When V (or Kim Taehyung), the most popular member of the world’s most popular K-pop group, released his debut solo album (Layover), it was surprisingly the least liked!
Even the most ardent fans were disappointed. What went wrong?
People are describing V’s latest songs in the “Layover” album as “lo-fi” or “coffeeshop” music. The kind of stuff that plays in the background without demanding your attention.
Turns out, it’s intentionally made that way.
In an interview with W Korea, he said:
The best time to listen to these songs would be when you get off work, when the sun is setting, when you’re driving.
V’s songs in Layover have a chill, laidback vibe with jazz, R&B, and classical elements, a direction V always wanted his music to take.
In a Rolling Stone interview, he said:
Jazz and classical are my favorite genres, so I think I always had the desire to try making it myself.
People were disappointed with the slow music and bland lyrics that don’t really say much. It felt too stripped-down, a bare-bones version. There are no elaborate choreographies, flashy outfits, or dance-y beats you’d expect from a K-pop song.
That too seems intentional.
In another interview, V said:
I’m probably a little too glamorous on stage. This is an album that I tried a lot to take away some of the glamorous elements and show the true colors that I have as a person… I speak really fast right now, but they incorporated my usual slow speech and behavior into this album with my own characteristics.
This gave birth to the “coffeeshop” or “background” style music in the album.
In fact, the name also represents this slow vibe: Layover.
Layover is a resting period between two journeys. It’s like his journey with BTS is over (for now) and he’s just beginning to explore his solo career.
This album, then, is the bridge between these two paths.
In the aforementioned interview, he said:
The meaning of ‘layover’ is a short stopover. Before I get to my destination, I think it’s a good time to take a break and see if I’m on the right track or if I’ve gone too far.
He thinks of this phase of life as a moment to rest and reflect — that’s exactly the kind of feeling the songs in “Layover” express.
The chill tracks with simple lyrics don’t ask much of you. There’s nothing to analyze or pay particular attention to. It’s just music to put on as you unwind.
It’s the kind of music you’d play during a long drive or while doing chores — something engaging enough to fill the silence but not attractive enough to demand your attention.
However, everything is not meaningless.
“Layover” by V tells the story of a man trapped in nostalgia and fantasy. He wants to go back to the good ol’ days or create a fictional reality to resemble the kind of life he wants to live.
If you notice in the “Slow Dancing” video, everything that appears on the screen is created by him in his room.
Even the people are all fake. When he takes a picture with the group, you can only see him.
In the “Rainy Days” video, everything is a loop. The song, the lyrics, the things he’s creating, the videos of his hands and face — it keeps repeating.
Even in the “Blue” music video, he keeps doing the same thing over and over again:
A Reddit user beautifully described it as:
He’s an artist creating alone…This is a visual concept album where we’re exploring the internal mind of a very lonely person longing for some type of love and connection with others but is stuck alone in a loop inside his own head.
Love it or hate it, I have to appreciate that V didn’t try to create viral social media music. It was more important for him to create an album that reflected his taste even if it meant the songs have a smaller, niche audience. That’s why the songs in Layover are not meant to be chart-toppers, but express his identity as an artist outside of BTS.
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