By Alyssa Serrano
Staff Writer
“Layover” by V of BTS is one of the most beautifully composed and overall stunning albums that I have had the pleasure of listening to and reviewing this year. The album, released Sept. 8, is V’s first solo album.
V, whose full name is Kim Taehyung, is the second youngest member of the worldwide sensation group BTS. While this is his first solo album, he has featured on opening theme songs for dramas and has released several solo songs on YouTube, which have now been added to streaming platforms as part of the promotion schedule for “Layover.”
“Rainy Days” starts the album on a very cozy and sleepy note. When I first listened to the song, it was raining outside, and hearing the thunder in the background set the perfect ambiance for listening to “Rainy Days.” This song feels like curling up with a book, a blanket and hot chocolate as it rains outside. It has components of low-fidelity (better known as lo-fi) music and jazz, and I think these two styles come together to make this song special.
The second song on the album, “Blue,” blends R&B and jazz styles and continues the soft and comfortable feeling set with the opening song. In this song, V’s voice is smooth and silky and flows perfectly with the instrumental of this track. This song reminds me of the movie “La La Land” — specifically when the two main characters reunite and imagine what could have been between them. It’s a very bittersweet moment because, despite both of the characters being happy and getting what they wanted, they do not end up happy together. This song reminds me of the characters dreaming about if they had made any other choice, and so I love it. “Blue” is my favorite song on the album, but it was a pretty hard decision to make considering I love all of the songs.
“Love Me Again” is jazzy, romantic and absolutely addicting. The beat is really good, and I particularly like the strumming of the guitar that closes off the song. V’s voice is perfect for this type of song, and it adds another level to the already incredible instrumental.
The music video for this song is very glamorous; it’s full of beautiful visuals and stunning outfits. The music video does a really good job of conveying the yearning and romance that the lyrics set the mood for. I honestly can’t think of anything that would better suit this song. The combination of the cinematography of the video and the song itself is magnificent, which is why I’ve had this video on loop since its release.
The following song, “Slow Dancing,” would be the perfect song to sway to in the kitchen. This song is romantic and dreamy. Listening to this song is what I’d imagine slow dancing on a cloud would feel like. The flute and instrumental break really make this song shine. However, I prefer the piano version to the original. There’s just something magical about how it sounds on the piano and it adds to the already dreamy ambiance. Although I do prefer the instrumental break of the original song better, I think the piano is beautiful, but it felt like it was missing something without the flute.
I know I said it was hard to pick favorites on this album, but “For Us” is tied for first place with “Blue.” My favorite part of this song is when it glitches and sounds like a cassette becoming distorted and then goes back to normal. It’s just so cool and smooth. I’ve had this song on repeat just for that part alone because I think it sounds so fun and good. Besides that part, the song is really pretty and has a dreamlike and magical feeling.
This album overall is full of amazing vocals and beautiful instrumentals. It is breathtaking and is the perfect album to listen to on a rainy day or even to play at night while you sleep. V did an incredible job producing this album, and I will definitely be adding these songs to my playlists!
