WEEK 64 | You are the Light in My Darkness

Monday Muster
Written By Quince

March 31-April 6, 2025

Searching.

 

“Who” Official M/V

We’ve discussed it so many times it feels like a running joke now, but when we were putting ARMY Project 529 together, we honestly thought we weren’t going to have much to do while the members of BTS were all serving their time in the military. We thought, at most, they had probably filmed a bit of content to release for birthdays and holidays, to check in every now and then and give us a little something to keep us going while waiting for their return. 


So when the final four members announced their enlistment for December of 2023, we kicked plans for the Project into full swing, planning a launch for January 1st, 2024, with our blog (writing about BTS’ discography chronologically) set to last those 529 days between then and FESTA 2025. We had no clue as we began the AP529 journey that while we fulfilled our original plan, we’d ALSO be covering a slew of NEW content and releases that the members had all prepared prior to enlisting.


And some of that new content included solo songs and albums. Jimin and V both dropped singles almost immediately after enlisting, and then we received HOPE ON THE STREET VOL.1 an EP from j-hope in March of 2024, which was attached to a docuseries he’d created by the same name. Two months later, in May, we got another solo album from RM—Right Place, Wrong Person. 

These releases were unique because the artists themselves couldn’t be present in real-time to promote them. Everything had been prepared beforehand. There was a lot of behind-the-scenes material and pre-recorded interviews and performances. So after RPWP, we all realized there could be any number of new projects coming our way… we had no idea how much they’d all actually prepared ahead of time. RM had teased us for MONTHS on Instagram, dropping hints prior to the release of RPWP, and as we looked back, we realized so had j-hope and V with their projects. Naturally we began to speculate about the others, Jimin included, as well.. He’d released FACE before the military, and then the single “Closer Than This” shortly after enlistment, but… did he have more coming out before his return?


Many of us suspected the answer was “yes”. There were tiny “blink and you missed it” moments that seemed like spoilers (or possibly delulu), like random clips of him working and recording with the blonde hair he’d had in “Closer Than This” and a throw-away comment from Jimin in a Bangtan Bomb recorded during Yoongi’s final D-Day concerts that “my album is finally done”. This was more than two months after FACE had concluded promotions. But the biggest, and most obvious hint came when a segment was released during the promotions for RM’s RPWP called “Mini & Moni Music: An Album Exchange”. During the video, RM and Jimin sat down together, the former playing RPWP for his bandmate, and then they discussed the album together. It was an amazing conversation that gave us so much insight, but we also honed in on the title…


An Album EXCHANGE? That meant there had to be some form or reciprocity, right? You can’t have something be one-sided and call it an “exchange”, that’s not accurate. Surely this meant that Jimin had another project coming soon, right? Right.

“Mini & Moni Music: An Album Exchange”

All of our speculation was rewarded on July 19, 2024, when Jimin’s second solo album, MUSE, was released. Where FACE had been dark and introspective, MUSE seemed bright, colorful, and happy. The songs were all about love, and feelings of renewal. The second part of the “Mini & Moni Music: An Album Exchange” dropped and now we got to see RM and Jimin this time listening to and discussing MUSE. 

Last week, we discussed how FACE was a record of Jimin’s emotions throughout the Pandemic. Writing and working on that album had been a taxing process for him. So while working on the songs for MUSE, he told RM he knew it needed to be something different. 

It had been a while since I felt excited about something.


FACE took us to the dark places within. With MUSE, Jimin wanted to find his spark again. He wanted to think about all the future reasons he (or anyone) could have to look forward to the future. Romance, love, fun, and warmth. This is the journey we’ll take this week as we endeavor to answer the question of “who” (or what) is Jimin’s heart waiting for?

 
 
 
 

Skip to Content: Day One | Day Two | Day Three | Day Four | Day Five

 

DAY ONE:

 

“MUSE” Concept Photoshoot

When he was describing the concept for MUSE, Jimin said he was thinking a lot about how he felt while trying to get back to everyday life after the Pandemic. He wanted to explore feelings he hadn’t experienced in a long time, or ever before. He started writing the songs for the album around the same time he was working on FACE, at a song camp with other writers and producers, most notably the three who Jimin really gelled with before—Pdogg, Evan and GHSTLOOP. 


