Since the group announced their hiatus back in June 2022, each of the seven members of BTS have released their own projects; with the latest and final member Jung Kook releasing his 10 track album Golden.

The tracks chosen to star on the ‘golden maknae’s’ debut album truly reflect his desire and ambition to become an international pop star. The decision to feature only English tracks and to promote the album outside of Korea, with the majority of promotional activities taking place in the United States, highlights this desire.

The vibe of the 10 tracks lends itself to that of the retro early 2000s and RnB, and showcases the versatility of Jung Kook’s vocal range and ability to take centre stage. In that same vein, “3D (feat. Jack Harlow)” could have been lifted straight from Justin Timberlake’s Justified album, with more than a hint of Michael Jackson’s influence. Fans were even gifted with a Justin Timberlake remix of the track.

The launch track for the album, “Standing Next to You”, reminds me of Kool and the Gang. I was totally enraptured with this one track and loved all the different influences which spans decades and reinvents into something quite wonderful.

Overall the album was a carefully curated set of songs which completely captured the essence of Jung Kook’s personality, sometimes cheeky, flirty, wistful, longing, and reflective all wrapped up with some impressive production to give fans a thoroughly enjoyable experience.

A busy year for the global superstars

BTS’s vocal line have been busy with their own projects; starting with oldest member Jin’s collaboration with Coldplay, a band that he greatly admires and one that BTS previously worked with on “My Universe” back in 2021.

The song “The Astronaut” and its subsequent music video, released in October 2022, just before his enlistment in the Korean military seemed to be a poignant message to ARMY and many interpretations of the video have been theorised online. I personally feel that the song lends itself more to the Coldplay style, but by using Korean lyrics throughout the song, Jin’s personality shines through and offers a deeper meaning to the track.

We had to wait until March 2023 for Jimin’s EP, Face, featuring the brass hits of the leading track “Set Me Free Pt.2” to the dreamy, soft synth pop of “Like Crazy”. There are some deeply personal lyrics which Jimin wrote himself offering an insight into his struggles during the ‘lost pandemic years’ which I’m sure will reflect complex emotions felt by most during the extraordinary events. Jimin’s style encompasses synth pop, UK garage, and includes layers of RnB and a peppering of rap mixed in for good measure.

V, to me, has a spiritual aura. He’s calming, warm, and reassuring. Only he could shoot a music video in a cave wearing a red sequined outfit and still exude total pop idol vibes.

Layover, released in September 2023, gave us five tracks of pure jazz infused RnB with a slightly alternative sound to match the singer’s rich baritone. “Slow Dancing” was my stand out track but I think all the songs matched perfectly with V’s energy, depicting exactly what he wanted to present to his fans.

I especially enjoyed his Tiny Desk Korea performance where he played with a small live band. The songs along with his vocals really shone through. The chemistry he had with the band and backing vocals really gave us all a collective hug and I definitely had the biggest smile on my face, with a surprise jazz saxophone clip to add to the joy.

RM, Suga (known also as Agust D) and J-hope make up the rap line of the group. The three of them often add their idiosyncratic rap style to all the BTS tracks and each of their characteristics are highlighted in their individual project releases.

Read our reviews of both RM’s Indigo and Agust D’s D-Day here. 

J-hope was the first member to release his own album after the announcement that the band were taking a break from group activities. Jack in the Box is a 10 track rap and rock infusion.

As BTS’s rap line self-produces, fans are offered a very personal perspective on their own thoughts and emotions; we’re on the journey with them, every step of the way. J-hope gives a very vulnerable and sometimes dark side, which is very much a 180 degree flip from his BTS stage persona. It’s easy to forget that bright and cheerful people still experience highs and lows just like the rest of us.

Being a fan of 1990s rap, J-hope paid homage to one of the icons of that time with a sample of Ol’ Dirty Bastard’s “Shimmy Shimmy Ya” on his track “What If…”. And although the genre and overall energy is something that fans might not have been familiar with, there are sparks of the J-hope we know and love throughout the album, with “= (Equal Sign)” and “Safety Zone” being more melodic and lyrical.

As all the remaining BTS members are now enlisting in the military, the band’s self-entitled ‘Chapter 2’ has allowed each member to pursue their own passion projects, leaving ARMY with something to enjoy during the group’s hiatus.

It’s no secret to those who know me best that one of my favourite films in recent years is Everything, Everywhere All At Once. Critics struggled to place this film into a set genre as it includes many aspects of each. All of which I believe, is a deliberate move by the writers ‘The Daniels’ (Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert). It could have been messy, with just too much going on, however, the result is a beautiful and heartfelt film which blended and resulted in an Oscar winning performance by Michelle Yeoh (legend).

I feel that much like this film, the unique mix of personalities, influences, musical styles, and outlook that we see within (and outside of) the group BTS has produced something totally unique and beautiful. I’d like to think that in spite of multiple universes, these seven men were destined to meet and create something magical.

Edited by Chelsea Cheetham.