Jimin strips off all filters to reveal his true self in debut solo album "Face"
The world was put into a frenzy when BTS's lead vocalist Park Jimin announced his solo debut album back in February. Released on March 24, Jimin's Face is an ode to the many different personalities residing within his artistry.
The release had the internet enamoured over its seven recorded songs, including a full English rendition of the title, an interlude, and a track featuring fellow BTS member Jungkook.
The album commenced with one of its tracks "Set Me Free Pt.2" being a week-early pre-release, featuring a performance music video. The song is said to be a musical relay from bandmate AGUST D's "Interlude: Set Me Free" from his 2020 D-2 mixtape. While the song delivers a fearless aura, many people, including me, were irked at the use of autotune in certain verses. Though the choice was stylistic, I personally stand firm in my belief of the song complementing Jimin's original tone more.
The album's chronologically first track, "Face-off", is an RnB and trap-infused track that provides an onlook into the emotions Jimin offers throughout the album. The song has a classic Jimin vibe, managing to extract his charisma and mixing it with its elemental style.
The interlude "Dive" comes next, which features a sinister reality of Jimin's everyday life. Showcased with a reverbing dreamy instrumental, this track solidifies the fact that Jimin is ready to fully showcase himself with no strings attached.
"Like Crazy", the 90s synthwave-inspired electro-pop title is the pacemaker of the album, claiming the top spot for my personal album ranking. The song brings forth Jimin's association with a club where he's clearly not happy. There are hints of loneliness, longing, and lovesick in it which makes the aspect of him partying feel like an elaborate escape from despair. The construction of the song itself is quite enjoyable, feeling short yet sweet in its three-and-a-half-minute runtime.
Taking a depressive turn, "Alone" showcases a shade of misery and self-loathing. The RnB track accentuates vocals that capture the emotions as guitar chords loop in the background. My only complaints with the song would be its repetitiveness and lack of longevity.
Finally, the fans were fortunate enough to hear "Letter," a hidden track, on the album CD, taking listeners to Jimin's home of comforting sounds. Reminiscent of his previous special releases and OSTs, the song surprised me with Jungkook as its featured singer in small bits. The sweet song references some of his band's heartfelt releases and concludes the album on an easy note.
After a close observation of the album, the aspect that captured my attention was the use of alcohol in almost every song. Jimin's mention of the album being based around his pandemic hardships has me wondering whether the vivid picturisation of alcoholism in this album is literal or a metaphorical escape from it. Either way, it felt like a bold step for BTS's vocalist whom many presume to have a manufactured image.
For a debut album, Jimin doesn't struggle at all to establish the escape he aims for. Even for an industry bigshot like him, the task of distinguishing one's sound through their debut album is still difficult. And that's why Jimin's efforts in providing listeners with a fresh experience deserve high praise.
Shaikh Sabik Kamal believes pillows are man's greatest companions. Try proving him wrong at sabik2005kamal4787@gmail.com