Finding ‘The Truth Untold’ in Seoul

This exhibition for BTS’s Jimin is a journey through his two solo albums

Stepping into “The Truth Untold” exhibition felt like walking into a place where pain and beauty can exist together harmoniously, and where you are invited to take a journey through the devastation, loneliness, growth, and joy that makes up life and these albums.

This exhibition, which is being held in Seoul until November 3, was created to showcase the processes behind BTS’s Jimin’s two solo albums, Face and Muse.

I was swept into the mind of Jimin as I walked through the first archway, into a semi-dark room where a pool of water sat, encompassed by concept photos from his Face album. The instrumental song on the album, “Interlude: Dive,” played quietly in the background.

As I stood at the pool of water, looking down at the peacefulness of my reflection, a single drop of water fell, interrupting the pool of water and distorting the once peaceful and still image I had seen of myself.

This wasn’t a leaky ceiling. When Face was announced in March of 2023, the image of the album included that of ripples of water being spread out as if someone had dropped a pebble into the once calm and quiet stillness.

This simple looking artwork is actually not at all simple, in fact, it signifies so much more than just the disrupting of water. In this album, Jimin confronts incredibly difficult topics such as loneliness, depression, difficult relationships, and heartbreak.

The disruption of peace on the water’s surface was a symbol of what Jimin was facing at the time he wrote these songs. No matter how hard he tried to get back to that peacefulness that he so desperately craved, the emotions inside him were causing ever-constant conflict, not allowing him to rest from the hurts and doubts he was experiencing, thus stirring up the water’s surface of his heart.

These ripples became the starting point of Jimin’s solo story, the journey that took him from his self-reflection and struggles to that of Face, an album that would soon make him a #1 Billboard Hot 100 artist.

Now, these ripples don’t just signify Jimin’s past pain and inner turmoil, but the influence of his music across the globe.

Instead of the calm, quiet and introspective atmosphere that was found in the first room, the second exuded neon colors, bright lights and photos of Jimin from his “Like Crazy” music video.

In “Like Crazy,” Jimin navigates a breakup and the devastation that comes along with losing someone who once meant everything to you, as well as the denial that can come from saying goodbye.

Two of the lines that stand out in this song are,

“I’d rather be lost in the lights” and “I’m feelin’ so alive, wasting time.”

My sister Torey and I have talked about the significance of this song and these lines many times, and to us, these lines signify how we as people would rather turn away from reality when we are going through a difficult time, in many cases.

Instead of facing the truth that can allow us to heal and move on, we get caught distracting ourselves from the hurts through things that ultimately waste our time and can never give the happiness and relief we desperately need.

Another room, “Set Me Free Pt. 2,” signifies the freedom that is found once you are finally able to let go of the ties that bind you to the heartbreak and never-ending cycle of people pleasing.

Jimin wrote “Set Me Free Pt. 2” to be a continuance of Suga of BTS’s song “Interlude: Set Me Free,” which was released in 2020 as part of the Agust D mixtape D-2.

(Agust D is Suga’s solo rapper name)

In this hauntingly beautiful song, Suga explores why he can’t be set free from the problems that plague him, serving as a perfect transition to Jimin’s song, where he is finally set free after a hard fought battle.

“Alone,” on the other hand, is a very quiet and almost sad sounding song, a stark contrast to that of “Like Crazy” and “Set Me Free Pt. 2,” which are both very dynamic and utilize very intense usage of visuals and musical components.

The stripped sounds of “Alone” feel like solitude and the times when loneliness feels almost suffocating. It emanates the strong desire to come out of this cycle and no longer wrestle with these feelings.

“Alone” feels like a hug to anyone who has once experienced what Jimin was feeling in that moment. This room in the exhibit was simple, with multiple screens lighting up the darkness and showcasing the hours that Jimin put into the writing, recording, and producing this album.

The exhibit also included handwritten notes from Jimin’s songwriting process, and it was so fascinating to see the notes and how some of the lyrics were different from what had actually become part of the released songs.

Seeing his thought process, the scribbles in the margins, and the questions posed on those sheets of paper was a reminder that many times, our first attempt at something won’t be our best or even turn into the final product. Instead of giving up, it can merely be inspiration and motivation to keep going.

The last room of the Face portion of the exhibition was dedicated to A.R.M.Y, BTS’s fanbase.

