Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Not many artists would devote a third of their album’s focus track to a flute instrumental, but BTS’ V did on his solo debut album, “Layover.” The title represents V’s non-linear path and slower pace in living life, according to an interview V did with Rolling Stone. Released on Sept. 8, the album contains five tracks with music videos and a piano version of the focus track, “Slow Dancing.”
The first track “Rainy Days” fully immerses listeners in V’s life with texting sound effects and relaxing piano to accompany V’s baritone voice, singing about missing a past lover on a rainy day. Overall, however, the song falls flat with the cliché of rainy days filled with yearning and the lack of a compelling melody, exacerbated by the slow tempo.
“Blue” serves as a transition after “Rainy Days” and is once again a forgettable, slow-tempo song that mainly consists of the word “blue” repeated over and over again. The music video stays black-and-white the entire time as V tries to reunite with his lover, indicating that he is ultimately unsuccessful, although this attempt at a plotline doesn’t make the song any more memorable.
“Love Me Again” is my favorite track on this album and the only one I have added to my playlist. The song grew on me as I listened to it, and I found myself replaying the chorus in which V sings in Korean and English, “Fine, I will be honest with you / Put it all out there / I think about you all the time / Where you are, who you’re with / Lost without you, baby,” topped off with a beautiful run on the word “you.”
This minimalistic track meshes well with V’s deeper tone, allowing his clear and powerful vocals to do all the talking with few embellishments to distract from it. The listening experience isn’t complete without watching the music video, which captivates viewers because of V’s passionate delivery and expressions.
The title track, “Slow Dancing,” is a disappointing return to slow and uncompelling melodies reminiscent of the background music in a hotel lobby–except for the unexpected minute-long flute solo at the end. While most pop songs inundate listeners with fast beats and vocals to hold their attention, “Slow Dancing” unapologetically devotes time to this leisurely flute solo, a daring move that showcases V’s intention to make music for himself instead of for broader appeal. The “Slow Dancing” piano version replaces the flute with a piano solo to offer “a different allure,” according to a statement from BigHit Music, V’s music label. However, the piano makes the song sound too similar to the other songs.
“For Us,” another average, piano-based track, showcases V’s vocal range, from a falsetto to his typical baritone. The music video is a compilation of bloopers from shots for each of the other music videos and solidifies the song’s purpose as an epilogue.
In general, these tracks were tied together through their use of instruments, their stunning music videos, and the central theme of heartbreak. “Layover” has moments of bold experimentation, with instrumentals and sound effects that aren’t typically showcased in pop songs, paired with a relaxed, R&B style.
The album certainly showcases V’s growth and experimentation as an artist, as he ventures into singing more in English and presents a more intimate side of himself than in past albums, singing about heartbreak and sprinkling the album with references to his dog, Yeontan.
Although many of these songs cross the line into generic and forgettable–with the exception of “Love Me Again” and “Slow Dancing”– for listeners that enjoy slower songs and want to hear a different side of V beyond what he shared in past BTS albums, “Layover” is worth a listen.