Layover by V: A Lovely Trip to a Beautiful Place

 

 

Is joy in the journey or the destination? Layover by V is a testament to the power of reflection and how the destination is not always the goal. V (Kim Taehyung) is a member of the boy band BTS and has joined the trend of releasing solo work. His first solo album, Layover, is rich with jazz, R&B, and has a soulful playfulness throughout. Jazz may be quite the departure from BTS’s usual sound, but V has a long history with the genre as he started listening to jazz when learning the saxophone at age 14. He rediscovered his love for soulful notes years later and now enjoys it and classical music immensely.

V has expressed that this album is supposed to reflect the nature of a layover. Each one can be different, but it’s a chance to reflect on where you’re going on this trip (or life) and what you truly want.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This album certainly succeeds in transporting you to and from beautiful spaces with a backdrop of sadness and calm. Layover’s songs take you on a journey from rain-saturated sidewalks in a quiet city (“Rainy Days"), to a tropical paradise where you can almost feel sand beneath your feet and your heart wants to sway with the ebbs and flows of the beat (“Slow dancing”). Each song is a short stop on your journey, and intricate atmospheric sounds build a sonic backdrop to many of these “layovers”.

Another thing that needs to be mentioned when discussing Layover is the backbone of every song: V’s rich voice. V has a very unique tone that lends itself beautifully to jazz and more mellow tunes. Rich and resonant, V adds a texture and slight sadness to each line and it is really amazing to hear how it impacts each composition.

The song that stands out most to me on this album is the intro track, “Rainy Days”. From the first listen, I found the staticky rain in the background a nice busy backdrop to the smoothness of the other musical elements. I also immensely enjoy the almost reversed-sounding notes throughout the song, mirroring the lyrics expressing a want to go back to the moment when things were good. You can also hear texts being sent throughout the song, signaling his want to know what to say to get “right back to you”. Other great elements are the soft beat and a piano tinkling its notes through the song. Overall, this song sets a great tone for the whole album and I still turn it on when I see rain outside.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another very memorable song is “Slow Dancing”. When I hear this song, it is impossible not to dance and sway along with it. Filled with smooth and groovy elements, it sets the listener at ease and has such a delightful flow. Like drifting down a lazy river with a simple smile on your face, this song envelops the listener in warmth and effortless enjoyment as a soft flute plays. I also need to shout out to the piano version. I was pleasantly surprised when I came upon the last song of the album and found it was not just an instrumental version, but an additional interpretation with a more somber and reflective piano to compliment V’s light vocals. It easily changed the mood of the song and was equally as enjoyable.

One more song that had a very interesting composition was “For Us”, the end of the album's arc. I particularly enjoy the switch up halfway through the song with the sound of a cassette being changed. The song reflects a conversation and was a good change of pace. The piano at the end mirrors “Slow Dancing” and feels like the perfect end to the album.

 

 

 

 

 

In all, this album deeply explores sentiments of longing and wishing you can change things. It also has many beautiful “layover” experiences throughout and is atmospherically spectacular. The album has a very solid arc and intentional bookends that give it shape and set lasting tones. It’s fun to see the difference between V's solo work and BTS’s as he explores his own sound. This album really feels like V’s artistic vision and product.

 

My take on the overall message is that you should take the time to be in each moment and phase of your life. You don’t need to rush to your destination. You should also consider what is really most important to your happiness. I’m really excited to see where V travels to from here on his artistic journey!