(A.R.M.Y stands for “Adorable Representative MC for Youth” and was gifted to the fans on July 9, 2013, less than a month after BTS debuted on June 13, 2013).

In his album, Jimin included a hidden track for A.R.M.Y. BTS has been known to include hidden tracks on their albums in the past, with the group’s leader RM sharing that one particular hidden track was meant to be listened to by A.R.M.Y and found when the listener needs it most. This song is BTS’s very poetic hidden track, “Sea” (바다).

“Letter” (편지), Face’s hidden track, was penned by Jimin following the announcement of the group’s hiatus. Jimin said following that announcement, all he could think about was how A.R.M.Y was feeling. Perhaps he was connecting the pain he was writing about in Face with the pain A.R.M.Y was facing after hearing the news of the hiatus.

The result of this pain, and Jimin’s love for A.R.M.Y, spilled out into a love letter in the form of a song, with a reminder that it was going to be okay.

“We don’t know what the future holds

And that’s scary and makes us afraid

But don’t forget that we’re always together.”

(Bold lyrics are translated from Korean)

In the exhibit room dedicated to “Letter,” a physical, handwritten letter from Jimin to A.R.M.Y was framed with the backdrop of him singing the song live.

The intimacy of the song and the words in the letter brought tears to my eyes as I stood in the nearly empty room and listened to him sing. The song not only signifies the love he feels for the people who have stood by his and BTS’s side through good times and bad, but the shift from the hopelessness and pain of Face to a new chapter of hope and love in Muse.

On the back wall, awards that Jimin received for Face, including his Billboard Hot 100 award, Melon Millions Album award and others were displayed.

As I left the room for “Letter,” I was given a copy of the music sheet titled “La Lettra,” the music used to announce Jimin’s second solo album, Muse. Muse was released on July, 19, 2024, seven months after he enlisted in the Korean army with the other members of BTS.

This album has seven tracks, in contrast to Face’s six, and includes “Closer Than This,” the song that Jimin released as a gift to A.R.M.Y for Christmas on December 22.

If Face is a journey through deep introspection, loneliness, and feelings of inadequacy and pain, Muse is the very opposite. This album’s upbeat music exudes hope and the path of finding true love while including nods to old BTS music and the usage of the mythical flower, Smeraldo.

The songs envision the process of finding love as something hopeful and exciting, an endeavor that will one day lead to a happily ever after framed by real, true love.

The album, with its bright colors, endless amounts of flowers, and nod to BTS lore, starts off Jimin’s journey to find love with the song “Rebirth: Intro,” which also happens to be my favorite song on the album.

“Rebirth: Intro” is a song that expresses the desire to love and be loved and is the kickstart to that journey, with Jimin saying,

“I want a real good love

I’m trying to find a love.”

The room that housed “Rebirth: Intro” included a video of Jimin performing the song live, as well as various clips of the recording process, dance practices, and more for A.R.M.Y to see and enjoy.

The transition of the wistful longing of “Rebirth: Intro” to that of the albums title track, “Who,” in the exhibition is one that I absolutely love.

This room was bright and colorful, giving the vibes of a trendy city corner with neon signs, vintage design, and artful graffiti covering the walls. The music video for this song, that was written in collaboration with Jon Bellion, also played on one wall, while the opposite held the iconic outfits that Jimin wore in the video.

While “Rebirth: Intro” is soft longing for love and the desire to tell the one you love how you feel, “Who” is more of an eager posing of the questions that rattle around in your head when you think about the soulmate yet to be found.

“We’ve never met but she’s all I see at night

Never met but she’s always on my mind

Wanna give her the world and so much more

Who is my heart waiting for?

Is she someone that I see every day?

Is she somewhere a thousand miles away?”

When leaving the room dedicated to “Who,” you feel like you’re walking off the bustling city street and it’s chaos of lights and sounds into a vintage record shop, where you can turn off your mind and just enjoy the music.

Each station played a different song, and you could be fully immersed in each of Jimin’s songs while enjoying the atmosphere of the Jimin-themed “record shop.”

Muse, as a whole, was inspired by the Beatles’s “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” and has more of a vintage vibe than a lot of mainstream pop albums today, in my opinion.

One of the tracks, “Smeraldo Garden Marching Band,” was specifically inspired by this song of the Beatles. This super fun and lighthearted song takes place in a “Smeraldo Garden,” and the band Jimin partners with for this album called themselves “The Smeraldo Garden Marching Band,” thus turning into the name of the song as well.

