Jin of BTS has touched down with his bright new solo project, Happy. The six-song album marks the first solo effort from the eldest member of the boundary-breaking band, and with Happy, Jin continues to remind us that this BTS “hiatus” doesn’t feel like much of a hiatus at all.
Over the past two years, the members of BTS have experimented with solo releases that cross genres, lengths, and visual components, and Jin’s installment officially brings us to the point where all seven members of the group have offered an individual project to add to the canon. Stream Happy below, and read on for some of the highlights of the bright album that more than lives up to its name.
01. Actor Jin
Since releasing The Astronaut, Jin has been giving music videos his all. Naturally, he committed to every concept in BTS team efforts, too — we haven’t moved on from HYYH era, either — but his solo songs put him squarely in the spotlight. The visual for the album’s focus track, “Running Wild,” sees him navigating the end of the world with a furry friend by his side. It’s apocalyptic with just the right hint at hope, and Jin sells it. It would still be such a treat to see him tackle a bigger acting role someday if he ever felt inspired to do so.
02. Pdogg Stays Crushing It
BTS’s longtime collaborator, producer Pdogg, has his name all over this album. There’s something special about his partnership with BTS that perhaps stems from just how long he’s been working with the members; he has been involved with the band from the very beginning, playing an instrumental part in their formation. Much like his work with Jimin on FACE and MUSE, Pdogg’s contributions to Happy are yet another reminder that he sees the vision each member has for their solo work and is committed to bringing it to life.
03. Jin & WENDY: Match Made In Vocal Heaven
For “Heart on the Window,” Jin recruited vocalist WENDY, the Red Velvet member known to have one of the best voices in K-pop. Between Jin’s strong tenor and WENDY’s ever-polished contributions, the song feels sweeping and inviting. It’s been quite a while since we’ve heard a BTS member team up with a vocalist like this, and it’s a bit reminiscent of SUGA recruiting IU for the dreamy “eight” back in 2020.
04. Jin Gravitates to Nostalgic Rock
One of the most fun things about the BTS solo project era has been seeing which directions the members take on their own. It was a wildly fun surprise to see j-hope take a more rock-inspired route; Jung Kook experimented with an all-English pop album, while V, less surprisingly, played with jazz themes. And while within BTS’s discography, Jin often gravitates towards a ballad, most of Happy feels closest to a song like “Moon.” From pre-release single “I’ll Be There” to the drums towards the end of “Falling,” he invokes bright, contagiously energetic rock.
05. But the Ballads!
With that being said, Jin still manages to carve out time on Happy to slow it down a little. Between the more ballad-adjacent tracks on the album, “I will come to you” feels like a standout, and when Jin leans into the breathier parts of his voice, things feel especially magical. Co-written by Jin, Joshua Thompson, and Leon Else, the lyrics are noticeably tender: “The day white snow fell/ The day I left you/ Hundreds of times a day, those words that I say every day/ I miss you so much.” We don’t need to spend today hyperfixating on the fact that it did, indeed, snow the day Jin left for the military, but maybe a passing acknowledgement will do.
06. Gratitude, Reflection, and Honesty
With Happy, listeners get the chance to spend time peering into the vocalist’s inner life in a new way. Jin’s music often includes personal details — think “Abyss” or “Awake” in particular — and there are a few over-arching themes that feel consistent throughout Happy, particularly introspection that lands as quite vulnerable in places. In “Another Level,” he sings of mazes and hamster wheels, working to escape feelings of being trapped: “I’ll leap with all my strength, without limits/ Burning towards the end/ I will keep on fighting/ Even if I’m endlessly driven, I’ll never stop,” he promises.
07. The Title Is the Truth
In a recent interview, Jin was very direct about the thesis of the project: “I have a very clear idea of what kind of emotions I want to share with our fans,” he explained. “I want our fans, our ARMY, to be happy.” When he led with “I’ll Be There,” he noted that his goal was “providing happiness.” It’s safe to say he succeeded.
Happy Album Artwork: