Flying solo from the nest of a mega-successful band is difficult, but BTS member Jimin did it last year with ‘FACE’, his first studio album under his own name. Finding that magic with a sophomore outing is always a much more difficult proposition. And while fulfilling South Korea’s mandatory military service for men of a certain age? That is virtually impossible.
Although most likely recorded and produced before Jimin’s hiring in December 2023, the K-pop superstar’s second album, titled ‘MUSE’, feels a bit subdued and almost melancholic in its beats.
It’s not a record looking for an audience; that is built in and always waiting for a new release. “Muse” functions as a palace bard (Jimin’s label, BIG HIT) looking for something to cheer up the fans while the prince (Jimin) is away on duty. Will his subjects remember him fondly? Will they keep him in their hearts until his return? Although an official press release describes “Muse” as a work that depicts Jimin’s “journey of finding inspiration from his environment,” it feels more like a sometimes fruitless search for an elusive muse.
Between the seven songs – which feel more like six, because “Interlude: Showtime” is an instrumental that leads into the third track, the single “Smeraldo Garden Marching Band (feat. Loco)” – Jimin finds his footing with songs that do not. They don’t strive to be innovative, but are charming nonetheless. They are clearly a fan of the sad trombone, which was also used on ‘FACE’. Jimin uses the instrument on the lively tune, mixing hip-hop with an orchestra and unsynchronized beats. Visually, the song’s music video was loosely inspired by “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.” It’s a healthy bop that feels fast and slow at the same time.
Elsewhere, ‘Who’ is a mesmerizing R&B tune that beats the dance floor and the hearts of its customers with a little recorder-like accent on the beat. The other song that grips with its rhythm is ‘Be Mine’, a bombastic afrobeat song.
‘Slow Dance’ is the second collaboration on ‘MUSE’ with American singer and actress Sofia Carson – a medium tempo R&B-song that leans on guitar and would work as a soundtrack for a cute rom-com.
The album closes with “Closer Than This,” a love letter to fans released earlier in December, a stripped-down, easy-listening coda.
While “Muse” won’t reinvent the wheel, it will entertain Jimin’s fans.
