On August 8, 2023, BTS’s V officially announced his first solo album, ‘Layover’, set for release on September 8, 2023. The project is produced by Min Hee Jin, the creative mind behind NewJeans, ADOR CEO, and former SM Entertainment visual director.
‘Layover’ is described as a mood album, capturing V’s soulful and introspective side through a mix of R&B, jazz, and lo-fi. The album aims to reflect moments of pause and emotion, much like a real “layover” in life.
The tracklist includes six songs:
- Rainy Days – A lo-fi opener mixing everyday sounds with soft vocals.
- Blue – A moody, R&B number filled with emotional tension.
- Love Me Again – A minimal yet heartfelt ballad released early with a nostalgic MV.
- Slow Dancing – The title track, inspired by ‘70s romantic soul.
- For Us – A sentimental closer with dreamy synths and a lingering feel.
- Slow Dancing (Piano Ver.) – A stripped-down version of the main track.
Pre-release tracks “Rainy Days” and “Love Me Again” dropped on August 11, each with its own music video. BIGHIT MUSIC confirmed that all five main tracks would have accompanying music videos, which is quite rare. Artists usually release music videos only for pre-releases and lead singles.
As BTS activities are on pause due to Jin and j-hope’s military enlistment, the remaining members are pursuing solo activities. Jimin made his solo debut in March with ‘FACE’ followed by Suga’s comeback with ‘D-Day,’ and Jungkook’s smash hit ‘Seven.’
BTS members’ solo music has received an overwhelming response from fans as Jimin became the first group member to top the HOT 100 chart as a soloist, that too with a Korean song, ‘Like Crazy.’
Later, Jungkook scored his No.1 hit as a solo performer with ‘Seven.’ Expectations are high that V will also enter the top 10 of Billboard HOT 100 with his upcoming releases. He has already scored his HOT 100 hit with OST, ‘Christmas Tree’ from ‘Our Beloved Summer’, by entering the chart at #79.
Meanwhile, V will drop his first album on September 8, pre-orders are open from August 8 to September 7.