If there’s one thing we know for certain these days, it’s that no one has ever done a “hiatus” the way BTS are doing a hiatus. Since announcing and subsequently beginning their time serving in the South Korean military, fans have been treated to six solo albums, multiple digital singles, dozens of photo shoots, a full-on tour from SUGA, a headlining slot at Lollapalooza from j-hope, and a travel show from Jung Kook and Jimin coming soon to Disney+.
Eldest member Jin is officially back and reportedly working on a solo project of his own, and, while the BTS ARMY patiently waits for more details (and the return of j-hope in October), we get to spend time enjoying a fresh release from Jimin. After the release of a sophomore LP from RM, Jimin is the next member to drop a follow-up project that was entirely recorded and prepared ahead of his departure.
MUSE is the follow-up to Jimin’s solo debut, FACE, which was a reflective and often intense record where Jimin undertook the heavy work of digging into identity. The focus track of the project, “Like Crazy,” was the glittering focal point that marked him as the first Korean artist to notch a solo No. 1 debut on Billboard’s Hot 100. MUSE isn’t quite a reversal, but it does take Jimin in a different direction — one that’s brighter, more lighthearted, and more externally focused.
Stream the album below, and read on for some of the most notable takeaways from MUSE.