Also returning yesterday was Jimin (from BTS). He is currently enlisted in the military, just like the rest of his group (except for JIN who recently finished his enlistment). But he joins fellow members Jung Kook, RM, j-hope and V who have released music whilst enlisted – a rare occurrence when dealing with military enlistments. Jimin’s new single, Who (an all-English track) is featured on his second studio album Muse. It follows on from the pre-release single Smeraldo Garden Marching Band (which I have yet to review), which was released at the end of last month.

Who could have been a great song. It was literally let down by one element. I will reveal what that was in a moment (though if you know me, you probably guess what it is). But let’s start off with the positive aspects of the song, which was literally everything else in Who. I really liked the instrumentation behind the track. The guitar brought great rhythm to the song, and the bouncy beat kept Who dynamic. The keyboard in the bridge was also a nice touch, providing a logical delicate moment as Jimin sings about his desire for a lover whom he has yet to meet. This instrumental combination (with the song’s melodies) reminded me of songs from the early 00s, such as those by Justin Timberlake. The synths gave Who a fair bit of texture. I particularly really like that descending flute-like synth that occurs during the chorus. The melodies had a nice flow to them and I liked the way Jimin’s vocals purposely pierce through the threshold. This allows him to keep his vocals upfront in both the song and our minds. Unfortunately, this is also where Who stumbles. Having Jimin’s upfront is not the issue here, but rather the excessive vocal processing that Jimin’s vocals go through. And since it was upfront, this places autotune at the very front of my mind. Instead, it brings very little substance to the song, felt particularly scratchy (especially when Jimin’s vocals go into those high notes) and undid some of the greatness that the instrumentation, the melodies and Jimin himself had put into the song. Had there been less autotune and more raw vocals, I think Who would have really hit it home and become a much bigger hit in my books.

I like the casual and urban vibes for the music video. The newspaper that we fly across the screen at the start of the video hints at the video’s concept of a Tornado of Love, which isn’t realized until towards the end of the video. Jimin is dressed very coolly as he dances and walks on the street, presumably looking for his love as expressed in the lyrics. I like how each female dancer is introduced into the video, matching with the lyrics “So many people to see“. I liked how the home video aesthetic comes through throughout the video video, also matching the era in which the song draws its main influence from. Finally, the Tornado of Love that appears at the end gives the video some explosive flair to end off the video and highlights his powerful desire to meet his lover. Altogether, I thought this was a great music video.

Unfortunately, with Jimin in the military, it is very unlikely we will be able to see a live performance for this release in the near future. I am quite disappointed by that, as what we do see in the music video definitely looks worthwhile to watch on stage. I commend his strong demonstration of his performance skills throughout his routine, with his moves looking very clean and smooth. We all know that he is a very capable dancer, but I liked how it was all showcased in this routine. I particularly like the chemistry he has with the dancers, which made the routine look very complete and satisfying to watch.

Song – 7.5/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 9/10
Overall Rating – 7.8/10