“RM was so kind”—Takahiro Mizushima shares his thoughts on capturing BTS’ Namjoon for his upcoming album ‘Right Place, Wrong Person’ concept photos

BTS leader and solo artist Kim Namjoon, who is known by his stage moniker RM, is set to digitally release his second solo album Right Place, Wrong Person on May 24, 2024. The pre-release track COME BACK TO ME is scheduled to be released on May 10. Meanwhile, as per the promotion roster, the South Korean singer and songwriter released new concept photos on April 30 and May 2.

Photographer Takahiro Mizushima took the second series of concept photographs, while Wing Shya took the first ones. Mizushima was nervous and tense before the photo shoot, and he contemplated how to best portray Namjoon's authenticity. He revealed to JTBC News on May 3 that his anxiety vanished the moment the BTS frontman walked up to him.

Takahiro Mizushima stated that Namjoon was "so kind" and approached the photographer like a "friend."

He said—

"From the moment I was commissioned until the day of the shoot, I was very nervous and thought a lot about how to capture RM as a photographer. But as soon as I talked with RM, the tension disappeared instantly. RM was so kind and approached me like a good friend. That's why I thought I should capture him as naturally as possible, like a friend." (as reported by JTBC & translated by @rmnewsdata)

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"I chose the village where I was born"—Takahiro Mizushima reveals the story behind photographing Namjoon

According to the photographer, the tension vanished right away once they spoke with RM. Mizushima went on to say that perhaps for that reason, as a friend, he should try to video him as often as possible.

In addition, Mizushima believed that he could accurately convey the Still Life rapper-songwriter's genuine emotion if the shooting location was in the village where the Japanese photographer was born and raised.

He said—

“Maybe that’s why I thought I should film him as much as possible as a friend. I chose the village where I was born and raised as the filming location. I felt like I could capture his honest expression.”

The concept photos that have been made public so far convey that the intention behind the piece is to show RM as a regular person enjoying a sense of freedom in familiar, daily settings—a far cry from the glitzy image he assumes on stage.

As mentioned in Weverse's album announcement post (April 26), the idea is consistent with the theme of Right Place, Wrong Person, which expresses the musician's sense of alienation and unfitting in several places.

Meanwhile, in the concept photos, RM is seen going about his usual business on the streets after departing for Tokyo, Japan. The pictures of him sleeping on the ground and meandering through the streets by himself have a touch of liberation which makes the viewers feel free as well.

One of the photos displayed the BTS rapper-songwriter standing on the shore with a broad smile on his face as the waves touched his feet gently.

The photographer shared one image of the BTS phenomenon on his personal Instagram account (@mizushimatakahiro). In this picture, Namjoon could be seen standing on a swing in a park in the middle of the night.

The carefree demeanor of RM matches well with the overall vibe of his upcoming second solo album Right Place, Wrong Person. Namjoon contributed words to every song on this album, showcasing his ability as a solo artist. The album is comprised of 11 tracks that showcase rich, unconventional genre music further extending his songwriter prowess.

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In other news, Kim Namjoon enlisted in the South Korean military on December 11, 2023, and will be discharged from his duty in June 2025. The artist reportedly received an early promotion to the rank of Private First Class on March 1, 2024, due to his impeccable service.

He was also one of the four soldiers to graduate from military training as an Elite Soldier among 200 recruits.