WEEK 51 | Like it’s Made For Us.
December 22-29, 2024
Happiness.
During the eighteen months Jin was serving in the military, the other members of BTS were all working on solo projects before they enlisted as well. From December 2022 until June of 2024 seven albums were released, including two from RM, and a repackage with a physical cd from j-hope. ARMY was well-fed and spoiled. But we still speculated endlessly over what Jin might do once he was back.
Jin performing at Festa 2024
Would he release an album as well, or was that something he wouldn’t prioritize right away? What kind of album might we get if he did decide to record one? Maybe he would take a break after his Festa activities concluded. Obviously we all wanted whatever Jin wanted for himself. And if that was to take things slowly after he came back, ARMY would support that whole-heartedly.
We should have known that would never be his plan.
The moment Jin hugged that 1,000th ARMY and then sang the final notes of “Moon” on June 13… he took off. The schedule was packed. And, as we discussed last week, within days, we began to see the results of his efforts: brand partnerships, guest appearances, photoshoots and ad campaigns, Olympic torch bearing, etc. Jin was booked and busy. But still… no word on any upcoming music projects. When asked directly, Jin played coy and deflected. Why was he being so evasive?
It wasn’t long before the answer became clear. Shortly after Jin’s return, the upcoming release of Jimin’s second solo album, MUSE was announced. After the tracklist was revealed on June 20, Fans took to Weverse to express their excitement, and Jin joined in on the fun, commenting on one post:
Jimin, after you, it’s me. I’m going to sing too.
ARMY immediately took that as a hint that we would finally be getting an album from Jin, and that it would be coming soon after we got MUSE. But what would it be like?! And then j-hope (still enlisted at the time) also commented and ramped up the speculation even further, asking Jin: “Should we do a military discharge unit? I’m cheering on your solo activities through jokes.”
It took a few more months, but the day after Jimin’s birthday (he really did wait for Jimin to be done, ha) we got the announcement for the November release of Jin’s first solo LP, HAPPY. And for any ARMY that’s known him and BTS for a bit, the title did not come as a surprise. It should also not be a surprise for anyone who has been reading the blog for the past three weeks. Happiness is the ultimate goal for Kim Seokjin, it’s all he ever strives for. And when asked why he chose to name his album HAPPY, he replied that it’s also all he wants for his fans as well.
This week we’ll wrap up Jincember by “Running Wild” alongside Jin and exploring the album he made just to tell us, “I’ll Be There”…
Playlists & Lyrics
JIN: HAPPY SPOTIFY PLAYLIST (link)
JIN: HAPPY TRANSLATION (pdf)
ARMY PROJECT 529 WEEK 51 VIDEO PLAYLIST (all YouTube links)
DAY ONE:
'“Running Wild” Official M/V
After I heard “The Astronaut”, I knew that I wanted to hear more music from Jin in that same pop rock genre. It suits his strong and clear tones so well, and the emotions he can invoke with his vocals are amplified by guitar and other live band instrumentation.
When talking with others (including on 529 livestreams) about what we were hoping to see from Jin’s upcoming album, I said this every time. We all love Jin’s soaring voice on beautiful ballads, but I really wanted to hear him doing more songs with a bit of a heavier edge.
So imagine my absolute delight when HAPPY dropped at midnight ET on November 15 (If you were there in our watch party, you don’t have to imagine it… you saw my delight) and I heard the first few, gloriously guitar-heavy notes of “Running Wild” start playing.
We’d already had a taste with “I’ll Be There”, the pre-release track, but “Running Wild” solidified that HAPPY was going to give us an entirely new side of Kim Seokjin. And it wasn’t just new genres Jin wanted to explore, he wanted to challenge himself musically and vocally with this album as well. We’ve been used to many soaringly high notes from Jin over the years, which we get to hear on the chorus of “Running Wild”, but during the verses, Jin turns on a dime and takes his voice down to the deeper part of his range and the contrast is startling, but so satisfying.
Jin & Tango in “Running Wild” Official M/V
There's a way
There's a way that we can fly again
Remember how we used to love back then?
Livin' like we had no end
Let's stay out all night
Out all night until we see the sun
Remember how we used to long ago
We can miss the last train home?
