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The 27-year-old BTS' V, aka Kim Tae-hyung, has etched a niche unique to him with his latest solo album, LAYOVER, released on September 8, 2023. It was a declaration of the Korean singer-songwriter’s ascendance in the music industry as a solo artist. Also, it should be noted that on August 31, 2023, the BTS member exceeded 1 billion streams on Spotify across all credits.
The magazine Rolling Stone rolled out an interview with V on September 8, 2023, the same day he released his solo album LAYOVER.
In the interview, BTS' V revealed how he tends to use his favorite words, such as 'night,' which is the singer's favorite time of the day, and 'snow,' his favorite season, in his songs. A particular behavior he has picked up from his fellow bandmate and leader of BTS, RM, aka Kim Nam-joon.
"Our leader RM, he’s really great at writing lyrics in a poetic way, so I’m always learning from him. So whenever I study lyrics and write them myself, I tend to gravitate toward my favorite words. “Night” comes up a lot, because it’s my favorite time of day, and it tends to be the moments of my life when I think and reflect the most. “Snow” comes up because it indicates my favorite season. “Dawn” is also really great, he said.
"I can be a person who thinks one-dimensionally or simply, so I try to adorn my songs with my favorite words. One by one, I try to bring out [the beauty of these words]. I try to learn from RM in that regard," he continued.
The album LAYOVER, released on September 8, consists of the title track Slow Dancing, alongside two other songs, Blue and For Us, and two pre-released ones, Love Me Again and Rainy Days.
“I’m just beginning to paint the picture that is Kim Tae-hyung” - BTS' V intends to grow slowly but diligently
The Slow Dancing singer-songwriter aimed to show his other sides to his fans, which aren’t as glamorous as his stage persona. In his interview, V explained that with his latest solo album, he intends to grow slowly but diligently as an artist without rushing to reach a final destination and wants to understand the layers of 'Kim Tae-hyung.'
"The intent behind naming my first solo album, Layover, is to represent a starting point, like I’m just beginning to paint the picture that is Kim Taehyung," he said.
While BTS' V has belted many hip-hop, EDM, party raps, and peppy songs as a core member of the world-famous BTS, Kim Tae-hyung, on the contrary, is inclined towards jazz, pianos, sultry saxophone music, and enchanting baritones—which made LAYOVER, out September 8, 2023.
The Love Me Again singer confessed to having spent three years making, breaking, scratching out, and creating his latest solo album.
LAYOVER is the amalgamation of BTS’ V's pure admiration for classic artists such as Chet Baker, Frank Sinatra, and Sammy Davis Jr., along with his own individualism and voice that have a hint of melancholy with a dash of blue and grey.
"It was the music that I grew up listening to. Whenever I had free time, or when there was a break between my work, I tended to go back to those styles. I felt a sense of comfort while listening to them, so I really wanted to try to make music that also brings that feeling of consolation to the audience," he said.
The singer got himself tied to the enticing music of the feelings of love lost and nostalgia after the releases of his K-drama OSTs Sweet Night in 2020 and Christmas Tree in 2021. These songs not only contributed to his success as a solo artist but also helped him learn a different side of himself, which he showed so enthusiastically in his latest album, LAYOVER.
Starting with collaborating with a music producer outside of his own agency, BigHit Entertainment, the BTS member was determined to embark on a journey to find himself, regardless of the challenges. BTS' V also recalled how contacting Min Hee-jin, CEO of ADOR (a sub-label under HYBE), made him nervous but resulted in the creation of LAYOVER.
"I think watching my bandmates closely really did motivate me" - BTS V opens up about the impact of his group members on him
Rainy Days singer-songwriter BTS' V opened up in the interview with Rolling Stone about the massive impact his group members have had on him and his craft.
"I’ve never seen anyone else in this world who is as much of a fan of my fellow members as I am. I think watching my bandmates closely really did motivate me. Of course, I was proud of their achievements, but I also got teary and emotional while watching their passion onstage and how cool they were," he said.
"At the same time, I started to get nervous because I knew my turn would be coming. Honestly, that’s why I changed a lot of the lyrics [on this album]," he continued.
BTS' V's latest album release on September 8, 2023, has set in motion a flurry of messages from his fans on social media. Here's how BTS V's fans celebrated the artist's album release on X:
With his new album release, BTS' V is trailblazing onto his new journey of finding his new self and creating a separate entity from the group as a revered Korean solo artist. LAYOVER has already started making new records and ranked No. 3 on US iTunes on its debut day, September 8, 2023.
