Tag: JIN (BTS)

[Album Review] HAPPY (1st Mini Album) – JIN (BTS)

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JIN is nominated for Best Male Soloist, with the Japanese version of Falling (ft. TAKA) is nominated for Best International Song by a Korean Artist (Japanese) in the 2025 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. Support JIN and Falling by voting today!

Over a year ago, JIN made his first solo comeback since his 2022 military enlistment with his first solo mini-album, HAPPY. It is finally time to review the mini-album and all the songs that are featured on it, including the pre-release I’ll Be There and the title track Running Wild (links below, as usual). Per my rating below, I am quite impressed with the entire mini-album, with half the songs on the mini-album earning a 10/10 rating from me. I will admit I am easy to satisfy, but JIN really blew me away with these tracks and HAPPY overall. A definite, highly recommended album from me.

Before HAPPY, JIN made his solo debut with the digital single The Astronaut. More recently, JIN made a quick solo comeback just 6 months after the release of this mini-album, the subject of this review, with his second mini-album ECHO and title track Don’t Say You Love Me.

HAPPY Album Cover

1. Running Wild (Title Track) – Click here for my full review of Running Wild. (8.5/10)

2. I’ll Be There (Pre-Release Track) – Click here for my full review of I’ll Be There. (8/10)

3. Another Level – Throughout this year, I have been working to an ‘epic music’ playlist, which mainly consists of cinematic instrumentals or dramatic covers of songs. Upon relistening to Another Level for this post, this can easily fit into the scope of that playlist. The intensity and power of the rock instrumentation has a ‘keeps me on the edge of my seat’ vibe, and I appreciate that JIN gives it his all to keep up with the epic nature of the backing. I also like the calculated filtering of his vocals behind autotune, which just heightens the appeal of the song. (10/10)

4. Falling (네게닿을때까지) – I really enjoyed JIN’s vocals in Falling, especially the oomph he gives to the chorus. The rock instrumentation is straightforward and very pure, with the modern style really complementing JIN’s voice. A Japanese version of Falling was released shortly after the mini-album dropped, featuring TAKA (one of the song’s writers). For me, the Japanese version had a bit more impact, especially in the choruses, which is why I nominated it for Best International Song by a Korean Artist (Japanese) of 2025. But that doesn’t mean the Korean version is anything less. (10/10)

5. Heart on the Window (ft. WENDY of Red Velvet) – JIN moves us into a blend of acoustic and pop percussion territory with Heart on the Window. He also joins forces with WENDY, who, as we all know, is an amazing vocalist. JIN holds up well alongside WENDY – I did have a concern that he could have been outdone in his own song. But that didn’t occur. In fact, Heart on the Window did not disappoint. Their harmonies and the song’s melodies were beautiful. I did feel the song was rather short, and I felt JIN was only getting started by the time it wrapped up. (8/10)

6. I Will Come To You (그리움에) – Finishing up the mini-album is the ballad I Will Come To You. As a song written for fans by JIN himself, I recommend you check out the lyrics (and a translation, if Korean is not your native language). It was so lovely to read, and it put a smile on my face – I am sure fans find it a very warm hug from JIN. As for the ballad, it simply features JIN’s heartfelt vocals and a simple piano accompaniment. To me, this helped make I Will Come To You feel much more profound and made JIN sound much more present. (10/10)

Overall Album Rating – 9.1/10

JIN’s teaser image for HAPPY

[Review] Don’t Say You Love Me – JIN (BTS)

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It has been just over half a year since JIN returned to the music scene with his first solo album, Happy. That album was led by the pre-release single I’ll Be There and the title track Running Wild. Today, JIN has returned with his second solo mini-album Echo, which is led by the title track Don’t Say You Love Me.

