his ego is depressingly low, and he's a star, he should be a little more of a diva, he deserves it.
Suga — okay, the scooter incident probably hit him, but he got his tour, carved space above BTS, got to go back to the roots of what he does best — being a furious cat who talks about things heavier than teenage hormone problems. I got the sense that the K-pop genre started to weigh on him at some point.
j-hope and his experiments with content showed clearly that he did what he wanted. He proved he's more than sweet music videos and lots of colors — I'll never forget picking my jaw up off the floor at the Jack in the Box premiere.
Jimin gave us a masterclass in being a diva in practice. Because this isn't about being arrogant — it's about being exactly who he is. Simply a winner, and in my opinion the person who made the best use of these past few years. He came, gave us two albums, swept the awards circuit with both, and went back to being a slightly chaotic soft noodle in AYS or a good boy on variety shows. One who isn't embarrassed to wrestle a bandmate on camera (or maybe not a bandmate, but that's another story), or just be funny — because he has absolutely nothing to be ashamed of. Not in the slightest.
V — and those who've been here a while know I'm not a fan — also got what he wanted. He worked with new people (not the same rotation of songwriters and marketers associated with BTS), released an album in a completely different vibe, and marked his distinctness and individuality probably more than anyone — which makes sense, because he arguably had the least room to do so before.
Jungkook fulfilled his dream and for a moment became a globally recognized pop star rather than a K-pop vocalist. And I want to stress — that's what he wanted. To be the next Justin Bieber, or whoever he had in mind. So he became that.
The Wrong Horse
Here's what I actually meant by that.
Through all of this, there's a bitterness in the fact that Jimin — who earned his success through a disciplined fanbase, his magnetic talent, and the fact that Hybe didn't stomp quite so heavily on his actual lyrical content (because honestly, some of his songs say things that, if I were building the myth of a happy "family" and "besties forever," I'd really rather not have said publicly) — didn't get what JK got.
But here I'd ask myself: did we actually want Jimin to get what JK got for Face? (Because Muse was released during his military service, so that kind of machine was never on the table.) Do we really want Jimin's debut album to be a collection of one-summer hits and music videos where he runs around half-naked singing about sex with nothing but suggestive choreography?
I don't. I wouldn't want that.
And that was JK's assignment. JK was supposed to give us the collection of one-summer hits with suggestive moves that would create a "wow" effect on the American music market (toward which I have worse than a bad attitude). The machine couldn't run at full scale for everyone. They had to pick one person to deliver it, and JK seemed like the best choice — because he's the most recognizable member of BTS in that target demographic (we're talking teenagers and young adults at parties, not philosophy lecture attendees who specialize in poetry). Because he objectively looks the least like a "perfect idol." And because among those who could have done it, he seemed the most willing.
Because sorry, but I can't picture Jin wowing anyone with his dancing (not saying he's bad, but he's a little stiff — he doesn't have that natural talent for improvised movement, it just doesn't come naturally to him). And I can't picture V going out there without making a whole performance out of his "jaded artist who doesn't care about anything" persona. They needed JK.
So overall — if the goal was mainstream recognition, they could have gone with Jimin. Genuinely. He could have done exactly what JK did. But do you know what separates them? Risk.
Nobody expected fireworks from JK's music. At least not within ARMY. His solo stans might be disappointed, but disappointing a JK solo stan doesn't sting the way disappointing a Jimin solo stan does. With Jimin? Oh boy. That could have hurt. JK was safe.
Final Thoughts
What still genuinely pisses me off is that Jimin is underexposed. Not just by Hybe — but by the fandom itself. I say this as someone who came to BTS and stayed because of Jimin. Go to any video about him and check the first five comments. For all that Jimin has the most solo stans, the broader fandom treats him as an afterthought. Or openly dislikes him.
But that's maybe a topic for another post — if anyone's interested.
Hybe took what was best in each of them, chewed it up, gave us scraps — but still mostly stayed true to what the boys actually wanted. At least partially. Sure, we'd love for every member to get the full JK investment. But that's not how markets work. It's still a company that needs to make money. Compromises have to be made.
And if what we get is only a taste of what the fandom actually wants... well.
This song is for the people who are experiencing an emotionally exhausting relationship with their significant other, confronted with the complexity of love and the hardships that come along with it.
What once began as a journey filled with promises of endless love, hope, and resilience, has gradually transformed into something far more complicated. In the beginning, the sacrifices seemed small, and taking on the blame didn‘t feel like such heavy burden. But as life threw its challenges your way, the illusion you both held dear started to fade.
You both became tired of each other and the repeated seesaw game your relationship has become. It started to weigh on you - your partner not putting in the same effort to keep the relationship balanced as you did. What began as a simple act of love, of trying to maintain equilibrium, turned into a thankless task. Your emotional exhaustion started to become meaningless, and you began to wonder when things shifted. Was it a small argument, or was it all the countless moments where you tried to be the balancing weight of your partner, only to end up being the heavier one, doing all the work? Perhaps, there was never any true balance to begin with, contributing to you trying even harder to make this relationship work.
However, if this is what love is supposed to be, does it have to be fought for anew every single day? You start to see that in order to free yourself from this endless, toxic cycle, you have to stop being a part of this seesaw game. It brings nothing but pain and disappointment to its players. The decision has to be made now, without discussing who will make it. You‘re aware that someone will inevitably get hurt, and that fear of causing pain stops you from ending the relationship. You don’t want to bear responsibility for the other’s feelings, don’t want to be the bad guy who didn’t try enough, letting your partner fall to the ground. So, you continue to fool yourself into staying in a relationship you no longer want.
