South Korean idol V (Kim Taehyung), of the K-pop giants BTS, finally released his much-awaited debut solo album, ‘Layover’, on Friday.
The mini album rolled out on September 8, making V the last member of the K-pop septet to officially debut as a soloist.
Though he has released various original soundtracks for TV dramas, including ‘Christmas Tree’, and self-composed songs on SoundCloud and YouTube, he had never dropped an individual album before ‘Layover’.
According to BTS’ agency, BigHit Music, the album's name means a period when one takes a break from traveling during a journey and recharges for the ultimate destination.
V said he has worked hard to capture his true self in his first solo album.
In a video released by BigHit Music, to the media, a few hours ahead of the album release, V said: "Working on this album was just a process of finding myself, in a word. I think you'll be able to find a new side of V and might say, 'I didn't know he had that side’.
“I've always been very flashy on stage, but this time I tried hard to show you my true colours by stripping away the flashy elements." He added that he put everything he had into the album.
Fans have observed that the new album blends pop and R&B (Rhythm and Blues) genre songs with V's unique style.
The album has six tracks, including the lead single, ‘Slow Dancing’, as well as the pre-releases ‘Rainy Days’ and ‘Love Me Again’. Also listed on the album are ‘Blue’, ‘For Us’ and a piano version of ‘Slow Dancing’.
BTS’ label, Hybe Labels, also shared the music video for ‘Slow Dancing’ on YouTube on Friday.
Talking about why ‘Slow Dancing’ was chosen as the lead track of the album, V said, he thought Armys (BTS fans) would like it the most.
"It's a song that you can listen to in a relaxed mood. I hope everyone can find peace and comfort while listening to it,” he said, according to the South Korean news agency Yonhap.
In a release from BigHit last month, the music company noted that ‘Slow Dancing’ is the focus number of the collection, describing it as a “… 1970s romantic soul style track [that] exudes a laid-back and free-spirited feeling.”
As revealed previously, Min Hee-jin, CEO of ADOR, another label under K-pop powerhouse Hybe, was responsible for the album's entire production process, ranging from music and choreography to design and promotion.
Hee-Jin is also behind the success of the rookie girl group NewJeans.
"Although it was my first time working with her, the chemistry between me and producer Min was very good. She came to my mind when I was looking for someone who could help me bring out my emotions to the fullest, so I contacted her first. As a result, a very wonderful album was released," he said, according to the article on Yonhap.
Twitter was abuzz with updates about the album. The album and its songs are also trending on iTunes and other music charts.
Fan accounts observed that with the release of the album, V became the first soloist to sell over two million copies of an album in one day in Hanteo history. Hanteo is a South Korean music chart system, which counts all K-pop album sales to compile an overview. This overview shows the popularity of Korean bands in Korea and the world.
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