Don’t Say You Love Me is an all-English pop ballad that is easy to listen to. It is all effortlessly soothing and pleasant, from the instrumental to the melodies to JIN’s vocals. I enjoyed the falsettos he hits in the choruses, which make the song feel and sound very pretty. The only thing stopping me from liking the song completely is the lack of emotion. The lyrics of Don’t Say You Love Me are emotionally loaded, as they express the complex feelings of a relationship that is falling apart. However, I don’t register much emotional appeal in JIN’s vocals. I am not expecting a complete outpouring of sadness or grief, but Don’t Say You Love Me needed some degree of emotion to make it a more riveting piece. There is merit in keeping the pleasantness and soothing nature of the pop-ballad to frame up a more positive message, such as encouraging the best for both sides of the broken relationship. As mentioned, his vocals are fine. I just needed more from JIN, feeling-wise, to make Don’t Say You Love Me even better.

His acting definitely doesn’t have that same problem — his acting opposite Shin Se Kyung (the actress who plays the female lead) was superb. We see the moment the pair fall in love in that gallery and make a life for themselves (by running away together). But as the story progresses, the pair grow distant and their relationship falls apart. But to understand what the video is trying to tell us, we need to go back to the start and end of the video. At the beginning, we see Shin Se Kyung alone in the car, leaving JIN behind in the car park. This is what they want the break-up to look like. But the end of the video shows the pair together post-fight, glancing at one another, indicating that both are afraid to break up. This directly references the complicated feelings they are experiencing with their relationship falling apart that are expressed in the lyrics.

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 9/10
Overall Rating – 8.4/10

[Review] Running Wild – JIN (BTS)

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I only started covering the week’s newest releases yesterday, yet I am now jumping to the end of the week to cover JIN’s official solo comeback, Running Wild. This new song is featured on his first solo studio album, Happy, which makes him the final BTS member to release a solo album. Previously, JIN pre-released the single I’ll Be There and made his solo debut with The Astronaut back in 2022.

I never anticipated a full English track from JIN. So that aspect of Running Wild caught me by surprise. Neither did I expect a Britpop song from the BTS member, but I had no expectations as to what genre we would find JIN delving into for this solo comeback. Running Wild is a pleasant song, breezy and airy for the entirety of its run. The band instrumental is great, and I liked the uptick in its upbeatness during the chorus. Definitely makes for a gratifying track. Running Wild features some inviting and comforting vocals from JIN, which was great in helping Running Wild deliver its message of running towards hope and love. I do prefer his delivery in the verses more than the choruses, as you can hear his vocal colours and tone in those parts of the song. He handles the choruses’ falsettos just fine, but they do hide JIN’s distinct vocals. Also, I wish there was some stronger melodies and hooks, just to give Running Wild some more compelling moments to remember it by. In my mind, this was the primary issue for Running Wild. Pleasant, breezy and airy is all good and nice, but Running Wild is another song that just doesn’t linger around after it ends.

The music video opens up with a meteor shower. While the rest of the world panics and run, JIN is calm and collected. He ends up going in the opposite direction, opting for a roadtrip with his canine companion. He is definitely riding out the apocalyptic event in the way he wants to. He also drives by a family reuniting, indicating the path he is taking is one of hope and love, just like the message he conveys in the song’s lyrics. The whole montage at the end with JIN swerving his car to avoid the meteors as they hit the Earth was the unexpected. It resembled an action movie sequence. Something less intense would have been the expected path towards the end for this video. However, it was definitely cool and fun to watch.

Song – 8.5/10
Music Video – 9/10
Overall Rating – 8.7/10

[Review] I’ll Be There – JIN (BTS)

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I jump from the start to the end of the week to cover JIN’s solo comeback. JIN is the first BTS member to complete his military enlistment. Soon after being discharged from the military, he is back on the music scene with a pre-release, I’ll Be There, for his upcoming solo album, Happy. This is JIN’s first solo release since The Astronaut in 2022.