You hold on till the very end, but at what cost? You reach the paralleled balance you always wanted in this seesaw game, but not out of love, but of equal exhaustion. What began as playfully bragging about being the one putting in more efforts, has now turned into a competition. You‘re counting who can give more, just to prove that you’re the better partner in the relationship. Inevitably, someone will be blamed for dragging the other one down, for ruining everything. You start to understand the danger of being on this seesaw more and more, realizing you must let go and move on from this emotionally draining bond.
At the end, your partner leaves, and you find yourself walking on the seesaw alone. Just as you started alone, you end up alone again, but finally being able to get off the seesaw.
Listening to Trivia: Seesaw feels like Yoongi acknowledging your struggles and offering you a sense of understanding. It‘s like he‘s there with you on that seesaw, holding your hand while bearing the weight alongside you. He gives you time to breathe, without the fear that everything will collapse if you take a moment to reflect on your relationship. And when you decide to end things, he’s there to take your partner‘s place, ensuring that you no longer have to worry about maintaining balance anymore.
Today I read something on Reddit about how many idols have done the choreo for Lie, but no one has attempted to sing it.
I don't know if this is true, but it ought to be.
I have seen some idols do the choreo for Lie. (Sorry, I do not know their names.) And they were competent, proficient, even good, but there was something lacking. The movements too sharp and perfect, without the fluidity and feeling Jimin creates, seemingly so effortlessly.
You did say you wanted to talk about Jimin's music, didn't you?
Hi Anon, I did want to talk about Jimin's music. So thanks for the ask.
LIE by JIMIN (Choreo)
To properly understand, I searched up a stage fancam of Lie on YT. Here it is for reference-
Also, this one-
(I also used the Lie short film behind the scenes from a bangtan bomb as reference)
As we can see, the Lie Choreo is NOT heavily dependent on the back up dancers. All the back up dancers do is showcase the chaos- by doing the same moves but in different angles, facing different directions to show chaos, and in the end when they lift Jimin during the bridge. Lie stage is not heavily dependent on back up dancers like in LC or Set me free pt2.
As you can see, the distinctive characteristic of Jimin's dances are -
1. His fast and slow movements, requiring extreme core strength.
2. His beautiful dance lines. Due to his professional background and again, core strength- that lets him always maintain those lines. Pause the choreo at any point and you'll get a pose. You can even compare his lines to the back up dancers and see how prominent they are.
3. Story telling via body language. Lie is a sad song. Like a cry for help. And that shows in his body language, even though he's dancing perfectly, he looks defeated, a little dizzy in between movements, hence bringing out the emotions.
4. There are particular parts of the choreo which I have personally used to compare the idols' performances. One of them being Jimin's body movement during the lines "smooth like-a like-a snake" and the other "순결했던 날 찾아줘"(Please find me who was innocent).
Let's look at the dance covers by idols/trainees-
NIKI-Enhypen
Out of all dances I saw, when it comes to technicality and detail, I think Niki's cover was the best. The only area he lacked in was body language. The way jimin carelessly lets his head dangle during the chorus, showing despair, the way he extends his arms in abandon during the choir part of the song etc- all of those movements generate the emotions of the song. Niki did it exactly the way a skilled, versatlie dancer would do it. The only thing he lacked was the body language of 'despair'. And I also need to applaud him for taking care of the dance lines. He did a great job.
Byeongkwan
Even though technically, Niki was more detailed, I enjoyed Byeongkwan's performance a lot because of the emotions he put. His head movement, hands, expressions - he was using them all to evoke the same emotions of the song. Technically, he missed some details of the original choreo and his body lines were not perfect. The central body movement during "Sungyeolhaessdeon nal chajajwo" was not that fluid. Some dancers do not pay attention to their central body movement when there is already a lot of limb movement (like tiktok dancers). Even though he was not technically accurate, he was a pleasure to watch because of his confidence and emotions. Even though his emotions were more about 'sexy despair' than just 'despair' lol.
YG treasure box (Junghwan vs Hyunsuk)
Won't even bother putting a link because these two are trainees and really really not upto the mark - both vocals and dance. So, I'm sorry I won't be evaluating them lol. You can find it on YT if you wish to. They shouldn't have chosen such a tough song for a battle, especially for trainees. Jimin is called 'idol of idols' but only those who are extremely hard working and daring enough to try to embody Jimin's power should attempt his stuff. It's very easy to fall short if they are not serious about it.
Dongheon from Verivery
A decent attempt for a rookie, I would say. He missed a lot of details and in some places, the popping was non-existent. Dance lines were also not taken care of. But overall, I think if he had practiced more, maybe with another pro-dancer, he could do better. He definitely tried to put in the emotions via body language, and I do appreciate that. Again the lack of torso movement during "Sungyeolhaessdeon nal chajajwo" was apparent. Such a simple thing, but such an easy catch when you need to distinguish idol dancers vs professional dancers.
All said and done, I see he is just a trainee, but I do see the passion, even in dingy practice room, recorded using a phone camera probably.
Tae Young, Seven o' clock
Again, I won't comment because this was done as a gag for an interview. It's not a serious performance or practice. Something you or I would do in the privacy of our homes or around friends lol. You can watch the video on YT.
That's all the covers I could find on YT.