As they were working at the song camp, which happened in the U.S. in early 2022, it became clear at some point that the team was, instead of writing one full-length album, actually developing two EPs with very different tones and themes. A few of the songs they’d come up with clearly did not belong on FACE, so those were put on the back burner for a bit while they finished writing Jimin’s debut.


One of those songs is the first one on MUSE, “Rebirth (Intro)”. As much as Jimin claims that FACE and MUSE are not connected, I feel like “Rebirth (Intro)” is a perfect bridge between the two. As soon as the music starts, the song sounds triumphant, like waking up from a bad dream and discovering something new and wonderful in your life.

“Rebirth” Live Performance

Oh, I didn't realize

Oh, I didn't think I'd care

Oh my gosh, now I

Won't hide

You are the light in my darkness

Like the sunshine vibe

It spreads quietly…




The lyrics speak of realization. Jimin said he wanted the first five tracks on the EP to contain emotions one would associate with having a crush on someone and developing feelings for them. To him, that was an excitement he hadn’t felt in a long time, and after coming through the loneliness and depression of the Pandemic, and facing his upcoming military service, he wondered when he might next feel it again.

When RM heard “Rebirth (Intro)” for the first time, he said he liked it more than all of the FACE album. Bold words, that took me back a little and made me clutch my pearls, like “Damn, Namjoon.” But Jimin understood and took it as the compliment it was.

“Good,” he said. “That means I’ve grown.”

 

"MUSE” Jacket Shoot Sketch


 
 

"REBIRTH (INTRO)" | HIDDEN BACKGROUND VOCALS

 
 

Fun Fact:

The Making of MUSE.


While we didn’t get an entire Production Diary like we did for the creation of FACE, we still got a ton of behind-the-scenes content for Jimin’s second album.

Below we have linked you to the “behind” for MUSE’s recording, and also for all of the choreograpy creation and dance practices.

What I find most interesting about the content for MUSE versus FACE is the mood. While Jimin and his team had a good time while creating FACE, the themes were darker, and it reflected in the production. When we look then at how everyone, Jimin in particular, looked and acted while creating content for MUSE, the atmosphere is completely different.

Jimin is, at heart, a goofball. So it’s wonderful to see him laughing so hard he almost falls down, teasing his friends and coworkers, and playing with the kids who came to be a part of his video. It’s all such a happy time… enjoy!

  1. MUSE Recording Behind (24:26)

  1. MUSE Dance Practice Behind (26:29)

 
 

DAY TWO:

 

Jimin is a lot of things. He has many layers. And, as I mentioned in yesterday’s Fun Fact, one of those layers is that he’s an insufferable goofball. When he gets laughing really hard it reminds me of Goofy, because he can’t sit still and often ends up throwing himself at the person next to him, or falling out of a chair (his mortal enemy).


When talking with RM about making  “Interlude: Showtime” and “Smeraldo Garden Marching Band (feat. Loco)” he couldn’t contain himself, giggling at the crazy Ringleader voice he put on to say “LADIES AND GENTLEMEN… THE SMERALDO GARDEN MARCHING BAND!” RM looked amused more by Jimin’s antics than the content of what he was saying, which only made Jimin laugh harder.

“Smeraldo Garden Marching Band”

When teasers had begun dropping for MUSE, ARMY had been wowed when a seeming connection to BTS’ HYYH (“The Most Beautiful Moment in Life”) series was revealed. We were shown sheet music that turned out to be a piano score for their song “The Truth Untold”. And when concept images began dropping, we all screamed more when we realized that Jimin was using the smeraldo flower, which is also a big part of HYYH and “The Truth Untold”. 


Jimin explained that he wanted to use the fictional flower because like “The Truth Untold”, he thought “Smeraldo Garden Marching Band” was a song that was about revealing hidden feelings and saying what’s truly in your heart.

All the things we couldn't say before

And your hidden feelings too

I'll tell you everything now (Just for you)

Don't you worry anymore

Since we're together now

Let's be a little more honest (Let's go)


The song is playful and fun, just like Jimin, and just like the feelings we often have when we feel a crush developing into something real. When RM asked why Jimin had chosen to feature well-known rapper LOCO on the track, he said it was because he thought the rapper’s style suited the song, and also because he’d recently gotten married and could bring that new feeling of love and romance to his verse.


SGMB was the pre-release track for MUSE and Jimin chose to shoot a live performance video instead of an M/V because he wanted to capture the spontaneity and joy of a beginning love. Everyone is happy and dancing, and couples are linking up throughout. It’s bright and it feels like the sun coming through the clouds, revealing new feelings after a long time spent asleep.

 

"SMERALDO GARDEN MARCHING BAND" | OFFICIAL TRACK VIDEO

 
 
 
 
 

Bangtan Bubble: What’s your favorite part about new feelings, whether it’s love or friendship?

 
 

Let us know your answer in the comments below or on social media (include #BangtanBubble)!

 

DAY THREE:

After the fun and giggles of confessing new love in “Smeraldo Garden Marching Band”, we continue on… okay, I can’t think of any euphemisms that don’t sound incredibly suggestive (I really wanted to go with “Jimin’s Love Train” but just couldn’t put that out on the internet. Except I just did… for posterity. You’re welcome.) Where was I? Oh yes! We continue our journey through MUSE with “Slow Dance (ft. Sofia Carson)”, which marked Jimin’s first solo duet with a female artist!


Jimin knew he wanted a female feature for this song, but wasn’t sure who. A list of suggested names was given to him, and he picked Sofia Carson because he liked the quality of her voice and thought she would suit the vibe of the song the best. When she got the ask, she was thrilled, and even flew all the way to South Korea to sing with him for a live performance clip at the last minute before he enlisted.

“Slow Dance” is about the moments that happen after two people finally admit to their feelings and try to start something new together. Dancing together with your partner, especially to a slow love song, is very romantic, and that’s the energy this song encapsulates.

“Slow Dance (Ft. Sophia Carson)” Official M/V

I feel your heartbeat on mine

A warm melody, mm

Relax your mind to that rhythm

In the meantime, I didn’t know

Before you know it, only your smile

My heart is full

I can't hide it


The sweet, breathy vocals they both deliver make you feel giddy, and a little bit like you might be in a movie. When “Slow Dance” comes up on my playlist I often find my eyes drift shut as I listen, and my body starts to sway back and forth, as though I’m locked in a slow dance with a partner. Then the song ends and I’m rudely awakened, but whatever. At least Jimin has given us all a bit of romantic escapism with this song. 


Delulu is the solulu after all, right?

 

"REBIRTH" + "SLOW DANCE (FT SOFIA CARSON)" | LIVE CLIP BEHIND

 
 

"SLOW DANCE (FT SOFIA CARSON)" | FMV (DUET VER)

 

MUSE SMERALDO GARDEN SKETCH

 

Fun Fact

MMM (Mini-Moni Music) Album Exchange

I can’t talk ENOUGH about this sort of “musician on musician” type listening party/interview that RM and Jimin did with each other to explore their respective albums that released in 2024.

The first part of the album exchange came out in May, just after RM’s Right Place, Wrong Person” dropped and it featured Jimin getting to hear the album for the first time and then talking about it with Namjoon. It was a new format for BTS to discuss music-making and was fascinating to see it happen between two members of the group instead of one member going LIVE to talk about it with ARMY.

The second part, which we have listed below, came out after MUSE was released, and the tables were turned. This time RM sat down to listen to Jimin’s album, and then they talked about how and why it was made, and Jimin’s journey as a songwriter.

It’s clear that Jimin is incredibly nervous to let Namjoon hear his songs, because he respects him so much as a songwriter and music-maker. He lights up whenever RM praises him, and gets so excited when he vibes along with the songs.

