A Blissful Pop Masterpiece that will Transport You in the World of Jimin
Written by: Giulia Campora
K-Pop star Jimin, a member of the worldwide boy group BTS, has released his sophomore album MUSE. It consists of 7 star-studded tracks that showcase Jimin’s talent, making it a musical treat for fans this summer.
The album opens with “Rebirth (Intro),” a track with a soft, orchestral sound where Jimin expresses his desire for his crush to love him back. The BTS vocalist begins by saying, “If I'm tryna be special/Can I get closer to you?/I can feel my heart pounding/When your fingertips graze past me/If I'm tryna be special/So that I can sing while making eye contact with you.”
He reflects on how he didn’t realize his capacity for care at the beginning and declares that his crush is his light in the darkness: “Oh, I didn't realize/Oh, I didn't think I'd care/Oh my gosh, now I/Won't hide/You are the light in my darkness/Like the sunshine vibe/It spreads quietly.”
The chorus features a prominent orchestral vibe as Jimin sings about wanting a love that lights up his life: “I'm tryna find a love, good love, real love/I was in pitch black, but I couldn't stop thinking of you all day long/I want to take one step and two steps closer without you knowing/Stay with you, with you, with you, with you/I will be your reason, reason, reason, reason/I hope this feeling reaches you, to you, you.”
In the outro, he promises that the summer weather is meant for them and vows to treat his crush right: “White clouds/The wind passing by/Floating petals/It feels like it's been waiting just for us/When that door opens/When I get closer to you/I'll tell you this/I will be special/All for you/Special just for you/For you (For you)/For you (For you)/I wanna be with you.”
The second track, “Showtime,” is a 1-minute and 19-second interlude with a circus-like instrumental that leads into “Smeraldo Garden Marching Band,” which features K-pop producer and rapper Loco. This fictional band, created in the BTS Universe, is connected to the legend of “Smeraldo” from the BTS song “The Truth Untold” on the album Love Yourself: Tear. The song opens with Jimin’s sultry vocals reflecting on BTS’s formation on June 12, 2013, and their daily gift of happiness to fans: “Say, 'oh'/This harmony's just for you/Oh, say, 'love'/Now introducing/It all began on June 12/We gift happiness every day/Say, 'oh' (Let's talk about us).”
In the pre-chorus, he promises to share his feelings: “All the things we couldn't say before/And your hidden feelings too/I'll tell you everything now (Just for you)/Don't you worry anymore/Since we're together now/Let's be a little more honest (Let's go).” The chorus shifts to a pop/R&B beat as Jimin confesses his feelings: “Ooh, I love you babe/I'll come closer to you/I love you, babe (Yes, sir)/Ooh, I want you, babe/I wanna hold your hand/I want you, babe.” Loco’s rap in the second verse praises his loved one and the band he created for them: “Fade away with the old, every day is brand new/I'll call out your name, all you have to do is blossom/Let's jam together, keep it going, however you feel/I couldn't say it face-to-face, but just for you I've/Made a band…”
The second pre-chorus returns to Jimin, inviting his crush to share their feelings so they can be together: “The dazzling sky/The fluttering flowers/Will be with us too (All for you)/So tell me how you feel/Let whatever you feel/Wash over you (Let's go).” The song concludes with a full-on marching band sound, featuring trumpets, trombones, and drums.
The fourth track, “Slow Dance,” is an R&B and pop song featuring American singer Sofia Carson. Both Jimin and Carson contributed to the songwriting and composition. The song begins with the chorus, where Jimin’s vocals create a relaxing pop tempo: “I just wanna slow dance/Baby, you can take my hand/Don't rush, just feel our tempo/Just you and me, our favorite song/Slow dance/This is the last romance/I will never let go of your hand/Our favorite song we sing together.”