A short note on LIE vocals: You are right, no idol has attempted to sing it. At least no well established idol. I saw some vocal covers by YT singers, but they all did it in their own style. Honestly, Jimin's vocals are not easy to replicate at all. Maybe a song like Serendipity is still okay to attempt, with the intention to sound like Jimin. But Lie?? No way. Because in Lie, Jimin doesn't use falsettos or soft voice (only bridge has falsetto) . It's all raspy, boyish voice and head voice. The high notes in Lie are not falsettos either. It's not just the emotions, but also his pronunciation, vocal fry, vocal texture and vocal cracks that come into play. They are simply not imitable. If you want to cover Lie, just do it in your own style.
Anyway, if you want to read more about Jimin, here's another post by me about his music which didn't receive a lot of attention, go read it if you can:-
1. Lie- bg vocals by Sumin
Timestamp: 0:38 for a quick listen
2. Set me free pt.2 - choir segment recorded at Echo Bar recording Studios.
This is all alleged and speculation. No relationships are proven true until confirmed by the idols themselves or their agencies. Do not take this personally or too seriously. This is just an extreme over-analysis of song lyrics and observations I have made about idol interactions from years of being a K-Pop fan. This is a work in progress- RM has like a million songs and I am constantly going back and rediscovering new meaning in lyrics and adding to the song list. So buckle up, get a snack and a drink because I basically typed an 12 page thesis.
Indigo track-by-track analyses link
Favorite Girl (2012)- girl broke up with him over a letter in the winter
Thinkin Bout U- mentions red converse high girl
Coffee (2013)-bitter over breakup bc became idol?
Blanket kick (2014)- keep being/acting embarrassing around crush/gf and admits a lot of songs about her- possibly about yerin?
Miss right (2014)- maybe about yerin? possibly about wishing to be in ideal relationship but can’t bc idol
Where did you come from (2014)-superficial love
Boy in luv (2014)- unrequited love and changing oneself to try to get her affections
Danger (2014)-unaffectionate/uncaring gf not putting her all in the relationship
Intro:what am I to you (2014)-relationship started out too intense so gf put up barriers and shut bf out
Converse high (2015), converse high (predebut) -song that I believe is about yerin from 15&
Run (2015)- giving your all to someone who doesn’t appreciate it
Hold me tight (2015)-knows breakup is about to occur but wants to rekindle feelings from beginning of relationship
I NEED U (2015)- how because of this girl, they are becoming ruined and they want out of the relationship. However, they cannot bring themselves to leave and begs her to break it off for him. They are going through hell because of this relationship yet they keep coming back.
Autumn leaves (2016)- refusing to move on from breakup
Love is not over (2016)-refusing to move on from breakup where girl clearly didn’t love him/ she was toying with him or realized that hookups don’t satisfy them bc only last the night and person only theirs when they are physically in the bed
Blood sweat tears (2016)- addicted to sex with someone
Dilemma (2016)- gf feeling like stranger as she becomes distant but rm still refuses to let go bc he loves her
13430 (2018)-galactic ode to lovers whose bond dwindles, eventually breaking aloof.
Fake love (2018)- “I’m so sick of this fake love” Pretty self explanatory. The same message will be repealed in “Her” and “Closer”.
Her (2018)- the person they are in love with doesn't know the real them, only the mask they put on
Truth untold (2018)- It speaks of the singer putting on a mask to see the one that they love. They create a facade to hide behind so the object of their affection doesn’t see their broken and damaged side. They are afraid that their love will leave them because of their hidden side. They have a love, but it is fake love because they aren’t being real and so because they did not have the courage to show their love their real self, they left. They are left sitting in their ruined dream reminiscing about what would’ve happened if things turned out differently.
Im fine (2018)- a little self growth yay! Went from “save me” to “I’m fine”
Euphoria (2018)- happiness associated with young love and new beginnings. There are some underlying tones of feelings of how their love is fake and not based on attraction
Waste it on Me (2018)- a hopeless and hopeful love affair. While one side of the relationship labels the concept of love as a waste, the other strongly advocates for the pursuit.
Jamais Vu (2019)- can never do right by gf so want another chance
Crying over you (2019)- breakup but each person is mature enough to let go of each other and sending wishes that their ex would find a better person whom perfectly fit for them.
TOMORROW X TOGETHER - 0X1=LOVESONG (I Know I Love You) (2021)- apparently RM had part in writing this song. He must have been loved up in his couple ring era because this song screams honeymoon stage. Clearly it didn't last based on the angry songs in this list that came afterward.
Young Love (2022)- We don’t know which of the members this viewpoint is about, so I will include this song just to be safe
SEXY NUKIM (2022)- you know the part I’m referring to… Girl you can keep it low While we do the ride I'll apply you tonight Ain't gotta DM 'Cause you heard about my team”
Closer (2022)- Namjoon, man. Will you ever learn your lesson?! You can’t replace sex with love! And you know it too. You’ve written like 20 songs about this very thing.
Change pt. 2 (2022)- MANS HEXED HIS EX LMAOOO. I WOULD BE SCARED SHITLESS. “SOMEDAY A GREAT GRIEF WILL DO COME FOR YOU AND THEN YOULL KNOW IT TOO THATS ALL I CAN SAY TO YOU. YOU CANT LOVE SOMEONE LIKE I DO”
Smoke Sprite (2022)- Honey, what you doin' in my bed? Yeah, Uh, baby, welcome to my favorite place, yes→ RM said 2022 IS THE YEAR I LET EVERYONE KNOW IM NOT A VIRGIN
Dont ever say love me (2023)- “I wanna die when youre next to me” like man wants to breakup so bad because even when youre around him you give him the ick
WHO ARE THE SONGS ABOUT?
