Thinking about Who for some reason, maybe because Jimin's recent look at fashion week reminded me of Muse
And if I say I think there might be a very calculated reason why Jimin would want to publicly have people think he is an eligible bachelor searching for the perfect match?
I mean what a perfect cover story for nosy people ......... without involving another person.
(I'm just saying).
(If someone has something precious they want to protect it and in his nature Jimin is extremely protective) also think about the implications for his future art (I have thoughts on his previous art but they're too š¤” to share I think.)
Whoā¦I have probably spent more time thinking about this songāand how it fits in with the rest of the albumāthan any other Jimin solo song.
The lyrics are fairly straightforward. Jimin describes how he wants to meet the right woman, and he thinks about this everyday, and when he finds her he will be a reliable partner that she can count on. Howeverā¦
There are several factors that complicate our understanding of the song. Although the concept was Jiminās, Who is the only song on Muse that Jimin did not help write. The song contradicts the previous tracks which (on the surface) seem to be about a crush, courtship, and eventually love. Even if we view Muse as a conceptual album thatās about finding artistic inspiration, Who still seems like a surprising contradiction to the rest of the journey described in the previous songs.
And add to all of thisā¦apparently the pronouns used in the song were changed at some point (based on whatās written on the whiteboard in the behind the scenes) and letās not forget how many people declared that Who proved that Jimin has been single for eternity (clearly not the case).
So, how do we take all of this and figure out the meaning of Who and its role on the album?
Iām not going to pretend to have the answer, because Iāve been thinking about this since July 2024 and still donāt feel like I have a clear understanding of Muse. (Thatās not a bad thing! Thatās part of the fun. Art is supposed to challenge us and make us think, and Muse accomplished that. š©µ)
In terms of your suggestion that Who can help send a message about Jimin and perhaps help protect his privacy: I think that is absolutely possible.
When did Jimin work on Who? Was that 2022 while he was working on Face, or 2023? Iām getting my dates mixed up now, because itās been a while since I thought about it. But itās interesting that Who was written at a time when yoonmin seemed closer than ever.
What would have happened if Who didnāt exist? Everyone would have assumed that the other tracks on Muse were about a relationship. There would have been a lot of speculation about who he was dating. Instead, thanks to Who, most people concluded that Jimin is single despite the themes we see throughout the rest of the album.* Itās brilliant, really. Jimin managed to write an entire album about love (or using love as an analogy) without revealing his actual love life and/or relationship status.
* itās so funny. I remember seeing someone from another ship getting excited about the J and D rumors, pre-Muse. Then Who was released, and this person said that this probably meant heās single. Then a month or two passed and recency bias !!!!! they forgot about Who apparently and went back to believing that J was currently dating D. I mean, itās fine to change your mind or realize you were wrong, but this level whiplash is too much! It just shows that many people believe what is most convenient for them emotionally and forget anything that doesnāt fit their theory.
Anyway, thank you for the ask! Letās look at Muse-era Jimin:
