Jimin gets personal on MUSE

Arriving just under a year-and-a-half after his solo debut, Face, the BTS singer Jimin’s second album Muse opens with the song “Rebirth”, the name a statement in and of itself. Much like the previous album's intro, “Face-off”, it is an immediate delight to the senses, a track you will be left thinking about for hours after leaving the rest of the record behind. However, where his debut feels emotionally complex, introspective, and dark in sound and concept, here we witness Jimin in a less heavy state of mind. Rather than a peek into the life of a celebrity, it feels more explorative of what makes him tick as a person, a reflection of his heavy involvement in the production process of the album.

This does, perhaps, stop the album from feeling entirely cohesive sonically. Whilst the intro song is filled with choral backing vocals and Jimin’s most angelic tone, the follow-up song is a quirky nod to The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, as the singer creates an imaginary band alongside South Korean rapper, Loco. The resulting track, "Smeraldo Garden Marching Band", is a little bit off-kilter, with a fascinating sonic landscape and a great flow. Loco's verses add a refreshing, calmer note and complement Jimin's perky vocals perfectly. However, the chorus, although cute, is lacking the energy and kooky quality of the rest of the song, which is a shame.

The middle section of the album stands together much more clearly. “Slow Dance”, featuring singer and actress Sofia Carson, is a smooth, seductive song that you can’t help but fall into, and the Latin-inspired “Be Mine” is catchy, addictive, and undeniably hot. Sultry vocal tones are Jimin’s speciality, after all. But it’s the title track, “Who”, which really grabs you. Similarly to “Be Mine”, it opens with a Latin guitar that runs through the background of the song, harkening back to his popular solo "Filter" from BTS' 2020 album Map of the Soul: 7.

Throughout “Who”, Jimin imagines the love he has yet to have and wants to experience, chasing the elusive muse that his “heart [is] waiting for”. It makes sense, then, that the song comes near the end of the album, despite titles traditionally being one of the first tracks – it leaves the story of Jimin and his ‘muse’ open, ready to be continued when he returns from his mandatory military duties next summer.