The next BTS member to branch out further into solo work is Jimin, who is due to return to the stage with his solo debut album next week. In the meanwhile, Jimin has pre-released the single Set Me Free Pt. 2 today alongside a music video as a teaser for his solo debut next week. Earlier this month, Jimin also released his previous solo singles Promise (from 2018) and Christmas Love (from 2020) through official streaming platforms to mark his impending return.

All of the members’ solo releases since it was announced the BTS would focus on solo ventures and enlist into the military have been quite promising, and this definitely helps raise the expectations for the subsequent solo releases from the members have yet to embark on that solo career. Jimin’s was no exception. However, upon listening to Set Me Free Pt. 2 today, I am on the fence as to whether Jimin lives up to that standard. There was great promise with the classical orchestrated and brass loaded introduction that created an intense, suspenseful and powerful atmosphere, setting up Set Me Free Pt. 2 very well. Then the autotuned vocals kick in. And this turns the song sour for me. I don’t understand the need to autotune his vocals in this manner. I can guess they are trying to keep the intensity and suspenseful tone whilst also making the song more dynamic, but it just doesn’t sound good. The same comments can be made during the return of the autotuned vocals in the second verse. When we are relieved from the autotune and we hear Jimin’s signature vocal tone in a more pure form, everything sounds so immensely better. I am sure they could have done with a less obnoxious autotune style, whilst also adding to the dynamic and intense sides of the song. The rest of Set Me Free Pt. 2 was pretty much solid. Jimin, on top of showing off his signature vocal tone that I mentioned earlier, really maintained the captivation with powerful vocals and falsettos. I particularly like the subtle spoken form of the song’s title in the background. It was barely audible, but it helps give Set Me Free Pt. 2 depth which in turns adds to the song’s epicness. I did feel like the instrumental did get overpowering in the chorus, which doesn’t exactly sit well with me. But I rather that than the autotune. Maybe it they toned it down a notch to not be as overwhelming, Set Me Free Pt. 2 would have earned a higher rating from me.

The music video was, without a doubt, epic. The wide angle bird’s eye view shot that captured the grandness of the start, the simplicity of the circular room, the cinematography was all so good. I did wish there was a few more steady solo shots of Jimin in the video. We did get a fair bit, but the camera was constantly moving, the dancers were constantly moving which gave the impression of a lot was going on and the large nature of the set made just a tad difficult to focus on the subject of the video (i.e. Jimin himself). I did like the sensual side that Jimin showed off in the video, and that part where the lights turned off and back on again to reveal Jimin all tatted up and his shirtless body on display underneath the jacket was a showstopper moment in the video. The ending, when the dancers moved away after dropping tatted Jimin, revealing a version of Jimin in a white sweater hints towards a possible connection with next week’s video. The only way to confirm this is to wait for next week’s music video.

Both Jimin and the dancers needs to be applauded when it comes to the choreography. There is an aesthetic that comes from the dancers that really helped give the video such a strong and epic vibe. The dancers did an amazing job, especially at the start when they clustered together and then panned out. Jimin showed off an artistic flair with his movement, encapsulating both epic and sensual vibes with his movements. Usually, they don’t go to together. But trust Jimin to successfully combine them. I really liked the use of circular formations throughout the routine, and that ending where Jimin is lifted up and dropped was one of the coolest finales in a long time.

Song – 7.5/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 10/10
Overall Rating – 8.5/10