ANONYMOUS PRE-DEBUT CITIZEN
RM admitted to having a girlfriend in highschool during a 2015 episode of Problematic Men. He said it was a short-lived relationship because she had too many male friends and was causing him to be jealous. Speaking of 2015, notice how the other men are rushing him to try and slip up and admit that he is dating? Or admit that he would write a letter to a sweetheart? That goes into my theory about Yerin below, with the timelines matching up in 2015. RM is notoriously TOO honest and his Problematic Men hyungs knew it, with Namjoon probably gushing about his girlfriend at after-taping 회식, and were wanting him to slip up and spill on air. RM finally admitted that he would write a song for his crush on White Day (cough cough Converse High cough cough).
YERIN
While BTS has never had a confirmed partner since debut, Baek Yerin is the only rumored girlfriend RM has had tabloids write about. Yerin is the only one of the three women I’m the most confident about in this analysis that he has had a relationship with. I am fairly certain that RM has a crush on Hwasa, and that Chaeyoung has a crush on RM.
Yerin’s entire 2019 album “Every letter I sent you.” seems to be a reflection of the passionate love (and toxic) affair her and Namjoon had when they were around ages 18/19-20/21. It could be possible they dated even as early as when Namjoon was 16 if his earlier unreleased love songs are about her, as well. That’s highly unlikely, as Yerin is the same age as Jungkook, 3 years younger than Namjoon.
Her songs often mention tons of sex, drunken nights, smoking, and fights. This sounds highly out of character for Namjoon (minus the sex and a little bit of drinking). There are rumors that some BTS members smoked, though it’s not confirmed who they are and if they still do. (Edit: Taehyung was officially confirmed to have smoked after pictures of him smoking at the 2022 Grammys were leaked. There were also numerous other occasions where he was holding a vape in his hand, but nothing as big as this “Grammys smoking scandal” went as viral. Jungkook is also confirmed to smoke after his vape was revealed in a Weverse live. Suga alludes to him being a constant smoker in his song “Haegeum”, and he does hold that cigarette like a seasoned pro… but the cig reference was mainly a call out to overprotective fans who think they they can tell other people what they can do with their bodies.)
They most likely had a karmic relationship- an intense but PAINFUL relationship that will rip you out and spit you out. Every hidden side of you is revealed through sex and intimacy, but it is so intense, that you cannot be with the person forever but you feed off of each other’s brokenness. I’m sure if you asked them about what they learned from that relationship, they would say they learned SO MUCH about life, love, and self.
It (allegedly) definitely seems like Namjoon broke up with her around 2015-2016 after the success of I NEED U, when BTS became busier and he had less time to spend with her. From the timeline of BTS songs, I would place their relationship anywhere from 2012-2015. While he was heartbroken for YEARS after this (see the above listed songs, the longest list off all 3 lyrics lists), he has now come to terms with it. It seems like Yerin has come to terms with it as well, as this blog post breaks down each song meaning beautifully. It seems like Yerin has found a box of diaries or love letters from this relationship and has written songs in chronological order of the entire timeline, from beginning to end, with the last song talking about her getting closure with viewing the memories and how the two were not meant to be.
Yerin states that “This album reflects memories, dilemmas, and thought processes I had from when I was nineteen to twenty three.” She is currently 24 years old Korean age (23 years old standard age at the time that I wrote this in 2020, she would be 26 years old in 2023 now). This would put the beginning of the album at 19 years old in 2014 to 23 years in 2018. The timeline does match.
Maybe its not our fault (2019)- how partners in relationship slowly started to drift apart
0310- sex cant save a relationship
It’s like I dont know myself (2017)- the more he probes the more she loses herself and him
Meant to Be (2019)- about namjoon 100000% id bet my life on it. Him saying they’re meant to be, he’s kind.
Across the Universe (2015)- hes slipping away but shes clinging to him
Mr. Gloomy (2019)- talking about how hes so melancholy and loves rainy days (Namjoon forever rain)
Bye Bye My Blue (2016)- becoming resentful of Namjoon’s growing fame while her career is stagnant
“Cuz I’m afraid to say things I want to say. I push you away and make things uncomfortable”
CAN I BE U (2019)- most likely a response to I NEED U
His Ocean (2016)- NJ trying to get a deep connection but Yerin resisting. Namjoon also has a fascination with oceans and always mentions it in lyrics.
“I'm not good at emptying my heart. It's not as easy as it sounds. But why do you keep asking me to do something I can't? There's a lot that has built up in my heart. I can't get rid of it and I'm always frustrated”
Amy (2019)- apologizing for the hardships she put him through in the relationship and admitting she buys all their albums and that their Love Yourself campaign has helped her (allegedly)
Popo (2019) - saying how intoxicated she is with the man (his eyes, his scent, his voice). If the song is about NJ, I mean, same girl. The man in the song wrote her a song and played it for her.
“You'll never know How much your voice attracts me, boy. It's exceptional Especially When you're playing the song for me. I can't take my eyes away”
Datoom (2019)- Reflecting on how much they argued before they broke up
Not a girl (2019) - seoulbeats (linked above) sums up this song perfectly: “Yerin wanting to speak up for herself against a lover who doesn’t seem to truly be for her. There lies a misunderstanding between who he attempts to see her as, versus who she believes she truly is.”
