As I stated in my piece about Jimin’s EP a couple of weeks ago, it seems like the boys from the iconic K-Pop group BTS have been determined to take the world by storm through their solo releases over the last year or so. After dominating the charts for so many years as a group, the individuals of BTS are now showing off their prowess as solo artists before they get ready to deploy for their mandatory military service(with some members of the group having already joined the military. After excellent releases from Jimin, j-hope, and Suga having already come out in 2023, V is the next member of BTS to drop a project in 2023. V has always been one of the most intriguing members of BTS, as he has always majorly stood out as a vocalist when compared to the rest of the group. V has a deep and husky tone that always majorly contrasts the vocals from the other members of BTS. His vocal performances have always given BTS’ music so much passion, and the level of fervor and urgency he sings with has always made their music feel so exuberant. Because of this, it is exciting to see what V will do on his own EP. His talent has always been extremely evident within the confines of BTS, so it is safe to assume he can majorly shine on his personal project as well. With that being said, here is how I feel about V’s new EP Layover. Please let me know in the comments below what your favorite songs are from Layover, and also comment on how you feel about the EP as a whole.
‘Rainy Days’ was one of the two singles that was released in anticipation of Layover. I have to say, when I first heard this track, it was a pleasant surprise(if you know me, you know how much I love R&B music). This is the kind of music that most K-Pop fans would not expect to hear from one of their idols, so it is easy to understand why it got a mixed review among some of BTS’s biggest stans. Typically, K-Pop as a whole does not include slow and soft R&B music, making this song stray far away from what a lot of K-Pop fans would want or expect from V. He has stated, though, that this is the kind of music he listens to in his free time, so it is cool to see him take a risk and go this direction. ‘Rainy Days’ is driven by a sweet and Jazzy piano riff with a very warm tone. This piano riff is complemented by various luscious synths and sound effects that make the song feel so snug. This melody is put on a slow Trap beat with a bit of a distorted bassline that feels old school. Somehow, this beat feels modern and classic at the same time. V’s deep and rich tone sits on this instrumental perfectly, adding to the welcoming feeling of the instrumental. V’s vocal performance enhances the homely feeling of the instrumental, making the song perfect to listen to while staying in and cuddling with a significant other. On ‘Rainy Days,’ V is remembering a fleeting moment with someone that he can not get enough of. He has been thinking about them a lot and is wondering if they can ever be together again. ‘Blue’ stays with a sultry and Jazzy feeling that the last song had. This instrumental feels a bit more Hip Hop than the one that precedes it, though. In fact, when I first heard this one, I immediately thought of the music from one of my favorite Hip Hop artists ever, Mac Miller(RIP). The song is driven by a calm, bluesy guitar riff complemented by synths and a piano riff that comes in and out. This melody feels warm and cold at the same time. There is something about it that feels sad and downtrodden, but also somehow hopeful. This melody is put on top of a light Hip Hop beat that sounds like it came out of a late 1990s underground Hip Hop mixtape. I could see rappers like Atmosphere or El-P rapping on this beat back in the day. The instrumental for ‘Blue’ is not the only thing about this song that makes me think of Mac Miller. There are moments in the song where V’s vocals seem inspired by Mac as well. I love the breathy and soft tone that V sings with on this track, as it fits the instrumental so well. ‘Blue’ is a cute love song where V tries convincing someone to take a chance on him. He wants them to know that he can show them the world and that he is worth it. ‘Blue’ is a song that I enjoy a lot, and it is definitely going to go down as one of my favorite tracks of the year. ‘Love Me Again’ is the other song that was released as a single before this EP came out. This song has a lot more of a modern feeling than the last couple of tracks. It also feels a lot more like traditional Pop music than those two tracks. This song is driven by a toasty R&B melody provided by a guitar that is saturated with various synths and sound effects. The melody of this track feels a lot more full than the melodies of the first two tracks. Whereas those songs feel stripped back, this one feels more all-encompassing. This melody is put on top of a sleek Pop-Trap beat that fits perfectly into the R&B landscape of today. The beat is what makes this song way more modern than the songs that precede it. V’s vocals on ‘Love Me Again’ are excellent. I love how he shows off his range, hitting low notes and high notes in a way that only he can. In ‘Love Me Again,’ V is pleading with his former significant other to give him a second chance. He knows that he screwed up by letting them leave, and he wants to know if there is anything he can do to get them back.
‘Slow Dancing’ is yet another track that shows a different side to V’s artistry. It is easy to see that V has an appreciation for so many different kinds of R&B, as he is pulling out all of the stops on this project. ‘Slow Dancing’ has a lovely retro R&B feeling that immediately makes me think of the early 2000s. When I hear this track, I think of artists like Anthony Hamilton or Maxwell. The melody for this track is driven by a distorted flute that is complemented by a keyboard and various synths that make it feel so pleasant and nice. Towards the end of the track, the flute that drives the melody loses the distortion, making it sound bright and alluring. This melody is put on top of a laid-back Poppy R&B beat that goes so well with the energy of the melody. V sings in a breathy and stripped-back nature, meshing with the intimate sound that the instrumental has. ‘Slow Dancing’ is a joyful love song where V is singing about how great of a night he and his significant other can have if they just follow his lead. ‘For Us’ is the most current sounding song on the EP, as this track fits the best into the R&B Trap landscape that is popular today. Although there is still something about the song that feels old school, it still sounds a lot more modern than anything that precedes it on the EP. ‘For Us’ is driven by a welcoming and sunny melody provided by a keyboard that is heavily complemented by distorted synths. This melody is put over a faded Pop-Trap beat that comes in and out and gives the song texture and life. As far as the vocals go, V truly shines on ‘For Us.’ V demonstrates his ranges on this track, hitting beautiful falsettos while also excelling on those low notes. I love how the vocals get pitched up at some points in this track, as it makes the song feel so full. On ‘For Us,’ V wishes he could stay with his significant other, but he knows it ultimately will not work out with them. V closes out Layover with ‘Slow Dancing (Piano Ver.).’ This version of the track is very similar to the original version. To be honest, it just sounds like a slightly different mix. The vocals and lyrics are the same, but the way the synths are arranged is slightly different. There is something about this version of the track that is more all-encompassing. There is a lack of distortion on the piano riff on this version, and I think that slight difference improves this already very good track. ‘Slow Dancing (Piano Ver.).’ is a nice way to close out the project, as it is a better version of a track that is already a highlight from this EP.
If you look up the discourse around V’s Layover online, it is very polarizing and interesting. It seems like Western music fans and music critics really enjoy this EP, and fans of more traditional K-Pop music do not appreciate it at all. This reaction does make sense, as there is nothing about Layover that leans into the trends of what is popular in K-Pop today. Instead, on Layover, V tries his hand at various kinds of R&B, not only showing his versatility within that genre but also showing that he can venture in a direction that would not be expected from a member of BTS and excel. Although this is not a project that will sit well with fans of more typical K-Pop music, Layover is still a high-quality EP that proves V can shine at a style of music that is totally against the grain of what he has done previously.
EAST SIDE VIBES 