The lyrics invite us, the listeners, to take risks as well… in pursuit of happiness and time with those we love. The M/V is a beautiful tale of determined devotion, even in the face of imminent disaster. Just a man and his dog at the end of the world. The story echoes the simplicity that Jin himself likes to keep in his life. The less complicated you make a situation, the easier it is to just take away the good from it…
HAPPY HIGHLIGHT MEDLEY (1:49)
"RUNNING WILD" | M/V OUT NOW (0:31)
"RUNNING WILD" | OFFICIAL MV (3:18 - as shown above)
"RUNNING WILD" BEHIND SCENES CLIP FROM THE M/V DIRECTOR (0:20)
JIN "RUNNING WILD" | LYRICS (2:28)
"RUNNING WILD" | LIVE CLIP (2:52 - as shown below)
BONUS: BTS JIN ALLOWS FATE TO MAKE HIS KKAKDUGIㅣSPOTIFY HAPPY HOUSE 🏠 (16:42)
BONUS: BTS JIN SHARES THE SONG THAT REMINDS HIM OF ARMYㅣSPOTIFY HAPPY BUS (17:11)
BONUS: BTS’ JIN EXPLAINS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SOLO & GROUP ACTIVITIES ㅣ SPOTIFY BEHIND THE SCENES (8:51)
Fun Fact:
Would you like a remix? Have several...
Here’s the thing about remixes… I didn’t get the point of them until just recently. And now that I understand their purpose in life, I can’t get enough of them.
Did you know that remixed songs, when streamed, actually count toward the chart numbers of the original versions? I didn’t know that either, but it’s one of the reasons we usually see a whole bunch of different remixes drop at one time.
So not only can you have a remix for every mood and every playlist, you can still increase that single’s chart position by listening to all those different versions as well. It’s a win-win!
DAY TWO:
Once HAPPY was released, all the speculation turned to what kind of promotions Jin would do to support the album. Would he go on Korean music shows? Did he have any interviews lined up? Would there be ANY live performances?
Immediately, once again, we got our answer. The day after the album’s release, Jin held a two-day special stage event in Seoul that ARMYs (chosen by raffle) could attend in person. For the rest of us, it was broadcasted live on Weverse.
Jin & Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
Not only did Jin perform all of the songs from HAPPY (and with a live band), he had outfit and set changes. It brought his artistic vision to life as we got to see how he interpreted the mood and feel of each of his songs.
And of course, it wouldn’t have been a Seokjin event, if he didn’t interact with ARMY. Interspersed throughout the performances, Jin answered questions that had been pre-selected from fan submissions, and he played some games with the audience—the outcomes having consequences for some of his outfit changes later in the show. Jin was truly in his element, flirting with and teasing ARMY.
Indeed, Jin is at his best when he is truly given the freedom to work an audience. Which is why he always does well on variety and talk shows, so it was no surprise when, about a week after his special stage, he charmed Jimmy Fallon and everyone else immediately when he made an appearance on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon”. Jimmy tried to tease him about proposing to a fish in “Super Tuna” and naming himself World Wide Handsome, but Jin owns everything he does so hard with no shame, it’s nearly impossible to tease him about it. He followed up his interview with a stellar live performance of “Running Wild”, and even more of America got to meet another member of BTS on his own, without his brothers.
JIN IS MAKING HIS SOLO TONIGHT SHOW DEBUT! | THE TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JIMMY FALLON (0:34)
JIN: "RUNNING WILD" | THE TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JIMMY FALLON (3:23 - as shown above)
"RUNNING WILD" STAGECAM (THE ALIEN JINNAPPING) | "HAPPY" SPECIAL STAGE, DAY 1 (3:03)
"RUNNING WILD" STAGECAM - JIN FOCUS (THE ALIEN JINNAPPING) | "HAPPY" SPECIAL STAGE, DAY 1 (3:00)
"RUNNING WILD" STAGECAM (THE M/V OUTFIT) | "HAPPY" SPECIAL STAGE, DAY 2 (3:03)
"RUNNING WILD" STAGECAM - JIN FOCUS(THE M/V OUTFIT) | "HAPPY" SPECIAL STAGE, DAY 2 (3:03)
BONUS: THE BEST OF BTS' JIN | THE TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JIMMY FALLON (20:39)
Bangtan Bubble: Is Jin’s first solo album what you expected from him?
Let us know your answer in the comments below or on social media (include #BangtanBubble)!
DAY THREE:
I don’t think I’m speaking in hyperbole when I say that “I’ll Be There” was my most highly anticipated song of 2024.
“I’ll Be There” Official M/V
As I mentioned previously in the blog, I had no idea what to expect from a Kim Seokjin solo album, but there were two things I did know. The first was that I was desperate to hear more pop rock from him, like what he’d done with Coldplay on “The Astronaut”, and the second was me hoping we didn’t just get an album of slow ballads.
