Let’s Indi-GO: RM’s Solo Debut Shines Like Flowerworks

On December 2, 2022, at 2 pm KST, ARMY tuned into the live premiere of 들꽃놀이 (with 조유진), or Wildflower with youjeen, on YouTube. The music video’s release marked the launch of RM’s first full-length studio album and third studio project, Indigo. Millions of ARMY watched as the majestic opening notes of RM’s title track echoed against a majestically flickering cloudscape, setting the tone for Indigo’s magnificent gravity and depth. A layered art piece that meditates on selfhood and stardom, timelessness and impermanence, and above all, what it means to be human. RM’s record-breaking album provides a glimpse into his career over the last four years.

Shades of Blue

RM has described Indigo as the “sister album” to his 2018 mixtape mono., filled with rich shades of blue to mono.’s titular black and white. Each of the album’s ten songs is designed to be a page in a “candid” diary or a “piece in the [art] exhibit” of RM’s life as he searches for his “signature sound” and identity beyond his role as the leader of BTS. The end product is an ambitious and exploratory work that spans genres and themes, but maintains a cohesive narrative that RM has explained through his abundance of press interviews and digital content.

Order of Operations

One notable structural aspect of Indigo’s listening experience is the absence of a “shuffle” function on most streaming sites, which emphasizes RM’s request that the album be listened to in order. In large part, this has to do with the album’s design, explained fully in the RM Indigo Album Magazine Film. The first three tracks build on each other, escalating in both tempo and liveliness to declare one’s humanity in the face of an often rigid society. Opening with the words of one of RM’s all-time biggest inspirations, painter Yun Hyong keun, Yun (with Erykah Badu) explores Yun’s belief that “artists must strive to establish their own humanity before pursuing art.” In this vein, the upbeat Still Life (with Anderson .Paak) re-imagines the static and unmoving genre of a still life painting (or an idol’s over-scrutinized image) into a continuous and defiant act of being “still alive,” a defiance echoed in All Day (with Tablo) as RM and the Epik High member battle against the capitalistic algorithm in search of the “real me.”

“Everything Change”

The album takes an abrupt turn with Forg_tful (with Kim Sawol). A soft acoustic track accompanied by percussion produced by everyday noises, the song begins with RM apologizing to his friends because “어제의 일을 자꾸 잊어요 (I keep forgetting what happened yesterday)” and segueing his personal experience into the observation that “각자의 방식들로 스스로 마취해 가요 (Everyone, in their own way, numbs themselves, on their own)”. This wistful reflection is followed by fan-favorite Closer (with Paul Blanco, Mahalia), a HONNE-produced track about falling for someone you can’t have. Fan edits set to the highly popular B-side track abound, with RM himself posting one about the movie “Decision to Leave” on his Instagram story. RM then reminds listeners in the lyrically damning and sonically glitchy Change Pt. 2 that “things change, people change, everything change,” from the person he “loved…once” to the person he used to be in “interviews… years ago.” Placed together, these three tracks create a remarkably wide arc on interpersonal relationships and impermanence.

RM describes the next two tracks, Lonely and Hectic (with Colde) as companions to each other: the first was written when the BTS members were effectively trapped in their Vegas hotel rooms during their month-long 2022 Grammys and “Permission to Dance” concert series, and the second was a gender-bending city pop commentary on the busyness of city life and modern society that expands upon themes found in RM’s 2018 track seoul (prod. HONNE).

“Like A Flowerwork”

If Indigo is an introspective diary, then the final two tracks 들꽃놀이/Wildflower (with 조유진) and No. 2 (with Park Ji Yoon) express what RM has learned over his eight previous “entries.” His title track is a bold proclamation in advocacy of gentle landings, wherein he expresses his desire to fall gently like flowers rather than explode like fireworks. Taking after the themes of burnout explored (quite literally) in j-hope’s Arson and overwhelming success in SUGA’s Interlude: Shadow, RM concludes that he will return to his beginnings and tread on as himself, even if he doesn’t quite know who he is yet. This determination is reflected in the song’s four minute structure as well, a deliberate challenge to the short and catchy songs that populate the era of viral sounds and streaming. No. 2 encourages all of us to stop looking back with regret, and remember that we did our best.

The Next Chapter?

After intimate concert, museum, and Weverse Live performances, RM has confirmed that he is now working on a more “upbeat” follow-up to Indigo. In the meantime, Indigo has seen remarkable success, hitting 67 #1s on iTunes, peaking at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 chart (the highest ever ranking for a Korean solo artist), and being named one of the best K-pop Albums of the year by TIME and the best K-pop Album of 2022 by Billboard. While we don’t know for sure what will come next for RM or Kim Namjoon, more brilliant colors and shades are soon to follow.

Written by: Mariko

Edited by: LJ

Designed by:Achan

ARMY Magazine does not own any of the photos/videos shared in our blog. No copyright infringement intended.