BTS‘s Jimin wants to be honest, and in doing so, he wants to be explicit.
In an interview with Weverse Magazine following the release of BTS’s anthology album Proof, Jimin revealed his personal struggles during the past couple of years and the direction in which he wants to take his solo music.
After the release of Jimin and Ha Sung Woon‘s collaborative OST for K-Drama Our Blues, “With You,” Jimin held a live broadcast. During it, he told ARMYs, “Starting with this, I’m going to try many things.” So, interviewer Myungseok Kang asked him, “Are you currently working on new material?”
Recently, BTS made the announcement during Festa Dinner Party that they would be taking a season to focus on releasing solo projects. While their statement was interpreted as meaning they would take a hiatus from group activities, HYBE, Jungkook, V, and RM reassured ARMYs that BTS still have plans as a group.
While Suga, J-Hope, and V have all revealed that they have been actively working on solo projects. Jimin revealed that he is just getting started.
"I’m just starting. I decided to just keep going straight through, staying together with the producers. I think we’ll basically always be together for around a month. We met a few times and were talking about what messages and what kind of appearance or image I want to get across." — Jimin
Myungseok Kang responded to Jimin, saying, “It sounds like you still have more you want to show, even after the Grammys and the concert.” It’s true; Jimin has a lot more he wants to show.
"Exactly. Maybe I can be just a little more explicit." — Jimin
Like the rest of us, Myungseok Kang likely was not expecting Jimin to use the word “explicit.” So, he asked, “What do you mean, ‘more explicit’?” Jimin explained that he wants to show a more mature and raw side to himself.
"I just think I can show something a little more raw about me. That might include a more mature side, too, but what I’m really interested in is showing something closer to my real, personal rawness directly in a format like music or music videos. By doing so, I think maybe I can show something I never have before." — Jimin
Again, Myungseok Kang asked Jimin to elaborate more on his definition of “raw” exactly. For Jimin, he would like to be more honest and explore a darker side that he has yet to.
"Like, something that shows the things I usually think about a little more honestly? My thoughts are already well-represented on BTS’ albums, but, you know, some of the older members have already dealt with some darker material on their solo mixtapes. I think I’m trying to do something similar." — Jimin
Jimin hopes that in his upcoming music, he can communicate with others. Like all of us, the past couple of years has been a struggle due to COVID-19. So, Jimin wants to express his feelings of lostness.
"I’m doing this more for my own sake than because I want to say something to other people. Because after a year and a half of the pandemic, I was thinking a lot about how I was a little lost. Once the other members found out about that, they said, ‘Why don’t you try to make it into music?’ And that made me decide I should try and talk about it in my music." — Jimin
Myungseok Kang added, “I guess it took a little time before you realized you were lost.” And Jimin agreed.
"Yes, I think so. I thought I had a wonderful life before, but the more I thought about it, the more I felt like maybe I was trying to deny something." — Jimin
The pandemic was a period of lostness and even denial for Jimin. So, he certainly has some serious topics he can explore in his music.
Myungseok Kang: You mean, not being able to have an audience?
Jimin: That’s part of it, but I also started to question things and yet tried to brush those things off at the same time—denying them by telling myself I was just enjoying my life.
While we have yet to hear Jimin’s new sound, he is communicating this new direction for his solo music through his style. In the Weverse photoshoot, he opted to go shirtless.