It seemed an unlikely choice that Jin would make, but almost every solo I’d heard from him up to that point was, in fact, an emotionally powerful ballad. And I love them all, when they’re spread out amongst their different albums, but I definitely didn’t want to hear a string of them in a row. I wanted to hear more, because I knew that Jin is more than just hitting high notes on a power ballad.
So when we gathered together to watch the drop of the “I’ll Be There” M/V in October, you can imagine (or you saw it happen) how blown out of the water I was as soon as the song began. It was exactly what I’d been hoping to hear.
“I’ll Be There” Official M/V
I will be there forever
I’ll stay the same, I’ll be there for you
There for you
Oh oh oh (oh oh oh)
With this song I say to you
I swear that I will always sing for you
Sing for you
Oh oh oh
I’ll be there for you
Not only was the song super catchy and upbeat, but it was incredibly sincere as well… just like Jin himself. The lyrics are Jin speaking directly to ARMY, letting us know that he’s not going anywhere. He’s planning to sing for us always, for as long as we need him, he’ll be there. It’s a sentiment we’ve heard not just from Jin before, but all of BTS over the years.
The M/V is just as happy as the song, with Jin performing in a parking lot and drawing a varied crowd of spectators who are having fun with him. Jin is jumping around, rocking out on an air guitar, and smoldering into the camera. Even if you weren’t paying attention to the lyrics, you wouldn’t be able to stop the smile from spreading across your face while watching him.
"I'LL BE THERE" | MV OUT NOW (0:31)
"I'LL BE THERE" | OFFICIAL MV (3:15 - as shown above)
"I'LL BE THERE" | LIVE CLIP (3:03)
BONUS: BTS JIN IS HERE! #KSTARNEXTDOOR IS OFFICIALLY A WORLD-CLASS SHOW! | KSND (37:17)
BONUS: ARMY! OUR JIN IS AMAZING! | EP.64 JIN | SALON DRIP2 (38:46)
Fun Fact
How to “Jin-Nap” a j-hope...
A few weeks before j-hope was discharged from the military, Jin went LIVE on Weverse and hung out with ARMY while playing some games. It was a hilarious time, of course, and toward the end of the stream, Jin began reading comments and answering questions.
One ARMY asked if Jin was planning to have j-hope appear on “Run Jin” once he was out, and Jin’s response was… well, very typically Jin.
He had a plan, he said. A plan to kidnap one Jung Hoseok as soon as he was discharged and take him to the set of “Run Jin!” Whether he wanted to go or not.
ARMY loved the idea and ran with it. Memes abounded and we tossed around theories of when it might happen. When Jin showed up on the day Hobi was released, it looked in fact, very much like he was trying to steer his fellow member into the van he was riding back to HYBE in… was the “Jin-napping” happening so soon?
We didn’t have to wait long, signs appeared within the next couple of days on Weverse with cryptic and confused posts from j-hope and non-sympathetic replies from Jin. We didn’t know exactly what they were up to, but ARMY knew that j-hope had indeed been kidnapped.
Below are some of the results. And we’ll get the “Run Jin!” episode about it on Dec. 24th. Enjoy!
ANYWHERE ANYTIME RUNNING RUNNING RUNNING | DANCE CHALLENGE (0:29)
BANGTAN BOMB: "RUNNING WILD" CHALLENGE SKETCH WITH JIN AND J-HOPE (6:38)
DOCUMENTARY: FISHING IS THE ART OF WAITING, TUNA FISHING CHALLENGEIN 🐟SEARCH OF HAPPINESS... PART 1 (13:01)
DOCUMENTARY: CAN YOU CATCH TUNA? 🐟IN SEARCH OF HAPPINESS... PART 2 (11:39)
DAY FOUR:
Well, I told you that my wishlist for HAPPY included more of a rock sound. I wanted guitars, I wanted something grand and epic to match Jin’s voice.
Boy, did I get my wish.
Jin performing “Another Level”
The third song on the album, “Another Level” takes every thought and expectation you might have ever had about Kim Seokjin and throws them out the window. As soon as it begins, you feel like you’ve been transported to the approaching denouement of a fantasy/action film or RPG (role-play game) style video game. It feels like a dramatic soundtrack. With all of the guitar I could ever want. (For reference, I immediately thought of Queen’s “Who Wants to Live Forever” from the original “Highlander” movie.)
I will keep on fighting
Even if I'm endlessly driven, I'll never stop
(Nobody can stop me)
Even if the harsh storm blows harder
I'll take one more step
I couldn’t get enough. Even more so once I found out it’s one of the tracks that Jin cowrote. The lyrics inspire a feeling of determination. When he was later interviewed about the song, Jin told us that he wrote it about his love for video gaming and the feelings it inspires in him. Video games are something that make me happy as well, so now I feel closer to Jin and this song than I did before. I’m not saying that he wrote the song for me, but I’m not NOT saying it, either.
