BTS have made it incredibly clear that nothing — not even their ongoing enlistment period in the South Korean military — is going to slow their collective momentum. Following the release of RM’s second solo project, a charting single from Jung Kook, and a special EP drop from j-hope, Jimin is now back with a new single, “Smeraldo Garden Marching Band,” which features rapper Loco. Stream it below.
The song offers the first look at the vocalist’s second solo project, MUSE, which is set to arrive on July 19th. The song’s name refers to Jimin’s longtime co-producers Pdogg, GHSTLOOP, and EVAN — according to a statement, throughout the production of Jimin’s first solo effort, the crew branded themselves as the “Smeraldo Marching Band” to describe their unified movement as a team. (The word “smeraldo” specifically refers to a fictional flower that appeared in the BTS Universe, where various storylines unfolded through songs, music videos, and accompanying materials.)
True to the name, “Smeraldo Garden Marching Band” features a bright brass ensemble and is a cheerier offering than the pre-release single off FACE, “Set Me Free Pt.2,” which Jimin described to Consequence as “very intense.”
“I’ll come closer to you, I love you, babe/ I want you, babe/ I wanna hold your hand,” he sings on “Smeraldo Garden Marching Band.”
While Jimin has just under a year remaining in his service period in the military (as do his bandmates RM, SUGA, V, and Jung Kook), BTS’s eldest, Jin, has officially been discharged from his role of sergeant and returned to civilian life. j-hope is scheduled to wrap his military era in October.
Revisit our review of FACE, and listen to “Smeraldo Garden Marching Band” featuring Loco now.