V’s Up Close and Personal Debut Layover

For years, BTS’s V has teased at a solo release in the works, leaving fans to endlessly anticipate what a full project from one of the most distinct voices in K-Pop would sound like. On September 8, the world finally got the chance to experience this musical phenomenon in the form of V’s first album, the incredibly intimate Layover.

Relax and Unwind with “Slow Dancing”

The album is steered by title track “Slow Dancing,” a song that pulls its influence from the ‘70s soul music scene. With a dreamy and whimsical feel, listening to the song feels like floating somewhere between a lazy river on a sunny day and a sea of clouds. The song is an even split of Korean and English language, but 100% V in its languid, jazzy feel—especially in the surprise flute feature towards the end (when’s the last time you heard that in K-Pop?)—and in this respect, it’s a song perfectly suited to be the title track of the album. Ironically, “Slow Dancing” is probably the most different in sound compared to the rest of the lofi-esque Layover tracklist

Like many could have predicted, Layover puts V’s signature husky vocals at the forefront—something not as frequently found among the higher registers in BTS’s discography. “Slow Dancing” is a testament to this, with V softly crooning his way through the entire track. While there’s nothing too vocally impressive in the song, the way V practically sighs the chorus makes it feel like he’s singing directly to the listener, crafting the immersively intimate atmosphere so essential to Layover as a whole.

The Music Video

On first watch, the video for “Slow Dancing” is reminiscent of SHINee’s “View,” and this is a compliment of the highest honor. The video shows V bonding with a close-knit group of friends on a dreamy beach landscape, leaning into a cinematic theme of youth as they languorously move about their day. The video gains an even further mystical edge as it progresses, with added special effects that show V is magically crafting his laidback day. As “Slow Dancing” comes to a quiet close, the friends are seen calmly drifting in a sailboat out at sea, crowns adorning their heads, in a scene that’s akin to something from Peter Pan and bringing the theme of youth full circle.

The “Slow Dancing” music video is about as relaxed as the song itself; it’s nothing groundbreaking or life-changing, but it sets a certain mood that is exactly what V set out to accomplish with his first official solo release. It’s a video that elevates an already peaceful song to an even more magical realm, and at the end of it all, any video that features V’s equally famous Pomeranian Yeontan is a video bound to steal some hearts.

An Album Intimately V

V, or Kim Taehyung, was my first K-Pop bias. He’s the reason I started listening to K-Pop back in 2016 and, undeniably, ultimately the reason I write for The Kraze to this day. Over the years, I’ve been there for countless moments when he teased an inevitable solo project, so when Layover was announced, I knew I had to review it. Funnily enough, DAY6’s Young K, one of my other biases, also released a solo album this week that I reviewed, and the two albums could not be more sonically different. Whereas the latter’s album is filled with different genres and experimental sounds, V’s Layover holds strong on one signature sound—one he might fit better than anyone in K-Pop probably ever could.

Crafted with ADOR Ceo Min Heejin of NewJeans fame, Layover is a release all about aesthetics. V has been loud and proud of his personal interests over the years, and Layover sees this in its music, its multiple videos, and its artistic direction. It’s no surprise that with a project as near and dear to him as this one, and one that’s been in the works for so long, he’d want it to be as personal as possible.

The album starts off with “Rainy Days,” a jazzy lofi track sprinkled with Apple sound effects to create a cozy vibe right off the bat. V sings predominantly in English as he melancholically muses over a relationship. About halfway through, the tone slightly shifts, giving his vocals a bit more of a bite, so much that I almost thought it was a rap feature from a different artist. On the whole, “Rainy Days” is quintessential Korean R&B, and while I know this kind of music might not be everyone’s cup of tea, it is without a doubt one of my favorite genres. It wasn’t entirely unexpected that V might go this route with his solo album, but I am so endlessly thankful he did. As a bonus, the song even has its own video, pre-released on August 11, yet again featuring V’s beloved furry buddy Yeontan.

Next on the album, “Blue,” is unsurprisingly a bluesy R&B cut, and the song that we all wanted from V and his beautiful timbre. The deeper tones in the song remind me of V’s most sensual release with BTS, “Singularity,” except it turns up the sultriness several notches. Despite the soft falsettos in the chorus, the song allows him to stay in his natural baritone range while still hitting highs and lows. The harmonies in the second verse give the track an added layer of depth that’s absent through much of the rest of the simplistic tracklist. This is the kind of music I love (it sounds like K-R&B connoisseur Colde and I wish everything sounded like Colde) and I’m happy there’s more in store for “Blue” with a music video set to be released on September 13.

“Love Me Again” follows “Blue” so seamlessly that at first listen, I hadn’t realized the song had even changed. It’s a similar feel to “Blue” in that respect, which is fine by me since this sound fits V like a glove. The track does have a little bit more of a punch to it in comparison to its predecessor, featuring bluesy guitar and thick percussion. Although it’s on par musically with the rest of the album, it’s personally my least favorite on Layover, only because I feel like the other songs do the same thing, but better. That being said, “Love Me Again” appropriately feels like a transitional track in the middle of an album aptly named Layover. The song also had a pre-release video that came out on August 10, showcasing V in dazzling sequined outfits as he croons like the suave singer he is.

Next up is title track “Slowing Dancing,” which fits in with the rest thanks to its overall lofi vibe, though it feels more happily spaced out as opposed to the overall melancholic tone of Layover. Personally, I don’t think it’s the strongest song on the album (though that may be because some of the other songs scratch my musical itch so perfectly), but it is unapologetically V and in that respect it’s more than suited to be the title track. 

“For Us” is the final new song on the album, and its R&B influence is strong. Starting off with vocal samples that sound straight out of the early 2000’s R&B scene, the track swiftly turns into something slow and sensual, with V’s dreamy vocals at the helm. The beats and general vibes switch up a lot throughout the song, with vocal features, percussion samples, and even tinkering piano lines popping in unexpectedly as the track progresses. The song drifts to a classically influenced close where only a piano can be heard, which transitions smoothly into the piano version of “Slow Dancing.” Not much is different between the original and piano versions of “Slow Dancing,” though the song does start off with an eerier music-box-like intro. The main change is the flute feature in the latter half of the song is replaced with a jazz piano, which I personally prefer over the original, and feel better fits the overall vibes of Layover.

Overall, I am equal parts stunned and unsurprised at V’s highly anticipated album. I’d hoped and fully expected it would sound the way it does, but it still feels too good to be true that he went the lofi Korean R&B route. With such high expectations, for literal years, I’ll admit, I was nervous heading into my first listen of Layover, but I should have known V, of all people, would deliver. If I had to force myself to find flaws in the album, my only regret is that there wasn’t a trumpet feature to go along with the flute, as both V and I love Chet Baker. Perhaps this just means I have something to look forward to in his future releases.

“Slow Dancing” Title Track Score: 8/10

“Slow Dancing” Music Video Score: 8/10

Layover Album Score: 9/10

Overall Score: 8.3/10

Edited by Cara M.