Both episodes are must-see content (you’ll find RM’s on Day Five of Week 47 of the blog). I sincerely hope they do more of these with different combinations of members once they’re all back from the military.

  1. EXCHANGE ALBUM MMM (MINI & MONI MUSIC) - JIMIN (27:09)

 

DAY FOUR:

 

"Be Mine” FMV

If “Slow Dance” is the romantic first steps of a relationship, then the next song on MUSE evokes all the feelings we have at the height of happiness and passion with someone we’ve fallen for. When “Be Mine” begins, it immediately piques our interest—sounding sexy and inviting.

This is in part due to the afro-beat melody and seductive Spanish-sounding guitar. It feels like we never stopped dancing after the last song, but this time there’s a VERY different intent. The lyrics draw us into the spell as well.

 

“Closer Than This” Official M/V

Hot island
A party just for the two of us, yeah
I know what you want
And baby I want the same
Love 'til the morning, ah
We just keep fallin', oh
Anyway, our
DNA is linked
….

Baby, come, baby, come
Show me what
Show me what love is, yeah, yeah
Hot, hot, melt me
Hot quickly



We know very well by now that BTS members can’t resist a little self-referencing in their songs. Here we have Jimin cheekily telling us that he knows what we want because he wants the same thing, because our DNA is linked. (Moves two fingers down her forearm while singing “D-N-A!”)

The imagery in the lyrics reminds me of “La Isla Bonita” by Madonna or the movie “Cocktail” (both of which I’m just SURE Jimin is familiar with). “Be Mine” is my favorite song on MUSE. It takes me back to a heady feeling of passion that is accompanied by warm nights, sweaty dance floors, and cold drinks. It’s both nostalgic and romantic, taking us to a time and a mindset when anything is possible and nothing else matters beyond the person in your arms, sharing their love with you.

 
 
 

"Closer Than This" Official M/V

 
 

Fun Fact:

Let’s get remixed.

We love it when we get some remixes of an amazing song. “Who” is no exception to that rule. Check out Day Five below where we dive into “Who” more deeply.

The song has spent an impressive amount of time on the charts since its release almost a year ago, and some of the credit for that likely goes to the remixes below.

Did you know that a remixed version of a song counts toward the streaming and charting numbers of the original release? It’s super helpful to keep a song alive long after fans might be starting to get tired of hearing a particular version. When remixes come out, it gives us something fresh to listen to, and new opportunities to chart the song, all while giving our ears an important break!

Enjoy!

  1. "WHO" | ACOUSTIC REMIX VISUALIZER (3:05)

  2. "WHO" | ROCK REMIX VISUALIZER (2:53)

  3. "WHO" | SHIBUYAKEI REMIX VISUALIZER (2:47)

  4. "WHO" | FUNKY REMIX VISUALIZER (3:09)

  5. "WHO" | BEAUTIFUL MIND REMIX VISUALIZER (3:02)

 
 

DAY FIVE:

Remember when I said earlier in the week that Jimin said he wanted the first five tracks on the album to make his listeners feel the emotions one has when having a crush and falling in love? The sixth song, he added, was meant as a “gotcha” moment. “Who”, which is also MUSE’s title track, is the moment when Jimin says to us “Oh, just kidding. None of that happened. I’m still looking for someone to love.” It was him wondering when he would feel excited about something like that (love) ever again.

From that explanation it seems like the song should be dreary, but it’s not at all. As soon as it starts we get deep acoustic guitar chords for a dramatic open, followed by Jimin strutting into the M/V back to his natural hair color (blonde) and striking a pose as he asks “Who is my heart waiting for?” What follows is three minutes and twenty-eight seconds of pure pop bliss.

“Who” Official M/V

We never met, but she's all I see at night
Never met, but she's always on my mind
Wanna give her the world and so much more
Who is my heart waiting for?

If every day I think about her
Yeah, every day of my life
Then tell me why I haven't found her
Why, why, why, why, why?


