Jin's Tribute: "Tonight"
In the middle of a multi-week celebration of BTS’ 6th anniversary, Jin, the oldest member of the group, released a new solo track on the band’s Soundcloud channel as part of FESTA. The track is titled ‘Tonight’ and has been sung and written by Jin himself. Prior to this, of the two solos Jin has vocalised, 'Awake' from WINGS and 'Epiphany' from Love Yourself: Answer; he has also written the latter.
In the last three years, Jin has suffered the loss of three of his beloved animals. His Maltese dog Jjangu passed in 2017. In a Fancafe post from September 2017, Jin stated he was having a hard time after having loved Jjangu for 12 years. He received the news while on tour and knew that his response made some ARMYs upset. “I think I worried ARMYs,” he confessed. In the same post, he thanked everyone who sent their love and best wishes to Jjangu. “Even though this is sad to know, I’ve come to tell you… I’ll be back in bright light again soon.”
A year later, Jin lost one of his sugar gliders. In a VLive broadcast, Jin told us, “Eomook had a bad accident and passed away.” Unfortunately, Jin had to make another sad announcement on 19th of March when he told ARMY that Odaeng had passed from an injury after jumping from his cage. “Odaeng has gone over where Jjangu and Eomook is,” he said in a VLive taping, visibly upset, showing just how much he has lost with these passings.
Jin revealed in a blog post that Tonight’s lyrics were inspired by his pets. “Hi, it’s Jin,” he said. “This is a song written while thinking about my companions. It is my first song, and I hope you’ll listen.” The lyrics of ‘Tonight’ represent his love for the animals by showcasing his longing for his pets. There is a bittersweet tone to the song with Jin reminiscing the joyful memories he has made and what he will miss about his animals.
“That endlessly transparent gaze and that feeling, so familiar now
and that face that had smiled as it looked at me, now.
Now, will I be unable to see you?”
With the passing of his beloved pets, however, Jin knows he can see them only when he closes his eyes.
"If I close my eyes, I’ll think of all the times we’ve been together.
If I close my eyes, I’ll think of only happy memories."
Finally, Jin shares his fears about being alone now that three of his four pets are gone.
"I’m afraid I won’t see you after this night
I’m afraid I’ll be left alone after this night"
At the peak of international stardom, it is understandable that Jin’s and the rest of the members’ schedules make it extremely tricky to care for their pets or other companions. The members of BTS have talked about their pets on endless occasions, stating that their parents or other family members care for them in their absence. This does not make the loss any easier, though, as ARMY knows how much the members love their animals.
“Tonight” has not only shown Jin’s capability to weave his feelings into lyrics but it has also showcased his spectacular vocals—airy but confident. The vocals, entwined seamlessly with the music arrangement, pour his emotions into the track to make it that much more captivating for the listener. Jin has yet again displayed his amazing skills as a lyricist and vocalist with his third solo ‘Tonight’.
The members of BTS have emphasized the beauty in simple things through their music time and time again from the scenery surrounding us to our precious animal companions. Perhaps this sincerity is what makes the boys so endearing to the world.
Written by: Wayna and Marcie
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