"He expressed a desire to convey more uplifting themes”—GHSTLOOP reveals BTS’ Jimin's vision behind creating his second album, MUSE

On July 22, 2024, HYBE music producer GHSTLOOP shared BTS member Jimin's desire to convey his feelings through his new album, MUSE. VMAGAZINE spoke with the head music producer of BIGHIT MUSIC, Pdogg, the performance director of HYBE, Kim Min-seong, as well as music producer GHSTLOOP, on the BTS star's latest album, MUSE. The album was dropped on July 19, 2024.

In the interview, GHSTLOOP spoke about how the BTS celebrity emphasized his desire to use music to communicate his emotions and joyful moments. He said,

"In the meetings we held before and during the production process with Jimin on his second album, he expressed a desire to convey more uplifting themes in comparison to FACE."

This inspired them to create an upbeat and bright album with songs such as Smeraldo Garden Marching Band and the title track, WHO—inspired by 2000's pop music.

"Ultimately, he came up with the key question “Where is my true love?” This led us to create “Who” with the early 2000s pop vibes that is also suitable for an unconventional performance. Jimin was pleased with the way the song turned out and carefully considered how to deliver its message," he further added.

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GHSTLOOP reveals showing Jimin's mature side in the new album, MUSE

For the unversed, GHSTLOOP is credited as one of the songwriters and producers of the BTS singer's solo albums FACE (2023) and MUSE (2024). He told VMAGAZINE that they wanted to use all 7 of MUSE's tunes to highlight the unique personality and maturity of the BTS star.

The tracks on MUSE highlight Jimin's diversity in terms of music, choreography, concept photo shoots, and other aspects, compared to his debut solo album FACE, which was released on March 24, 2023.

"Similar to FACE, one of our main focuses for Jimin’s second solo project was to show a new side of him. We weren’t trying to completely depart from Jimin’s previous work but rather aimed to show his distinctive character while focusing on the more mature side of him. Thus, we wanted to fill the album with songs that hold weight and are true to his artistry," GHSTLOOP said.

The music producer added that although the BTS idol's bright persona is already apparent in songs like Smeraldo Garden Marching Band and Closer Than This. However, they focused on showcasing the K-pop sensation's artistic growth, versatility, and maturity via songs like WHO, Be Mine, SLOW DANCE (feat. Sofia Carson), and Rebirth: INTRO. He said,

"The most important aspect was to create an album that felt true to Jimin. Jimin is essentially an artist with great versatility, and this allowed him to take on many different challenges for this album. As a result, we were able to create MUSE, which rightfully captures his unique artistry and charm."

For the uninitiated, the BTS idol recorded and pre-filmed his latest album, MUSE, before he enlisted in the military on December 12, 2023. According to the latest interview, Pdogg and GHSTLOOP revealed that the BTS idol worked on his two solo albums—FACE and MUSE—simultaneously.

MUSE comes with 7 songs consisting of the title track WHO, two pre-released singles such as Smeraldo Garden Marching Band (feat. Loco) and Closer Than This, two B-side tracks like SLOW DANCE (feat. Sofia Carson) and Be Mine, along with Rebirth: INTRO and Interlude: SHOWTIME.

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In other news, the MUSE musician will return from his military service in June 2025. He is set to release his upcoming travel show, Are You Sure?, with his bandmate Jungkook on Disney Plus. The show will air the first 2 out of 8 episodes on August 8, 2024.