In the fall of 2011, V, who had traveled from Daegu to Seoul with his father, paid an exorbitant taxi fare to arrive at Big Hit Entertainment. On his first day at the dormitory, he met J-Hope, RM, and Suga. Perceiving them as "hip-hop enthusiasts passionate about music," V initially felt he might not have much in common with them. After all, while they each had their own music studios, V had only briefly learned the saxophone in his first year of middle school and had taken dance lessons for TV music shows for just six months. It wasn't until after joining the dormitory that V began formal lessons in dance and singing. While J-Hope, RM, and Suga already seemed like professionals, V was still just a trainee. Yet, he was content, taking big strides towards his dream. Fast forward 12 years.
Those 12 years flew by. With the immense support of their dedicated fanbase, ARMY, BTS conquered the world, with members enlisting in the military and releasing solo albums in succession. While not all members have enlisted yet, only one member remained to release a solo album: V. Having been kept under wraps as a "secret weapon" during BTS's debut, V's solo album was anticipated to reveal a similar aura. The title of V's solo work is "Layover." This term, meaning a brief stop or transfer, also reflects the current situation of BTS. V explained it as "a moment to solidify oneself before reaching the final destination."
V has distinct artistic tastes. He admires Quentin Tarantino's "Reservoir Dogs" and draws inspiration from films like "Love Letter" and "About Time." During BTS's "HYYH" series, he looked up to actor Colin Firth, admires Van Gogh in painting, and respects Ante Badzim in photography. His musical tastes range from jazz to R&B/soul, hip-hop, pop-rock, and EDM, with artists like Sam Cooke, Coldplay, Drake, and Elvis Presley all being heroes to him. Among the albums that have influenced him is f(x)'s "Pink Tape." V loved this album so much that he entrusted its producer, Min Hee-jin, known as the "mother of NewJins," with his first solo album.
Min Hee-jin first sought to understand V's identity. The conclusion was clear: V's distinctive slow tempo and deep voice. This was evident from the first track, "Rainy Days," with its lo-fi jazz piano loop reminiscent of a rainy day, as described by NME as "more 1923 than 2023." The smoky sound texture, ambiance, and V's weary voice converge into a comforting harmony, setting the tone for the subsequent tracks. Indeed, "Layover" is slow, deep, and as the title of the second track suggests, "Blue." At its core, it features old-school and alternative R&B, with jazz and soul on the side, expressing emotions of love, separation, and loneliness.
Solo albums by idol group members typically fall into two categories: those where the main artist focuses on singing, dancing, and image, leaving the creative and production work to others, and those where the artist is deeply involved in every detail of the album. While V's album seemed to lean towards the latter, with elements like the freestyle choreography of "Slow Dancing" and the extended flute solo, his name was notably absent from the credits. This was surprising, given V's proactive nature, his proficiency in playing the trumpet, and his proven songwriting skills in tracks like "Scenery" and "Blue & Grey." Why did he hold back?
Twelve years ago, the three BTS members V first met, who were "into music and hip-hop," have all left their mark with genuine solo albums. Only Jungkook, aside from V, didn't have his name on the creative credits of his solo work, but "Seven" was a single, leaving room for more. In contrast, Jin's "The Astronaut," a single where he was involved in songwriting, deserves separate praise. V's decision to not include his name in the credits of his EP, released after much anticipation, raises questions. It would have been nice if he had played the saxophone, his forte, in the final track of the album. One wonders if Min Hee-jin's shadow might have overshadowed V's potential. The retro-inspired music video for "Love Me Again" felt a bit excessive and awkward, and not just in terms of its vibe.