“Can’t be what you want. I can’t be what you were. I can’t say I have done so many things but now. Can’t be good enough”
Newsong2 (2019)- "Want to be just like you once. Make it up if I do wrong. Ignore and leave the silence". Make up and brush it under the rug.
Point (2019)- insecure partner in love keeps questioning her love
London (2019)-partner is trying to idealize her and is not seeing her for who she is
HWASA
It does seem that Namjoon has a thing for Cancers, if my and others’ speculations about his dating life are true. Both Yerin and Hwasa are Cancer suns. While Namjoon’s Cancer Mars is in his 8th house and plays a predominant role in his life and relationships, it is clear to see why he is drawn to Cancer sun individuals. But remember, the 8th house is death and rebirth. Karmic relationships.
Hwasa and Namjoon do have a lot of similarities, from not only looking similar (face, tan, thicc), but to being criticized by fans and media alike (tan, ignorance. RM has apologized and grown from his mistakes. Still waiting on Hwasa’s genuine apology since she continues to appropriate… and do blackface). Both are also highly sexual beings.
While the man in her songs has characteristics that sound a lot like him, so do many other anonymous citizens of Seoul like Hwasa stated. She makes her ex sound like he was available whenever to come and see her, and RM being part of the biggest boy group on the planet doesn’t have much free time, even though his personality is very empathetic and giving. The only reason I included her is because a lot of other people seem to think there was something going on between the two, whether it was a FWB situation or brief one-month romance. I will admit I do not keep up with Mamamoo or Hwasa at all so these are the only songs I know by her. I have heard rumors that she has been in a steady relationship with a man like 10 years older than her and is in a prominent position, like a ceo or something? All alleged, of course. You can never really trust that stuff.
Twit (2019)- how Hwasa wants her lover to not be so passive, loving, and predictable, but take charge and surprise her. This song seems the most likely of Hwasa’s songs to be about NJ because Yerin and BTS’s songs about exes have mentioned the man giving so much of himself into the relationship that he loses himself. Hwasa fans speculate that Twit may be about Loco, as he was VERY chivalrous and swooned over her every time they worked together.
“You give me a lot, but why are you the only one feeling unhappy? Because you breathe only for me. You look so lonely”
Why (2020)- missing her ex, most likely the lover from Twit
“You're my hero. We have many similarities, like a mirror”
Kidding (2020)- sarcastic remarks to a cheating ex and his new lover. Not quite sure if this is about Namjoon because his natal chart doesn’t really have any aspects linking to cheating, but natal charts aren’t the end-all-be-all. Everyone still has free will, and he very well may have cheated.
“Of course you must have been busy. You two falling in love. It’s an old thing that’s thrown out after one use. You’re going to regret it soon. Isn’t it so ironic?”
CHAEYOUNG
Another slightly uncomfortable pattern in all of these alleged “exes” is that RM likes to date younger women, as every single “ex-girlfriend” listed here is younger than him. Namjoon was born in 1994, Hwasa in 1995, Yerin in 1997…. and Chaeyoung in 1999. Namjoon… dude. Chaeyoung is a Taurus, which vibes well with his Virgo sun. Namjoon also has his descendant in Taurus, which is what he looks for in a marriage partner. I don’t have any of the girls’ birth times, but standard 1200 time all results in negative match scores, showing that the majority of Namjoon and each individual girl’s natal chart did not sync well for a compatible match.
Whenever there are multiple fan videos of idol ships, take notice. Weed out the delusional ones but pay attention to ones that seem plausible after researching the K-Pop industry and how idols get away with dating. Idols have confirmed that looking at each other is a form of flirting when at award shows. And there are plenty of clips of RM and Chaeyoung doing just that. Chaeyoung has written her own rap lyrics but mostly it is about a crush and then immediately to heartbreak, so clearly the relationship didn’t last long. The song timelines from crush (2016) to regret (2018) show a brief interlude of happiness and touching (2017). My guess is that after pursuing RM for quite some time, he gave in and hooked up with her, but she wanted more and got her heart broken.
Precious Love (2016)- apologizing and asking scorned ex to come back
“I’m so sorry. Please come back. Do you still feel the same? Have you still not forgiven me? Have the scars I’ve given you Not healed yet? Or have you replaced me With someone else? Is there no place for me In your heart anymore?”
Daring Woman (2016)- she’s young but stop pushing her away
Eye Eye Eyes (2017)- describing a crush she has on someone. Mentions white tee shirt and jeans that he likes, possible reference to converse high
“Ocean-like eyes, I’ll swim in them. Yeah yeah yeah. Everyone knows his pretty eye-smile. I want it to myself. Yeah yeah yeah. Your heart is ice I’ll melt you” and “Do men like White shirt with jeans and most importantly long hair”
Missing U (2017) -ex promised her the world then broke her heart. A recurring theme throughout all 3 girl’s lyrics, hmmmm maybe the ex in Namjoon’s songs isn’t the problem, then?
“You promised me And I foolishly believed. But when you left, you had no guilt. But still I miss you. Miss you baby”
Sweet Talker (2018)- I have a very tiny suspicion this might be about more than one BTS member since Jeonghyeon was involved in the writing process. RM is known for choosing his words carefully, being a smooth talker when it comes to flirting and being a poetic genius.
“You seduced me with your sweet words. You made my heart beat with your clear eyes” and “Your words were as clear as the sky. Your words had no feelings”
The only confirmed relationship I know that Chae was in was with that scumbag tattoo artist that drew those lewd drawings of Chae giving him head and posted it for the world to see and she got so much hate because of it. Thank goodness they’re not together anymore.
