Going like crazy, all day, by working more to compare seven solo efforts. Love me again.

Or something like that. It's taken a little time to digest, but I think it's time to discuss the thousand directions the members of BTS are taking us on their solo rides.

Notes from Boraland….

Hello, hello, hello! It’s been a minute, but not because I didn’t have anything to say about Bangtan. Actually, the OPPOSITE. There has been so, so much going on, thanks to our seven (sic, five)-pronged attack of content, that I have had too many topics of discussion. I have written down more than a few ideas, and I will be running through them in future BorahaeBTS missives.

This edition is…thoughts on the recent solo stuff. To which you think, you mean, comparing oil to vinegar? Jazz to rock to da slick beats? Slow dancing to getting down (and off?) Flute solos to Jack Harlow/Latto consulting the Urban Dictionary to make us say huh?! Six of seven dropping the word “Fuck”, or Shibal version, somewhere? Oh, just give Jin some time to record more tunes, we will get him on the swears train. Come to the dark side, WWH. The maknaes have already set up camp there next to the rapline.

I am not going to say one is better than the other, because that is inherently unfair. They’re all different solo artists, looking to accomplish different sounds/vibes for different audiences. I’ve politely declined some of your requests to compare or hard rank the Tannies’ solo projects because that’s just a futile exercise. How would you realistically compare 3-D to HUH?! to Future to All Day to Like Crazy to The Astronaut to Love Me Again? (Those are my recent faves from each of them.)

Simple answer is, you don’t.

Things I do know:

1) The rapline having a head start in the mixtape game made a difference. Joon, Hobi, Yoongi all put out fully actualized, long-form, curated albums. Yoongi’s was about melding the Agust D, Suga and his real self into one person, all collectively finding some peace and healing after trauma. Hobi’s was about questioning what he is doing with his life, letting off some justified anger, then getting back some sunshine. Joon’s revolved around collaborating with artists (Tablo, Eryah Badu, et al.) who mean something to him and then saying big things about life. Each brought high production, deep intent, and they wanted to speak to some deep truths. All of them have said, through interviews, that there are things they would like to change or do-over. Welcome to the creative process, it never ends. You just have to get it to where you are feeling good with things, and let the content go into the world. The effort makes you stronger for the next one.

2) Jimin and Tae’s albums were promising, showing growth, and felt like an authentic version of them. BUT, they were incomplete, to me, because of their shorter song count. The rapline had 10-ish. They went around six. To steal from Hobi, I wanted More. Especially from Jimin. I don’t know Hybe’s scheduling, or the backstory on their production processes for these albums. Maybe Jimin’s upcoming documentary will shed light on that. But I think each album was missing 2-3 songs. Tae needed a bop. Jimin needed a ballad. What was there was strong, but left me with a feeling of an abrupt stop. Jimin helped with his songwriting/lyrics, so maybe doing so much himself was taking too much time. Tae was too busy writing and deleting his music the past few years, so when it came time to really go – he went the route of choosing songs that were complete when offered. Both put out some seriously beautiful videos, so bonus for the visual add to their music. Next time, I want to see them go bigger and longer for a LP.

3) JK. Yep, he is getting his own entry, because he is doing JK things. Seven was a global smash, and 3-D looks equally promising. I am amused by ARMY socials, especially Twitter, in high freakout mode over the adultness of JK’s two singles and accompanying videos. The dude is 26, has more tats and piercings than most, is ripped like a Navy Seal, and the couch surfers watching YouTube think JK’s gonna Disney Channel them? Seven and 3-D have a Prince mindset to me, pairing banger melody/beats with cleverly sexual lyrics. Note I did not say “filthy”. That’s on you to determine if double entre lyrics about adult, consensual sex are dirty. Think about “Little Red Corvette”, one of the most popular songs from Prince…and there ain’t a car in the tune. And the horses are not equine. As the Purple One has said, “Act your age, not your shoe size.” (Also as aside 2.0, if you confess to be a BTS fan, and you were OK with some other lyrics involving Hong Kong, Blood, Sweat, and Tears, keeping parties in the room all night, the angle to see the stars on Converse shoes, and War of Hormone…shall I continue? Solemn nod.) If you want to be uppity about his get down, go ahead. He remains unbothered, as do I. His determination to define his own musical future is being manifested. Sorry if it does not comply to your wishes.

4) Jin???? He is still out there, no decisions made. We will let our star soldier boy to come back to civilian life and define his solo career.

I’m just sitting back, enjoying the content, and keeping an open mind about all of these efforts. We’re lucky to get so much diversity from seven artists who have acted as a unit. Being different is a strength.