The Packaging
Before anything else, I want to share how much I love the packaging of this album. The simple white box that had the CD and all the other freebies was a very nice touch. RM's aesthetic for this album was so good! Everything about it reflects his love and passion for art!
The Cyanotype postcards included in the package were so beautiful! I saw someone framed them and hung them on the wall at their home and it looked like a work of art! I want to do the same thing! I have never heard of Cyanotype photography before, but now I am very curious about it. They look so lovely and romantic!
A Different Sound
After J-Hope’s solo album release, RM was the second among the members of BTS to release an album. As someone from the rap line of BTS, I knew that he was going to rap. What surprised me was the promotional material from the album. It made me think that this was going to be different from the sound he had from his previous mixtapes. I had a hunch it was going go in a more R&B direction and I was right.
A Personal Journey That We Get to Follow
Albums these days tend to come out as a collection of songs that take listeners on an emotional journey. It shows you a part of that artist's life and gives you a look at his creativity. That was what I felt when I listened to Indigo. I felt that every song, with its every note, lyric, and sound, painted a picture of his life and thoughts. His album was a chapter in the story of his life.
Like J-Hope's Jack in the Box, RM’s Indigo is very personal. It is an introspective album that shares his feelings about his life and career. The only difference is that RM has packed his album with an arsenal of collaborations to go with it.
Most people pick and choose which songs to listen to first, but RM suggested doing it differently. He said that the best way to hear his story was by listening to the songs on Indigo in order. That's what I did and that is also how I will review the songs on this post.
My Review
The first single released from the album is Wild Flower, which has a beautiful music video. Despite having this song as a first single, it is not the first song on the album.
I have been listening to Indigo's songs in order since I first got it. I must agree that the music flows well from one song to another in that way. His songs also reflected the musical style of each of the artists he collaborated with in his music. It is a good mix and I am glad that these are the people he collaborated with.
It was exciting to learn that Erykah Badu was in the first track of the album called Yun. The title is the name of South Korean artist Yun Hyongkeun, whose voice starts the track. The song talks about RM’s thoughts on his journey as an artist.
The next track is Still Life. This is a song with Anderson Paak that is about moving forward, about living life nonstop no matter what. It is a fun track that I immediately bobbed my head to. It is so catchy and fun, much like Anderson Paak's personality.
The next track, All Day, a collaboration with Tablo of Epik High, seems to have a similar theme to Still Life. Both songs seem to have a more funk feel, but the latter track feels a bit more hip-hop to me. I love several songs from Epik High and I know RM is a fan, so I was happy to hear them together on this track.
Forg_tful, a song with Kim Sawol, is the next track on the album. They said this is the song that started all these songs for Indigo. According to many, this is about that state of forgetfulness as time passes.
I know there may be a different meaning for RM when he wrote this. But for me, my interpretation is this: it is about how forgetting can be both a good thing and a sad thing at the same time. It is sad to forget good memories. At the same time, forgetting the bad is a way of numbing ourselves from the pain of it. I liked this track, especially his choice of using a more acoustic sound to match the message of the song.
Another song that I liked was Closer with Paul Blanco and Mahalia. This sounds more like R&B and is one of the songs (along with Change pt. 2) that has the most lyrics in English. That made it easier for me to understand, not that it mattered. The songs are all so good that language is not a barrier to feeling the emotions that each song wants to convey.
The next track, Change pt. 2, was interesting because this sounds like a breakup song, both with the lyrics and the sound of it. I do not think I have ever heard any of the guys from BTS do a song like this before. It feels so personal. It makes me want to ask RM who broke up his heart to make him write this. Then I'm going to track that person down and give them a piece of my mind.
I thought the song Lonely felt like a very vulnerable song. It is a song that talks about how even with his life he still feels lonely. This is another one of my favorites in the album. I enjoyed the beat of the song and the beats on this track.
The next song, Hectic (with Colde), seems to be a continuation of the theme of Lonely. In this one he sings about his busy life, and how he wants to stop because he is longing for something else. I thought that felt so sad. I hope he doesn't feel this sad anymore.
Speaking of Colde, RM has another collaboration with him called Don't Ever Say You Love Me. I loved that one (and the music video) too, but I'm reserving my thoughts for a future post!
The next tract is the first single released from the album. Wild Flower (with youjeen), also seems connected to this Lonely and Hectic. In this track, he talks about his struggle with his fame and successful life. I loved this song from the moment I heard it. It was so good that it was playing in my head over and over for days after I first heard it.
For some reason, this is the song that helps me to feel better after a bad day. It helps me to feel hopeful and it comforts me when I'm feeling low. I know it has a message different from what I can relate to since I am not famous, but the sound still makes me feel better.
RM closed out the album with the song No. 2 (with parkjiyoon), which has a more hopeful message of moving forward and having no regrets in life. I felt that after all the songs that contemplated the state of his life, it was great to end it on a good note. I'm glad he ended it with a light song like this.
I love that RM felt comfortable enough to be so vulnerable with his music on this album. I liked that he was adventurous about trying out different styles. I thought that the album was such an emotional ride for any listener. It also reflected how artistic he is. The album felt like a work of art from the packaging to lyrics and the sound.
What's Next
I read somewhere that RM is already working on a follow-up to this album. According to him, it would have a different sound from this one. Considering how this one is different from his mix tapes, I am curious about what he will produce next.
The unfinished song that he sang when he was at the D-Day concert might be one of those songs on this new album. If it is, I am very excited to hear the rest of it! It sounded so sweet, sincere, and adorable! It sounded like it had so much love! I am looking forward to it!
Has anyone else listened to Indigo? What did you think of it? Share your thoughts in the comments!
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