This is where I had last stopped in my draft. It says the last edit was December 6, 2020 lmao. So some things I had previously said I may disagree with now but I'm leaving up as I like to see how my thoughts have changed over the years. For example, I now do not think that Chaeyoung or RM ever dated, and that she just had an extreme crush on him. I mean, girl same. Yerin I still believe 100% dated him as she broke formal speech on TELEVISION and called him a pet name. The only reason that wasn't a bigger deal is that both were unknown artists back in 2015. Hwasa, I am on the fence about. I see more reaction videos of Taehyung being the ass man that he is lusting over her than RM. I wouldn't let my buddy thirst over my girl but RM is pretty chill about it. Granted they are in public and being filmed, but even if he did talk to Tae about it, V still did it over and over. Weird, no? So that is why i lean more towards that Hwasa and RM probably didnt officially date, but maybe were just fuck buddies?
Now onto RM’s love life that DID make news:
COUPLES RING
I really wish I had kept a better timeline of him wearing that ring, sigh. The only things I can really find online of him wearing that ring started the whole “namjoon married” ordeal were around September 2020 when that infamous video of him taking it off before going on air surfaced, making it look hella suspicious. I definitely remember him wearing that ring for maybe the entirety of Dynamite promotions? The Dynamite era went from August 25, 2020- December 3, 2021 according to BTS Wiki. This was like peak COVID time and I was an essential worker so I admittedly wasn’t keeping up with BTS that closely and instead was just trying to make it through the day. He was talking about having kids a lot during this time too, and that one live of him showing off the baby shoes did not help his case that he is already married with kids. Namjoon did seem to get in on the joke though by trolling us and posting that photo of him and a little girl with her face covered.
There were also terrible rumors going around during this time that he was gay. Namjoon clearly has a very close guy friend and likes to take pictures with said best friend to preserve memories. To respect his non-famous friend’s privacy, he puts emojis over their face on the photos. Some of the emojis were hearts. Thus the shipping and speculation began. RM eventually stopped posting photos with this friend at all and then deleted all of them.
FIANCEE
June 24, 2022… the day when all Namjoon stans had a heart attack. News broke that he was engaged. So those couple ring photos must be true, we all thought. But alas! HYBE released a statement saying “RM’s marriage rumors are not true. We are currently taking swift action against malicious rumors started on YouTube.” Namjoon himself even posted on his instagram story saying “I don’t know her.” All is well, right? Then Indigo was released… and Namjoon really meant it when he said “I don’t know her.”
It is my belief that Namjoon really was engaged to be married to the person whom he shared couple rings with and who was the lockscreen on his phone. But, based on the lyrics from his songs in the Indigo album, we know that the relationship did not end well. Based on the lyrics in “Closer” and “Change pt. 2”, it seems like she broke his heart by either 1) cheating or 2) putting up emotional barriers and saying she didn’t have feelings for him. I will dissect all songs from the Indigo album in full in a separate masterlist and will link to it here.
According to the Sojang video posted on June 23, 2022, RM’s chaebol “fiancee” was going around bragging about being engaged to the idol. Once word got out about this, they had a huge fight about how she was just using him for his fame and not for his personality. This is where I kind of believe Sojang may have sources that are true. The BTS members have had tons of fake dating rumors and have never felt the need to personally respond and always just let their company handle it. Around this time, Jungkook was being “attacked” by Sojang for fake dating rumors as well and he never responded. But Namjoon decided to go to his personal instagram and type “I don’t know her” which could be viewed in two ways: he really has never met the person Sojang is claiming he was engaged to… or he never really knew the TRUE person who he was engaged to, only the mask they wore. And we all know that Namjoon loves being petty, passive aggressive, and cryptic… even more so when it comes to his exes apparently if his songs are anything to go by. He is straight up hexing his ex at the end of “Change pt. 2”.... The breakup has definitely scarred him. While I think he has been working on healing and that the Indigo album has helped tremendously, I do think that Namjoon is now way more reluctant to love than he once was. He has even said so himself on The Dictionary of Useless Human Knowledge that he used to see himself getting married (hmmm… I bet you did), but now he is unsure if he ever will. His long letter to ARMY recently on Weverse gives me hope that he will find love again when he is ready, and he admits so himself in that letter that he won’t go searching for it but will let divine timing take place and let the chips fall where they may.
I really like that in the 'Running Wild' Music Video, both Jin and his dog, decided to go places to spent their last time together, despite of the apocalypse. Going to places where is not guarded anymore, like the cinema where they just randomly watch a movie together, a thrift store where they just take and try stuff there since nobody is taking care of the store anymore, I'm assuming SOMEBODY'S LUXURY HOME AND SWIMMING POOL- 😭 (They even go to the beach, for last time sake)
But it doesn't matter anymore, only matters is they enjoy their last moment together. Everyone at the beginning were running for their lives from the apocalypse (which is a valid response-), but Seokjin looks up and stares at the meteors falling from the sky, then looks and his dog, and finally decided to plan the MOST AMAZING TRIP THEY'LL EVER HAD IN THEIR LIFE!
But, this is probably me, almost at the end it seems like Seokjin doesn't want to end. He even rode a car, trying his best escape the meteors (AND SOMEHOW HE SUCCESSED DOING IT??? 😭😭). He refuse to let go, just like the people are, but then he saw a family, cherishing their last moment together, still (SOMEHOW??) avoiding the meteors, but then stop the car to watch the world end, as they treasure their last moment together.