In the first verse, Jimin shares his feelings: “Like 'Cheek to Cheek'/Feel your heartbeat on mine/A warm melody, mm/Relax your mind to that rhythm/In the meantime, I didn’t know/Before you know it, only your smile/My heart is full/I can't hide it.” The pre-chorus invites his special person to dance with him: “So come on/Come on a little closer/The star in my heart is only you/It's only you,” and transitions back to the chorus. Carson’s vocals shine in the second verse as she expresses her desire to take it slow with Jimin: “Don't wanna rush/No, let's take it slow yeah/Mm, love, let me get to know ya/Fallin' for you at the speed of light/Wait up, give it time/Baby, it's you and me/Got something so real/Oh my, oh my/Movin' closer through the night/Feel like we could touch the sky.”
In the pre-chorus, she invites Jimin to dance as their time together is limited: “These couple hours, couple hours all we got/So take my hand because we can't get enough/What ya say, what ya say, baby?/Come on, come on, come on, come on.”
The final chorus combines the previous lyrics into a beautiful conclusion with Jimin and Carson’s harmonies: “Slow dance (Slow dance)/Got me cancelin' my plans (My plans)/Oh, give into the tempo of our favorite song/Don’t let go, keep movin’ along/Slow dance/We're caught up in a romance (Romance)/Oh, give into the tempo of our favorite song..”
The fifth song, “Be Mine,” is the second single from the album, accompanied by an English version released Friday morning. Fans describe it as the sister of Jimin’s solo track “Filter” from BTS’s Map of The Soul: 7, featuring a similar Latin pop sound. The song invites listeners to dance sensually: “Movin', comin', lovin', yeah, yeah, yeah,Movin', comin', lovin', yeah, yeah, yeah.” Jimin’s sensual vocals in the first verse persuade listeners to party and fall in love: “Hot island/A party just for the two of us, yeah/I know what you want/And baby I want the same/Love 'til the morning, ah/We just keep fallin', oh/Anyway, our/DNA is linked.”
The refrain echoes previous lyrics: “Baby, come, baby, come/Show me what/Show me what love is, yeah, yeah/Hot, hot, melt me/Hot quickly,” leading to the pre-chorus and the next chorus: “Lovers come and go/In and out of my heart/The more I fall into it/It keeps getting deeper/Like this forever/If I could have you/I want you to be mine/I want you to be mine/I want you to be my..”
The second verse invites listeners to follow Jimin’s lead: “Don't need to worry/Just follow my lead/So that I can fill your heart even more.” The final bridge asks the person to keep dancing under the moonlight and take it slow: “Just you and me all night long/If my heart could reach out to you/I want you to be mine…” The song concludes with a myriad of harmonies that perfect the track.
The first single, “Who,” has reached #1 on the Billboard Global 200 chart and is popular on TikTok for its dance challenge. The song opens with Jimin singing about his yearning to meet a girl from his dreams: “We never met, but she's all I see at night/Never met, but she's always on my mind/Wanna give her the world and so much more/Who is my heart waiting for?” The first verse reflects Jimin’s emotional conflict: “If every day I think about her/Yeah, every day of my life/Then tell me why I haven't found her (Why, why, why, why, why?).”
The pre-chorus shows his increasing thoughts about meeting her despite many people and places: “There are so many people to see/So many places to go/But I still haven’t found your love.” The second verse expresses his willingness to do anything for her: “I'll take her places they ain't found yet/I'll put it all on the line/I'll be that someone she can count on/One, two, three, four, five.” The final chorus features a slow-down beat, leading into a full vocal rundown that transitions back to the upbeat chorus.
The last song, “Closer Than This,” was released last year as a gift for BTS fans, celebrating their decade of support.
In conclusion, this album is truly special and showcases Jimin’s songwriting and vocal skills. According to Weverse Magazine critic Seo Seongdeuk, “a muse, meanwhile, is an artist’s source of inspiration,” which Jimin intended for fans to understand while listening to this album. Each song is dedicated to someone unknown who inspires him, including his fans, ARMYs.I highly recommend giving this album a listen, it will transport you into a blissful pop masterpiece.