Even though we’ve now realized that he isn’t actually in love, we feel a cautious sense of optimism because he’s still searching. He wants to have those feelings again—it’s all he thinks about. And he’s willing to keep looking until he finds “her”. Jimin said that the song starts off feeling “dull and flat”, then gets hopeful… but “not too hopeful”. He wanted to find a realistic middle-ground for his expectations.


When “Who” was released it was apparent immediately that Jimin had another hit on his hands, even though he wasn’t present to promote the album in person. The song debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart at #14 in August 2024. It peaked at #12, and has spent 33 weeks in total on the chart, breaking several records in the process. Jimin is now the longest-charting Korean artist on the Billboard Hot 100. He surpassed Psy’s record for “Gangnam Style” at Week 31, and BTS’ record for “Dynamite” at Week 32. “Who” also debuted at #1 on the Billboard Global Chart in late July and held that spot for two weeks.

Jimin in the recording studio!

RM described “Who” as the “perfect performance song”, and when you watch Jimin’s performances of it, it’s easy to understand what he meant. The choreography is fast-paced and intricate, yet it still leaves a lot of room for us to breathe with the dancers and take in their emotions. It’s fun and sexy, and makes us want to move along.

It’s safe to say, that after the sexy and romantic vibes he gave all of us with MUSE, it’s likely there are many out there in the world now more than willing to bring Jimin’s search to an end once he’s back from his military service.

The line forms to the left, ARMY. Jimin biases and members of Bangtan get first dibs.

 
 
 
 

"Who” Official M/V

 
 
 
 
 

Bangtan Bubble: Have you met who your heart was waiting for?

 

Let us know your answer in the comments below or on social media (include #BangtanBubble)!

 
 

FINAL THOUGHTS:

Last week we were languishing in soul-sucking pain reliving the Pandemic through FACE, and this week we did a complete 180 turn around and fell in love over and over again with MUSE. Thanks for the whiplash, Jimin? In all honesty, it was refreshing to see that different side of him, right? Jimin has really grown as an artist and a songwriter, which is a goal he set for himself many years ago.

Return next week for the beginning of my ultimate destruction. We’ll begin our exploration of a soulful voice from Daegu who wondered all the way up until June 13, 2013 if he was going to actually debut with BTS…

 
 

Side Quest

“Are You Sure?”

If you haven’t watched this show yet, what the eff are you waiting for???

It shouldn’t be as good as it is, but here we are. Eight episodes of Jimin and Jung Kook (and sometimes V) traveling around, acting like idiots, eating way too much food, and giggling up a storm.

“Are You Sure?” is a travel-documentary style show that Jimin and JK decided to create just… on a whim. They were like “Hey we should travel to some places and film it” and HYBE was like, “Yes. Yes you should.”

Fair warning though… if you haven’t seen it… prepare thyself for copious amounts of bare skin from the Maknae Line. The BT21 protection stickers are long gone. So I have to ask, before you hit that play button…

“Are You Sure?”

 

“Are You Sure?!” Main Trailer

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

CREDITS:

YouTube/Web

BANGTANTV, HYBE LABELS, Asian Entertainment and Culture, ASIAN MANIA, BANGTAN WORLD, DISNEY PLUS, Edsubs, elisssa, Hello JISOO 2, Hidden Vocals World, Jaeggukie, JAEGUCHI, Jimin_Bella13, Manaya Hashmi, minnijm, rauhlren, RFK.0, ShadowByYoongi, Sonyeonstan, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon; Web: DISNEY PLUS

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)

 
 

Join us LIVE every Sunday evening at 8pm ET for #the529live, a wrap up of each week's “Monday Muster”, thoughtful discussions, and tons of laughter! And catch us on TikTok each Wednesday night at 9pm ET for #the529tea, when we talk Bangtan news and dish about any TEA that might be happening on Kim Namjoon’s internet. 

Sunday’s LIVE is hosted on ARMY Project 529’s YouTube channel: @ARMYProject529 while Wednesday’s LIVE is on our project TikTok:  @ARMYProject529.


Quince
Next

WEEK 63 | I Won’t Hide Anymore Even if it Hurts.