The next track, “Falling”, was also cowritten by Jin, and it sounds just as different from “Another Level” as the former had sounded from “Running Wild” and “I’ll Be There”. Jaunty whistling leads us into the track which then begins building with a steady drumbeat. Jin’s breathy voice pulls us along to the chorus where he knocks us out with his powerful top range.
Jin performing “Falling”
I gather up my courage
I wanna make you mine
I want to talk to you
Do you really not know?
You got me falling
Once again, Jin taps into a simple feeling, one that we’ve all had: fear of rejection. He’s admitted that he is incredibly shy and introverted, and finds it difficult to converse with people outside of his immediate circle. So imagine how terrifying the thought would be of putting himself out there to fall in love and tell the person… I mean, we’ve all been there, right? Afraid to voice our feelings because we don’t know what the outcome will be? It’s reassuring to hear Jin voice the same fears, and that he’s also willing to overcome them, ultimately always driven to pursue his happiness.
"ANOTHER LEVEL" | LYRICS (2:44)
JIN ON "SIRIUSXM K-POP" TALKS ABOUT HIS NEW ALBUM HAPPY AND MORE (FULL) (8:28 - as shown below)
"FALLING" | LYRICS (3:01)
"FALLING/TILL I REACH YOU" (FEAT. TAKA) | OFFICIAL AUDIO (2:59)
"FALLING" | ENG LYRICS (2:59)
Fun Fact:
Let’s get HAPPY… onstage.
As discussed earlier this week on Day Two, right after his album dropped, Jin held a special stage event the very next day. It was two separate performances over two days, and was broadcast live on Weverse for any ARMY who couldn’t attend in person.
Each day had roughly the same content, but also small differences here and there, mostly with costumes and the components of the games Jin played with ARMY.
Did you watch both days? We definitely did with the 529 community in our Discord. If you missed either day, or just want to see it all again, check out the links we have for you here below. Enjoy!
241116 JIN HAPPY SPECIAL STAGE - DAY 1 (1:20:57)
241117 JIN HAPPY SPECIAL STAGE - DAY 2 (1:33:16)
JIN HAPPY SPECIAL STAGE BEHIND (18:09)
DAY FIVE:
The last two tracks on HAPPY continue the theme of being completely different than what came before them.
“Heart on the Window” is a duet, featuring Wendy (a member of Red Velvet, another K-Pop Idol group), and it marks the first time Jin has sung a duet with a female vocalist.
Jin & Wendy perform “Heart on the Window”
Still on the dazzling window
So that you can see my heart
So, I’ll leave you a heart on the window
Beyond the time I waited for you
Breath spreading white
My heart drawn without a gap
When I left you a heart on the window
I engraved it more deeply
I think of “Heart on the Window” as a bit of a follow up to “Falling”. This is what happens after he plucks up the courage to tell the person how he feels, and now they’re singing together about how they show their love for each other. Although when Wendy appeared at the HAPPY special stage event, they joked about how shy and awkward they were with each other, as it was their first time meeting in person.
Awkward or not, you don’t hear any of that in the song. It’s a master class in vocalization. Jin and Wendy sound amazing together and the track itself feels a little bit like navigating love. Their voices go up and down, almost like tripping over one’s feelings and emotions.
Having been taken on a magical journey of unexpected discoveries throughout the rest of the album, I knew that there would have to be at least one incredibly beautiful ballad included. “I Will Come to You”, the final song, is that ballad… and it is dedicated to ARMY.
The day white snow fell
The day I left you
Hundreds of times a day
Those words that I say every day
I miss you so much
Hold me
Jin said that he thought a lot about us while he was enlisted, and how hard it was to be away and unable to perform for and see us. So sometimes her wrote his feelings down in a sort of journal, and some of those thoughts became songs on his album. Him missing ARMY and wanting to promise us he would always return became “I Will Come to You”. We’ve heard Jin say that ARMY is his ultimate happiness. It seems that him giving us HAPPY, is his way of showing us that he wants to be ours as well.
Guess what, Jin. You succeeded. Well done.
