Kim Namjoon, otherwise known as RM of BTS, always had a deadline for his debut album. The leader of BTS has been topping the charts for most of this last decade. However, after last week’s release of his first debut album, Indigo, he steps into the global music spotlight on his own.
Indigo is a part of the famous pop group’s new era, Chapter Two, where each group member will release their own original solo material. It started with fellow rapper j-hope’s dark, experimental Jack in the Box and vocalist Jin’s dreamy The Astronaut. Now RM is the next member to share his solo project. While each member has an unworldly amount of pressure on their shoulders, I feel like there is another kind of weight reserved for RM as the leader and only fluent English speaker of the group.
Last December in their Los Angeles concert, Permission to Dance On Stage LA, the South Korean rapper confessed his fears and his worries about the future. “What if [their] fans abandoned [them]? What if [he] lost [his] abilities as a performer?” However, RM also shared that those fears had been melted away and that he “[promises] that … [he will] be even better when [he is] 30, 35, or 40.” I was a little confused as to why RM, a 20-something artist, had the fear of longevity, especially because he is the leader of one of the biggest groups globally right now.
Since BTS debuted in 2013, RM has made it clear that he would like to leave a mark in the music world by himself. As well as writing a huge portion of BTS’ discography, RM has released two solo mixtapes: 2015’s RM and 2018’s Mono. I personally find a lot of comfort with his EP Mono as he explores themes of nature, fame and love with intricate, complex wordplay. Each of his previous releases feels like different time stamps from different eras of his life and role in BTS. So, it is fitting that his first full album looks backwards.
On December 2, 2022, RM released Indigo which he describes as the “last archive of [his] twenties.” Additionally, the album was a way for him to “[speak] silence,” meaning that he can express himself in a truthful way that doesn’t cause confusion or chaos. I was highly anticipating this release because of its theme. Getting an album from the perspective of someone exiting their twenties as someone who just entered their twenties felt like a big comfort. After listening to it for the past week, I wanted to give my thoughts on a few songs that stood out to me.
“Yun”
RM starts off the record with the impactful first line, “f*ck the trendsetter.” ‘Yun’ has a nostalgic, smooth R&B beat that features the lovely vocals of Erykah Badu. The song pays homage to the Korean artist, Yun Hyong Keun, who also designed the painting on the album cover. The song is a perfect intro to Indigo, as it starts out with strong statements of turning back time and going back to his roots. RM does not want to prove himself anymore, he just wants to be human and live life.
“Still Life”
The cleverly titled song features a joyful performance from Anderson .Paak. “Still Life” describes the painting style that captures intentionally arranged inanimate objects. As RM is within BTS, it is hard to live life freely when you are constantly on display. With this pop-funk song, he refuses to be simplified down to a single frame and chooses to keep moving and being alive.
“Lonely”
RM starts the song off by singing, “I’m so f*ckin’ lonely, alone on the island.” The lyrics jumped out to me even more after I read about the origin of the song. RM wrote this song in his hotel room when BTS was at their Las Vegas stop of their sold out Permission to Dance On Stage tour last April. RM goes on to say that he really hates hotels because he feels trapped inside of them. He describes the energy in hotels as not good because they cannot go out and don’t have friends in a foreign city. He talks about how, especially in Vegas, “[all these feelings] hit [him] in a raw way more than anything else. [He] wanted to smash everything in that hotel and [he] wanted to talk about those feelings at least once.”
“Wild Flower”
Wild Flower is the gorgeous lead single off of Indigo that features the vocals of Cho Youjeen, singer of the rock band Cherry Filter. When I listened to the song for the first time, I knew it was nothing like anything RM has released in the past. Wild Flower swirls like a hurricane and it is filled with pleading, earnest and hard-won acceptance. RM illustrates a stark contrast between fireworks, which he calls “flowerworks,” and wildflowers; one burns out brightly and quickly, while flowers can exist for a longer time, peacefully and humbly.
This song took my breath away, even before I read the lyric translations. It is a strong vow that admits that even when facing fame, it can corrupt and take away your identity. RM describes his refusal to be defined by something so temporary. He declares that it is okay to not live as someone—that it is okay to live like a small wildflower.
Indigo really is for the people who isolate themselves because of depression. It’s for the people who are afraid to open up so they don’t get hurt. It’s also for the people who feel like they can’t find love or friends and for the people that feel alone and withdrawn from life. Mono cradled me during my teen years and now I am excited to have Indigo as my companion for my twenties.