For me , this is a metaphor for for cherishing memories with people you love and care about, even in their last moments. The MV definitely capture the song, in a way, perfectly. Despite me joking about the ABSURDLY of how calm Seokjin is in an apocalypse, the message and story did make their point across. I can say I really like it alot! :) ✨💜💛💜💛💜💛💜✨
(It took SO LONG to write this- 💀)
If you want to watch the MV yourself, you can CHECK OUT here~ :D
“If “Indigo,” BTS leader RM’s past album from 2022, describes him defining what it means to be human, RM’s newest album, “Right Place Wrong Person,” tells the story of his raw experience putting that definition into practice. It is this experience of RM turning off the switch of TV friendly RM and diving deep into finding who the “real me” is, that expresses the true theme of his album, “Right Place, Wrong Person.” Each song that’s housed in this album sets a precedent of one’s freedom to be human, no matter how many people know their name or not.
As soon as one starts playing the first song, “Right People, Wrong Place,” they are whisked into the world of RM’s mind as electronic sounds mix with a breathy voice and an 80s style synthesizer…”
Read the full 5,000 word analysis here:
If “Indigo,” BTS leader RM’s past album from 2022, is him defining what it means to be human, “Right Place Wrong Person,” RM’s newest album,
Set Me Free Pt.2: on Mazes, Lies and Setting Yourself Free
Written by J.
Jimin’s Set Me Free Pt.2 is a powerhouse of a masterpiece. It is well anchored in BTS’ discography all while going beyond it and being fresh, unexpected and unique to Jimin and his journey. A perfect official solo debut for Jimin. ❤️
Read on if you’d like to explore these topics with me:
Set Me Free Pt.2 being anchored in BTS’s discography
Jimin’s journey from Lie to Set Me Free Pt.2
Anchored in BTS’s Discography
Set Me Free Pt.2 is anchored in BTS’ discography firstly because of the title itself: a nod to, as well as a continuation of sorts of Agust D’s Set Me Free. In Jimin’s words:
There isn’t a connection, and we weren’t trying to divide part one or part two. But since it turns out my song talks about freedom and moving forward, and SUGA’s song talks about some of the stories that come before, I thought it would be good to come after that.
Just like BTS’ Airplane Pt.2 is linked to J-Hope’s solo track Airplane, Jimin’s Set Me Free Pt.2 is linked to Agust D’s Set Me Free.
Next up comes the maze. Set Me Free Pt.2 uses the metaphor of the maze twice:
In the first verse:
I wandered into a maze
And in the second verse:
Still in a maze.
The metaphor of the maze is scattered across BTS’s discography:
RM in Louder than Bombs:
Every day a maze
Wonder if this is my place
Suga in Answer: Love Myself:
Our lives are long, trust yourself when in a maze
When winter passes, spring always comes
Without forgetting the song Love Maze itself! Jimin’s maze lyrics in this song:
Trapped in a maze of decisions
Exhausted by all the different chaos
We’ve wandered around, looking for the answer
Lost in the maze, in the darkness
We love a motif that keeps popping up throughout various songs. It creates strength to the overarching storytelling of an artist and instantly brings meaning without having to go into detail each time. (See this post which talks a lot more eloquently about BTS motifs across their albums!) I love that Jimin ties his solo song into the BTS maze motif by bringing the maze in his own way. Not only does it create links between this solo song and BTS songs, but it also means army immediately knows the maze means difficulty.
Indeed, the metaphor of the maze signifies darkness, being lost, going through hardships, etc. It can be nuanced in different ways depending on the context. (This powerful metaphor has not been lost on other k-pop artists. See for example Stray Kids’ Miroh (miroh, 미로, meaning “maze” in Korean) and Maze of Memories, TXT’s Maze in the Mirror, and (G)-IDLE’S Maze.) The maze in Set Me Free Pt.2 signifies hardships too. Jimin said the song wanted to express the ideas of “determination, passion, and overcoming”, and the maze represents the hardships that required determination and passion to overcome.
BTS explored darkness, hardships and overcoming them extensively throughout their discography, most recently and impressively through ON. This song has similar vibes to Set Me Free Pt.2, confirmed by Park Jimin himself: “I think you can feel the same vibe watching the “ON” performance as you will watching this performance. You’ll feel that feeling once again.” There is also clearly a shoutout to ON’s “Gotta go insane to stay sane” lyrics in Set Me Free Pt.2′s “Going insane to stay sane” lyrics. Parallels between ON/other BTS songs talking about overcoming hardships and Set Me Free Pt.2 are clear.
(Sidenote: see RM’s El País interview in which he talks about why overstraining/“working fucking hard” is such an important theme within k-pop/Korean culture.)
Darkness was also very much explored in Suga’s Interlude: Shadow. I can’t help but think that the voice distortions in Set Me Free Pt.2′s second verse may be a reference to Shadow’s third verse, which contain similar voice distortions.
The voice distortions in Set Me Free Pt. 2 come when Jimin is talking about hardships:
I got feel low
Still in a maze
But I got no time to break soul
Just let me flow
Hey fool, just get out of my way
Shut up, fuck off
I'm on my way
These are the darkest lyrics of the song imo. They show the darkness, dare I say the shadow, that Jimin has lived with and through. When Jimin addresses the “fool,” he could be speaking to his shadow, to his own self-doubts. The voice distortion accentuates the fact that he is talking about darkness, a dark side of himself.
