Jin Shows Off His Duality and Devotion in “Echo”
After six months, Jin (Kim Seokjin) of the global sensation BTS has returned with his second solo album, Echo, released on May 16. Following his debut project, Happy, released in November 2024, focused primarily on gifting feelings of joy and unity to listeners all around the world. Now in Echo, Jin shows off his duality by exploring genres, darker themes, and vocals that can ignite and settle your heart. With creative control and writing credits throughout the album, Echo is Kim Seokjin through and through.
Feeling the Trace of Love
Echo begins with the lead single, “Don’t Say You Love Me.” The single retains a 2000s pop-rock influence wavering on a ballad, declaring both love and heartbreak. The lyrics come from a first-person point of view with Jin in the lead perspective. Through him, the listener can see his side of the story only as he grapples with a failing relationship. Jin pleads with his partner to move on from him, since he is too in love and doesn’t have the strength to move on himself.
Even though both partners know there is love circulating with every move they make toward one another, something isn’t working, and they both end up getting hurt. In the music video, Jin can be seen alongside actress Shin Se-kyung as they grapple with seeing each other again after breaking up. As they reflect on their past, they mentally acknowledge what once was and what can never be again.
The tone abruptly changes as “Nothing Without Your Love” begins playing as the second track on the album. The placement of “Don’t Say You Love Me” and “Nothing Without Your Love” side-by-side offers an interesting juxtaposition of the lowest plea and the highest beauty of a relationship, respectively. Accompanied by orchestral strings, “Nothing Without Your Love” is pure magic.
The instrumental builds up to the chorus and sweeps the listener up in an enchanting melody until Jin declares, “I’m nothing without your love.” The track is sentimental in value, and the singer’s voice is passion-filled as he challenges every note to be more uplifting than the last. Easily the most uptempo song on the album, this song leaves a lasting impression, and with Jin on the writing credits, it is obvious not just in tone but in action that he stands behind every lyric.
Genre Sculpting and Shaping
As “Loser (feat. YENA)” starts playing, it becomes clear as well that Jin is ready to show every side of his artistic ability. The song starts with a metronomic intro containing a hollow-sounding rhythm, similar to the sound of claves, coupled with Jin’s voice. As it progresses, he is joined by a hardcore guitar that continues to lead the instrumental.
“Loser” is the only song on the album with a feature as eccentric and shining YENA takes the second verse. From there on begins a duet with Jin for the remainder of the song. Their voices clash together over a loud punk sound — which is new to Jin’s discography — while also adopting a Japanese rock influence, similar to YENA’s signature sound. The guitar grows in vivacity, building with the fervor of the duo, and tempting the listener to give in and dance along with the bickering pair. A calm wave comes as the song comes to a close, that is, until there is a horse to snap you out of the serenity.
If Jin adding pink to his discography came as a shock, the singer adding country is really going to come as a surprise. With a full western intro, completed with a horse’s neigh, nothing is off the table in “Rope It.” Jin can be imagined with a cowboy hat, boots, a flannel, and a lasso because that’s exactly the scene the song is setting, and he goes as far as even singing, “Let’s bring the lasso round.” “Rope It” is completely individual to what the K-pop scene is currently seeing, as it combines Jin’s pop voice with a fun and energetic melody enhanced with Southern spirit. The song is complete with chants sprinkled into the bridge that are sure to ignite across the crowds on his 2025 world tour.
The fifth song, “With the Clouds,” brings together ballads, rock, pop, and elements of traditional Korean music to take listeners on a sonic journey through the perspective of Jin. The song is fully in Korean, but it uses beat switches and vocal inflection to evoke emotional understanding, no matter the language. Jin sings with an explanatory tone as if telling the complications and journey of a story with every chord and tonal shift. “With the Clouds” transports and serves as the soundtrack to an uplifting adventure with Jin and fans as the main characters.
A Lingering Love
The slowest song with the most emotional conviction lies in “Background.” The song assumes a sound familiar to fans of Jin’s solo music contained in BTS’ group albums, such as “Awake” and “Epiphany.” The first verse is welcoming and ardent, leading up to the strong, impactful chorus and the climax of the song. Jin sings, “Maybe in another place, another time” before finishing off the chorus with a pained, “I’ll be here in the background.” “Background” confidently exhibits Jin’s lower register to emphasize the emotional impact of the lyrics and power of the ballad.
Jin finishes off his sophomore album with “To Me, Today.” It starts as a calm indie tune to sway side-to-side to before erupting into a vibrant and bold youthful pop chorus. Jin ends the chorus singing, “Now, I fly to where my heart beats,” showing he will always follow his own path. The track is warm and creates a universalism with its community-building tone. While it isn’t confirmed to have been written with this intent, it sounds perfect for Jin to sing in front of crowds, inviting the audience to sing along with him. “To Me, Today” ends the album on a note of positivity, happiness, and heart.
Echo presents versions of Jin not sonically seen before, but fans and long-time listeners know that the artist always has something charming in store. The global superstar will be hitting the stage across Asia, the United States, London, and Amsterdam from June to August, with songs from Echo surely at the forefront. Until then, fans will have these songs repeating — or echoing — every day.
Echo is available to stream on Spotify and Apple Music. Make sure to stay up to date on all things Jin on his Instagram and TikTok.
Want more EnVi music recommendations? Check out our breakdown of SAILORR’s new debut album, FROM FLORIDA’S FINEST, here!
