Through the album, Jin expresses emotions like love, excitement and courage honestly, presenting himself as “a ray of sunshine,” radiating positive energy, according to his agency, BigHit Music.
Jin shared his thoughts on the album on Friday, saying, “I hope everyone who listens to this album feels happy. If fans respond with ‘This song is great,’ or ‘I want to listen to it again,’ I would be so happy.”
The album includes six rock-based tracks, featuring the lead single “Running Wild,” the prerelease song “I’ll Be There,” and other tracks like “Another Level” and “Heart on the Window.”
“I built this album around the band sound I love. Band sounds are especially fun to experience live, so I recommend imagining how these songs would feel in concert as you listen,” Jin said.
He explained what made him choose “Running Wild” as the lead track.
“When I first heard this song, I felt a sense of nostalgia. I chose it as the lead track, hoping listeners would feel a similar sense of comfort and familiarity.”
“After becoming a trainee in the military, I jotted down some feelings, like ‘My fans are waiting, I need to sing, I need to perform.’ It’s an honest record of my emotions. Drawing from those feelings, I wrote lyrics expressing my desire to return to my fans as soon as possible,” Jin said.
He thanked BTS’s fan club, ARMY, for waiting for him and his album.
“Thank you to all the ARMYs who waited for this album. It’s because of you that ‘Happy’ could be released. I’ll make sure to appear on behalf of all the members, so don’t be lonely! I love you!”
Jin will host a live broadcast titled “Jin Comeback Live: What is Happy?” on the fan community platform Weverse on Oct. 15. He will then hold a fan showcase, “Jin ‘Happy’ Special Stage,” on Oct. 16 and 17 at Jangchung Arena in Jung District, central Seoul.
BY YOON SEUNG-JIN [yoon.seungjin@joongang.co.kr]