FACE: The Agony and Ecstasy of Park Jimin
I am writing this with a heavy heart. I watched Jimin's Production Diary earlier this evening and rewatched it with Jimin (how I wished he was really with me, right? But Weverse Live it was).
(I don't know about you but I think Jimin is extra handsome when wearing a baseball cap.)
But my heart is not weighed down with sadness or grief; in fact, I am so proud of Jimin and how FACE came about and how he toiled in those 10 months before he finally revealed FACE. It was probably the most intimate Jimin content I watched – the documentary showed him barefaced, without any embellishments that we would typically associate with him as an idol. He was devoid of the glitz and glamor of a superstar; we watched Jimin, the artist struggling with words and questioning his thoughts and ideas. He was the most beautiful in his vulnerable state because you could see his passion, desire, and hunger to create something that would leave the world in awe.
Baby, you did so well. So so well.
I was emotional at the end of JPD, and the last shot, a closeup of Jimin, hit me like a ton of bricks. Jimin looked so happy, relieved, grateful, and proud that I could not help but shed tears because this guy, who is probably one of the best humans ever but subjected day in and day out to hatred, malice, and ill wishes, created a masterpiece for his solo work debut. If resilience were a person, his name would be Park Jimin.
Mine!
My heart has been broken for years now, but for the past two years, it has shown signs of life, thanks to this person in Korea, in Seoul, who understands me. This person whose eye smile I am in love with. Cutie. Lovely. Sexy. He is all of this and more. And it amazes me that in this day and age when authenticity seems to be scarce, when embracing a persona may be the way to go to make a mark in a very tough industry, we have one of the biggest artists in the world, serving FACE, in its unadorned and striking state.