For the 2022 KPOPREVIEWED Awards, BTS is nominated for Best Stage Presence and Best Special Performance, while BTS members j-hope, SUGA and JIN are nominated in a range of other categories, including Best Rap Performance, Best New Male Soloist and Best Collaborations. Support BTS and your other favourite artists, songs and performances by clicking here to vote today.
For some, RM’s solo debut is probably the biggest release of the week. Yesterday, RM joined fellow members j-hope and JIN in solo release territory through the release of Indigo (the title of his solo debut studio-length album) and the title track Wild Flower, which features youjeen, the vocalist of Cherry Filter, a South Korean rock band. Earlier on in the year, RM confirmed that the BTS members would be focusing on solo ventures for the time being for the foreseeable future ahead of the impending military enlistment of the individual members with plans to regroup in 2025 following the completion of the group’s enlistment duties.
For those who don’t know, hip-hop and rap songs are not my go-to genres when I want to listen to music. I have just never been drawn to the style of music. But through KPOP, I have slowly grown accustomed to the genre and enjoy a few tracks from the genres. For RM, it was expected that we would heard delve into this style of music, given his role as main rapper in his group’s releases. What I did not expect was to be completely swept away by this song. Wild Flower was super captivating. To the point where I have to stop whatever I am doing (for example, writing this review). Usually, I can write a review (or do other things) whilst listening to the song in question. But with the likes of Wild Flower, it is one of those songs where the only way to appreciate is by taking it in purely and to do so without distractions. Wild Flower begins off with an atmospheric instrumental, before RM kicks it into gear by continuing the atmospheric underlay but also giving Wild Flower some momentum with the insertion of rock sounds. It creates for a powerful piece in such the opening section of the song. For the verses of Wild Flower, RM adds brings forth a more calming demeanour that effortlessly exudes passion. It is such an interesting balance that I find so interesting to listen to. The violins probably add to the calmness, and I thought that was clever. The verses are then followed by a second chorus, which features youjeen’s soaring vocals. I love the texture she brings to the song, adding to the captivation factor of Wild Flower. I quite liked how the violins and rock elements merge for the bridge and final run of the choruses of the song, combining the best of the two worlds that make up Wild Flower. Overall, I am definitely singing praises for Wild Flower, a song I didn’t expect to be the best release of the week.
The music video was stunning even without sitting down and interpreting the video. After all, Big Hit Music definitely have the budget to create such aesthetic videos. Based on SOOMPI’s article for this release, Wild Flower is about RM’s desire to live like a tranquil wild flower rather than an extravagant but quickly disappearing spark, which may be connected to RM’s desire to rediscover himself in music, which he has spoken about before. The video does a great job of depicting this, with RM present in a stunning outdoor setting that sets him up as a ‘tranquil wild flower’. Dark stormy clouds come by (which might be a representation of the stress and bad energy that RM experiences as an artist), but RM stands strong throughout, which allows him to passionately perform on stage at the end of the video. Overall, a literal but clever video.
Song – 10/10
Music Video – 10/10
Overall Rating – 10/10
KPOPREVIEWED 