I’ll Be There is a song with a hopeful and uplifting message for those alone. Combined with JIN’s vocals and the upbeat band instrumental, this pre-release will surely appeal to many people. While he isn’t BTS’ go-to vocalist, I liked the oomph JIN puts behind his vocals. It gives I’ll Be There so much body and robustness. I also thought the slight huskiness of his vocals worked exceptionally well in this song, establishing a personal and individual sound we don’t get from JIN in BTS releases. The melodies and hooks were catchy, helping keep I’ll Be There buoyant in several ways. As for the instrumental, I’ll Be There‘s pop-rock venture is cheerful and puts a smile on my face. I also observe that it is percussive-heavy, bringing upbeat and great energy. Usually, the guitar or keyboard work gets the limelight in these types of songs. But the percussion (via the drums) definitely speaks louder in I’ll Be There. That said, I’ll Be There could have used more guitar, particularly in the final chorus. We get a guitar showing briefly, but I would have loved to hear more. But overall, I’ll Be There is an excellent return for JIN.

I quite like the premise of the music video, where JIN brings people together with his music. After all, he is sending a message of strength to those alone. JIN also looks like he enjoyed performing in front of a growing audience, which makes sense, given he didn’t have much opportunity to do this over the last two years. Towards the end, JIN is shown to be alone, embracing that side of the message whilst he performs the song and giving those at the subject of I’ll Be There‘s message further representation in the video.

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 8/10
Overall Rating – 8/10

[Review] The Astronaut – JIN (BTS)

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The focus on soloists this week on the blog is quite timely, given the biggest release this week is without a doubt the solo debut of one of the members of the biggest KPOP group at the moment. JIN (from BTS) is the logical choice as the next member of the 7-member group for solo promotions, given that he is expected to be the first member to officially enlist into the military (which I believe will happen some time in the next two months). However, just before he does leave, JIN gives us The Astronaut, the title of his solo debut track and the focus of this review.

You may notice right off the bat that the track feels very Coldplay. Well, you notice and thought right, as both JIN and Coldplay co-wrote The Astronaut. If you pay close attention, you can hear Chris Martin contributing to the song via some of the backing vocals, as well. With this partnership in mind, it does not surprise me that The Astronaut is a pop rock song with a hint of synths. And it is a very beautiful one, at that. It isn’t one of those vibrant and upbeat pop rock songs that I think KPOP has geared towards more. Instead, The Astronaut opts for a slower pace that draws out the song in a captivating and stunning manner. I am glad that the slow pace doesn’t draw out the song to the point of boredom, which easily could have been the case. As for the vocals, I am quite entranced. JIN isn’t the person to come to mind when it comes to vocals in BTS, so I was interested in hearing what he has to offer in terms of his official solo work. In The Astronaut, we get to hear a heartfelt and profound tone from JIN. He utilised his lower tone so well in the song to captivate me. I also enjoyed the moments in the song where his vocals become wispy, which helped make The Astronaut more appealing and dimensional. The Astronaut was incredibly thought out and played towards JIN’s strengths. Sadly, it will be a while until we hear from JIN again, but The Astronaut leaves me (and a lot of listeners) quite satisfied for the next while.

While the song’s lyrics appear to have been written for the fans, the story that was told in the music video was so nice and equally as fitting for The Astronaut‘s lyrics. Essentially, JIN plays an alien, who was left to fend for himself when his spaceship crashed into Earth. During his time on Earth, he befriended a young girl who he hanged out with often. A lot of his fondest memories was with her, where she taught him pastimes and he taught her to ride a bike. One day, the spaceship starts beaming up a light which I guess is a call for Alien JIN to return to his home planet. He leaves behind the young girl who was looking for him with a bike (but not after leaving her with his helmet) and makes his way to the spaceship. When he reaches it, however, he realizes that he made Earth his home and reflects on his time with his friend. He ultimately makes the decision to stay behind and returns home. When the young girl rings the bell on the bike at the end, he see a smile on his face, showing us that he is happy with the big and spontaneous decision.

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 10/10
Overall Rating – 9.4/10