Suga’s biggest voice distortions in Interlude: Shadow appear over these lyrics:
Yeah I'm you, you are me, now do you know
Yeah you are me, I'm you, now you do know
We are one body, sometimes we will clash
You can never break me off, this you must know
Yeah yeah can't break me off, whatever you do
Yeah you'll be at ease if you admit it too
Yeah succeed or fail, whichever way you flow
Yeah you can't escape, wherever you go
This is also the darkest part of the song. Rather than talking to his shadow like Jimin, Suga is speaking from his shadow’s perspective. He is talking about how it’s impossible to escape his shadow always being part of him. Suga’s shadow is greed and ambition, whereas Jimin’s may be more akin to self-doubt, a self-doubt that has made him pretend to be someone else. This would explain why it would seem that while Suga is trying to accept living with his shadow alongside him, Jimin is working on setting himself free from his shadow.
I might be making parallels where no parallels need to be made. Playing with voices is common in the music industry in general, and very much in k-pop too. At the same time, both Set Me Free Pt.2 and Interlude: Shadow have both Pdogg and Ghstloop as songwriters and Ghstloop as a producer. And I think it’s interesting to think of discussions with one’s demons as being highlighted by voice distortions.
Lie, Set Me Free Pt.2 and Jimin
I cannot help but interpret Set Me Free Pt.2 as being linked to Lie. Musically, they both have a grand orchestral feel. Meaning-wise, they seem very linked as well.
Lie is all about the suffering that comes with having to live a lie. Here are the lyrics of the chorus, as a quick refresher:
Caught in a lie
Find the me that was pure
I can’t be free from this lie
Give me back my smile
Caught in a lie
Pull me from this hell
I can’t be free from this pain
Save me, I am being punished
The lie in question is not specified and is left up to interpretation, which is amazing. Lots of people can find themselves in the lyrics in various ways.
At the same time, thinking about Jimin, the first thing that comes to my mind is this quote of his from this video when he talks about/to his younger self:
I think I wanted to appear like a strong man. Now... I don’t have to pretend. I can just be myself. Talk about myself without pretending anything. I realised that I was such an aspiring person and I realised how I’ve become better. I don’t look like I’m about to weep anymore. I don’t. That’s the difference as per my appearance goes. You were trying very hard. I was impressed and moved by you. I could feel how hard you were trying. I mean... Your eyes looked eager to show something. I felt somewhat sorry for you too. I was shocked a bit. Hurry up and be me soon. You will learn and realise so many things. Fighting.
The lie may indeed have been about him not being himself, him trying, pretending to be someone else, a “strong man”. This is something he has overcome, and Jimin affirms that he now feels free to be himself without having to pretend. With this in mind, let’s have a look at some of Set Me Free Pt.2′s lyrics:
Ah, yeah, ah, yeah
I'm standing at the edge
Not yet, not yet
I won't look back
Now yeah, now yeah
Fly away, butterfly-y-y
Finally free-e-e
Look at me now (Me now)
I won't hide anymore, even if it hurts
Going insane to stay sane
Raise your hands for the past me
Now, set me free-e-e
Tears in my eyes at “Finally free”, “I won’t hide anymore” and “Raise your hands for the past me” (especially as in the MV Jimin is actually raising his hand while he sings this).
To me, one interpretation of the song is definitely about setting yourself free from the expectations you have bound yourself to (bearing in mind that these expectations are very often hammered into you by society). Setting yourself free from pretending to be someone else, from hiding yourself, from being blocked in your own prison, your own lie. Jimin has very much done this, as he clearly feels a lot more comfortable with allowing himself to be who he wants to be compared to the first years after debut. (I highly recommend reading these two excellent posts that go into great detail about this about how Jimin is the personification of the whole Love Yourself concept: “Jimin and his Journey with Gender Presentation” and “Jimin and his Journey with Food and Body Image”.)
The journey from Lie to Set Me Free Pt.2 is striking. In Lie, Jimin cannot seem to be able to escape the lie. He is crying for outside help, unable to save himself. “Pull me from this hell,” “Save me, I am being punished.”
In Set Me Free Pt.2, he has agency, and he has overcome his hardships himself.
Finally free
Look at me now
I won’t stop, even if they mock me.
Jimin has said that that’s what the song is all about:
“Set me free” means setting myself free, so I thought it was important that I be the one to set myself free — not someone else. In the end, I’m the one who has to set myself free.
The MV visually shows that he has set himself free as he ends up in an all-white outfit after having been in a black (and somewhat naked) outfit up until the end of the video.
Visually representing a light in the darkness, as he said is this song’s energy:
I would say the song has the energy of a light in the darkness. I wanted to express that kind of picture everyone has in their head — a ray of light coming into the darkness is the only thing you can see. If I had to say specific colors, I’d say black and white.
It’s one hell of a powerful message. That we can set ourselves free on our own, no matter the darkness of the maze, of our shadow. That in fact, we are the only ones who can set ourselves free. I don’t have the words to express how inspiring it is, how much of a privilege it is, to watch Jimin express this in such a musically and visually striking way as Set Me Free Pt.2.
In conclusion, Jimin places the song firmly in BTS’s discography by using the motif of the maze, talking about similar themes (overcoming hardships) and referencing ON and Interlude: Shadow (maybe). At the same time, the song is uniquely his at it is very personal to his own journey of setting himself free from hiding and pretending to be someone else.
