What better gift for the holiday season than a new release from Jimin of BTS? Despite all seven members now enlisted in the South Korean military, ARMY isn’t lacking new music and content to enjoy: on the heels of the premiere of a new docuseries on Disney+, Jimin has shared a solo song titled “Closer Than This.” Stream it below.
More in the vein of sweet tracks like “Friends” or “Promise” than the high stakes drama of his 2023 solo album, “Closer Than This” is a love letter to the fans and promise of a reunion. “Letting go of your hand for a moment/ But it’s only a small comma in our story/ Just call my name out loud until the days tinge purple once again,” he sings in Korean. His distinct vocal range is on full display here over light, playful guitar and an earworm of a hook.
While BTS spent 2023 embracing solo projects, Jimin didn’t have too much downtime for himself — FACE focus track “Like Crazy” became the first song to debut at No. 1 on the Hot 100 by a South Korean soloist. See where the track landed on our 200 Best Songs of 2023 list, along with a few songs from his bandmates. Plus, find out which accolade Jimin landed in our 2023 K-Pop Yearbook.
While all the members of BTS will be away until Jin’s projected return in June, a recent video confirmed that ARMY can expect more special scheduled releases like “Closer Than This” until the band’s reunion in 2025. To stay up to date on news like this, you can always subscribe to Fan Chant, my weekly K-pop newsletter.