RM of BTS recently released his official solo album Indigo. Previously, RM released his solo mix tapes RM in 2015 and Mono in 2018 which listeners could download free of charge.
RM, the rapper, songwriter, producer and leader of BTS, began working on Indigo in 2019. He named the album Indigo because he wanted it contrasted with Mono, which refers to black and white colours.
With 10 tracks, RM worked with many singers, musicians and producers. As a result, Indigo features various genres such as pop, hip-hop, funk and urban contemporary music. As a songwriter for BTS, RM is known for his meaningful lyrics and Indigo demonstrates many deeply thoughtful songs.
The first, Yun (with Erykah Badu), was inspired by Yun Hyong-keun, the late South Korean painter, whose work is on the album cover. In Yun, RM writes: "I wanna be a human before I do some art", which was inspired by Yun's words.
Wild Flower is the only song with a music video featuring Youjeen, a veteran singer of Korean rock band Cherry Filter. Wild Flower is an upbeat tune, but the lyrics express RM's frustrations and burdens due to his fame and success. He questions who he is and what the purpose of his life is. Youjeen's powerhouse singing explodes emotions and really blows listeners away.
After telling stories about his sadness and loneliness through several songs, RM ends the album beautifully with the vibrant and elegant No 2, featuring Park Ji-hoon. In No 2, RM tells himself (and listeners) to not look back to the past and move on to the new chapter of his life.
Indigo is an impressive album with genuinely thoughtful lyrics accompanying excellent music. It is definitely one of the best K-pop albums in 2022.