"HEART ON THE WINDOW" (FEAT WENDY) | COLOR CODED LYRICS (2:54)
"HEART ON THE WINDOW" (FEAT. WENDY) LIVE | HAPPY SPECIAL STAGE, DAY 2 (3:10 - as shown)
"HEART ON THE WINDOW" (FEAT. WENDY) | FMV, MODEL VER. (2:58)
JIN ENDING IS HAPPY ENDING💜 (1:08)
JIN ON HIS NEW ALBUM "HAPPY" AND HOW HIS MILITARY SERVICE AFFECTED HIM AS AN ARTIST | iHEARTRADIO (4:44 - as shown)
Bangtan Bubble:What do you think of Jin’s concept of only focusing on happiness in life?
Let us know your answer in the comments below or on social media (include #BangtanBubble)!
FINAL THOUGHTS:
Jin really created HAPPY mostly as a gift to ARMY. It has his stamp on it, and he contributed to putting the pieces together, but he did it less for himself, and more as a message to his fans. “Let’s walk through this life together, finding the good and shielding each other from the bad.” His devotion shines through in the creativity and attention to detail this album shows. We couldn’t have asked for anything more quintessentially Jin if we tried.
Next week, we’ll take a small break from our regular programming to bring you all a fun Holi-Tan surprise! Check back in and enjoy some holiday fun with us and BTS…
Side Quest
Run…SEOKJIN!
Did you expect to get a whole ass variety show from Jin when he returned from the military? I’d be lying if I said it was a complete surprise, but I don’t think ARMY dared to dream too hard for this one. Luckily, we got our wish anyway…
EP 1: Jin bitches and moans his way to the top of the highest point in South Korea less than a week after his discharge.
Ep 2: Jin takes a trip to his old high school to challenge a bunch of teens in various activities.
Ep 3: Jin lands a job at a PC Bang and has to feed a bunch of unruly children. He then challenges them to a few video games.
Ep 4 - 5: Jin challenges friends from YouTube as well as labelmate Yeonjun of TXT to see who can stay dry the longest. We all end up drenched.
Ep 6: Jin challenges actor friend Lee Yi Kyung and two young prodigies to a few rounds of tennis.
Ep 7 - 8: Jin brings along Ji Seokjin to a restaurant and then to a museum in a challenge to find more Seokjins.
Ep 9: Jin heads to a pepper farm to help law students volunteer picking.
Ep 10: Jin and his friend B1A4's Sanduel are kidnapped off a fishing boat and forced to endure several challenges alongside Coast Guard enlistees.
Ep 11: Jin has to face his fears against several ghosts and horrors.
Ep 12: Jin has a mukbang with a group of comedians.
Ep 13: Jin goes on a blind date (babysitting adventure) with YouTube star Taeha and single-handedly un-shriveled several ovaries.
Ep 14: Jin and K-Star Next Door host Jonathan take a trip to MMA star Kim Dong Hyun's gym and try not to kill each other or themselves.
RUN JIN: EP.0-4 | WORLDWIDE HANDSOME'S NIGHT (3:00 - as shown)
RUN JIN: EP.1 TEASER (1:04)
RUN JIN: EP.1 | 5 DAYS SINCE DISCHARGE AND I'M CLIMBING MT. HALLASAN… (29:04)
RUN JIN: EP.3 | EVEN LEAVING THE MILITARY WASN'T THIS HARD (27:46)
RUN JIN: EP.8 | FIND JIN (34:11)
RUN JIN: TEASER (0:51)
RUN JIN: EP.12 | K-MUKBANG (29:47)
RUN JIN: EP.13 | DON'T WATCH THIS IF YOU DON'T WANT TO MARRY JIN (27:05 - as shown)
RUN JIN: EP.14 | GOODBYE, JIN (34:30)
CREDITS:
YouTube/Web
BANGTANTV, HYBE LABELS, Bangtan Love 💕, BTS LIVE ARCHIVE, bts_bora_world1, DOLBY, DOPAMINE, JAEGUCHI, KBS Kpop, KPOP ON! SPOTIFY, NHK MUSIC, Nicole S, rauhlren, sagiastral, SHADOWBYYOONGI, SUPERSTAR JIN, TaeLove1295, TEO 테오, THE TONIGHT SHOW, Today's News, TWITTER: @bemyjinnie, Yuki no Koi Uta, Ольга Скорикова(Аносова), 동네스타K, 동지섣달꽃본듯이날좀보소, 안구정화티비 Your Korean Friend Angoo; Web:
ARMY Project 529 Volunteers
Research Team: Angel (TikTok: Lilangel2828), Leslie Day (TikTok: Leslie Day), Merry (TikTok: merryj67), Sam T (TikTok: samt_26), Shelley (TikTok: shels167), Trudy (TikTok: theeducationmommy), Viv (TikTok: VivEliz); Video Team: Leslie Day (TikTok: Leslie Day), Namz (TikTok: Namz07)
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