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BTS' Jimin recently released Set Me Free Pt.2, and fans are thrilled with the direction taken by the vocalist on the pre-release track of his upcoming album, FACE. Using a unique vocal timbre and an interesting story, the singer has built up even more anticipation for his first-ever solo album, having only released singles as part of his solo ventures previously.
The music video, in particular, is a masterpiece and has been compared to previous BTS videos, particularly Black Swan, Interlude: Shadow, and Jimin's own Lie, which also featured themes of freedom, escaping spaces that feel suffocating, and embracing one's true self.
Disclaimer: Some of the views expressed here are subjective.
4 things from the Set Me Free Pt. 2 music video by BTS' Jimin that you must know
1) The unique shapes formed during the choreography
A performer with the caliber of BTS' Jimin would definitely incorporate special choreography and dance points into his first solo album release, and the BTS member certainly did not disappoint in this aspect.
From him emulating a butterfly while also singing about flying away like a butterfly to the dancers forming the shape of the golden ratio at one point in the song, the music video has a lot of space for interpretation within its lyrics and choreography.
2) The subtle throwback to previous BTS music videos
Apart from the thematic similarities between past BTS songs and Set Me Free Pt. 2, the music video also offers some more obvious lyrical and overall set-up similarities.
For instance, 2020's ON from Map of the Soul: 7 and the recent song by BTS' Jimin both have the line, "Going insane to stay insane," with the vocalist perhaps repeating it to purposefully remind listeners of the connection to BTS.
The reference to Lie is less about the lyrics and more about the cinematography. However, if one were to interpret the correlation in a different way, perhaps getting "caught in a lie" previously allowed Jimin to be free from expectations, pressures, and hardships.
3) The loss of clothing one by one to represent growth
The shedding of clothes throughout the music video by BTS' Jimin represents more than just a beautiful stripping down of layers. It is him shedding societal expectations and outer stressors and being free in his own skin, doing things the way he likes, and displaying the parts that he wants to show.
Jimin has always been known for the softer masculinity that people now widely associate with the K-pop industry as a whole. Despite wanting to show a more obvious kind of machismo earlier in his career, he eventually realized that he wasn't being true to himself, and Set Me Free Pt. 2 seems to be a culmination of this realization.
4) The meaning of the words on his torso during the last scene
When BTS' Jimin stripped off most of the clothes off his torso save for the jacket, some words appeared to have been tattooed on his upper body. Some fans on Twitter discovered that it was a German poem by Rainer Maria Rilke, with the translated title being, I live my life in widening circles.
The poem speaks of completely giving oneself into the task at hand without understanding who they are at the moment, but that listlessness does not detract from their ability to excel.
BTS' Jimin has been winning both critical and commercial accolades since the music video of Set Me Free Pt. 2 was released on YouTube and other music platforms on March 17, 2023. As of writing, the video has already acquired greater than 11 million views on YouTube, making it the year's biggest release by a solo K-pop artist so far.
Jimin will release the full album titled FACE on March 24, with five other tracks, including BTS leader RM as a collaborator for the title track, Face-Off. The Promise singer has also tried his hand at composing his album, giving fans a lot to look forward to.
