K-pop group BTS is currently on hiatus due to mandatory military service. Members Jin, J-Hope, and Suga are currently completing their service. While the group is on hiatus, the members have continued to make albums.
Before leaving for service, J-Hope released “Jack in the Box,” Suga released “D-Day,” and BTS leader, RM, released “Indigo.” Jimin’s debut album “Face” and Jungkook’s album “3D” have also been released. On Sept. 8, 2023, the album “Layover” by V was released.
The “Layover” album has four versions: Weverse, Blue, Purple, and Green.
The Weverse album is a digital album that is less expensive than physical copies of the album. Although it does not have a physical CD, the Weverse album tends to contain more photocards that appeal to photocard collectors.
The other three versions are physical and look like a package. The outside has stickers similar to how packaged boxes do. Inside, they all include a CD, a weekly checklist, two postcards, photocards, a poster, two photo books, lyric book, and two letters. The letters inside are written in Korean. The differences between the different versions are the visuals. The photobooks in each album are different, and there are different posters that you can get.
In addition to the tons of inclusions in the album and the visuals, the songs are also amazing.
The first song on the album is “Rainy Days.” The song gives off a cozy vibe. You can faintly hear rain in the background at certain points in the song. I would categorize the song as soft jazz and lo-fi music.
This song has an official music video (MV). The music video has hidden elements that add to the song. In the background, a flock of birds fly, making a V, which is for the artist. This might signify how V wants to be free like birds. The video also has a reference to “The Truman Show.” This reference seems to imply that, like the characters in “The Truman Show,” V is also being watched by a big audience.
The second song “Blue” has beautiful vocals. The MV for this song is in black and white, which can relate to how, when you’re feeling blue, the world around you isn’t vibrant anymore. This song again falls under the jazz genre but is also classical.
“Love Me Again” has visuals that have many warm tones like yellow, orange, and red. This song is bittersweet because it is about longing for someone to love again. It has an old film or older t.v. look that shows V singing. This appears to represent the fact that the love from the person yearned for in the song is a thing of the past.
The fourth song on the album, “Slow Dancing,” has cool colors like green and blue. This song is like soul music and R&M. The MV has mountain and water visuals. When V is plunged in the pool, it resembles Nirvana’s famous “Nevermind” album cover that features a baby in water. This video, as the title suggests, has V and others dancing and having fun. It also has whimsical effects that make it feel like a fantasy. The lyrics imply that V wants to slow dance with the one he loves. The song has a slow beat that is relaxing but sad at the same time. The song talks about drifting away from your loved one and wishing you can slow down this rapid decline in the relationship.
The “For Us” music video has combined elements from the other music videos, like the outfit in “Love Me Again” and water scenes like “Slow Dancing.” The lyrics talk about speaking before it is too late. V says he wants to “stay with you” and wait. This song again has jazz, R&M, and some pop.
The last song is the piano version of “Slow Dancing.” The piano helps add to the feelings of the song and elevates it. The addition of this instrument stirs the emotions of the listener.
The overall theme of the album is about love, and it captures the heart wrenching emotions of love. All the symbolism in the songs and videos add to the experience. I would totally recommend giving this album a listen.