This is where the name of the exhibition, “The Truth Untold,” ties in.

A Smeraldo is a mythical flower that played an important role in BTS’s Love Yourself era, with the flower appearing in a song from the Love Yourself: Her album which was released in 2017. It’s also been part of other eras in the BTS music storyline.

In this 2017 appearance, the Smeraldo takes front and center in the “The Truth Untold,” which is sung by the vocal line members of BTS: Jin, Jimin, V, and Jung Kook.

This song weaves together the story of a man who is deemed too “grotesque” to leave the castle in which he hides himself. Because he doesn’t interact with people, his love is wrapped into his garden of flowers, which incidentally, are Smeraldo flowers.

One day, a woman begins showing up to the garden to pick flowers. At first, the man is enraged that the woman picks his beloved flowers, but soon, he falls in love with her and learns that she is picking and selling the flowers to help provide for her family. To help her, he allows her to pick his flowers whenever she needs them.

Whenever the woman is around, the man hides himself behind a mask in fear of scaring her with who he truly is. The song showcases his desire to reveal himself to her in hopes she would love him for who he is, but before he gets the chance, she either dies or disappears from his life forever.

“You know that I can’t

Show you me

Give you me

I can’t show you a ruined part of myself

Once again I put on a mask on and go to see you

But I still want you.”

This tragic storyline represents the Smeraldo flower as the “truth untold” or truths that we haven’t been able to show those we love because of the fears that hold us back from revealing ourselves.

In “Smeraldo Garden Marching Band,” Jimin chooses to tell those he loves how he feels, rather than leaving his feelings untold.

“All the things we couldn’t say before

And your hidden feelings too

I’ll tell you everything now (Just for you)

Don’t you worry anymore

Since we’re together now

Let’s be a little more honest (Let’s go).”

In the MiniMoni Music episode with RM released in August, Jimin dives deeper into the process behind his albums, sharing that Muse was written around the same time as Face, with the real production of the album beginning right after Face was released in April 2023.

“I really tried to express all of the emotions I felt at the time,” Jimin said, adding that the process of Muse was the search for a muse to make him feel excited about life again, while Face was more about facing himself and finding clarity.

Through it all, Jimin said that his goal was to grow and become a better version of himself, finishing with an album that showcased his growth and vision as not only an artist, but as a person.

I personally think he succeeded! Throughout the exhibition, I could sense Jimin’s growth and desire to show A.R.M.Y, his members, and the world how far he’s come.

This exhibition demonstrated that no season can last forever, and light will always overcome darkness. Even in times of loneliness and confusion, we can always find the other side and reignite our spark to become an even better version of the person we left behind.

After I finished my journey through the exhibition, I couldn’t stop thinking about which songs in these albums I relate to/love the most and why.

Face

Face’s songs are incredibly thought-provoking and deep, and every time I listen, I’m transported back to a time I went through a similar season that Jimin references in this album.

After a really difficult breakup in 2021, I found myself back at square one. I didn’t know what I wanted out of life, I lost a lot of people I thought would be friends forever, and I felt life had faded from exciting and colorful to scary and dull.

I was living in a city away from my family and friends and was working in a difficult job that seemed determined to steal the remaining joy I had left. It flickered and wavered, but luckily, it didn’t go out, thanks to the people who never left my side and my faith in God.

As I listened to Face just a few months later, after coming out of that season, I knew exactly how Jimin had felt when he wrote these albums. While our circumstances may have been different, I resonated with the continued reverberation of loneliness that echoed through these songs.

Though it was so difficult for me to pick, I chose my top 3 Face songs to be “Letter,” “Alone,” and “Like Crazy.” The other songs on the track list are “Set Me Free Pt. 2,” “Interlude: Dive,” and “Face-Off.”

3. Like Crazy

“Like Crazy” has two versions, one in English and one in Korean. To keep the flow of the lyrics in both languages, the songs have slightly different meaning, but the overall message is the same. The title comes from the movie of the same name, which chronicles a toxic relationship and the ensuing breakup that occurs.

The songs follow someone who has gone through a breakup and is trying to figure out how to go on with their life, though somewhat in denial that the heartbreak has taken place. The person tries to convince themselves, and others, that they’re fine, when in reality, they’re lost.

In an interview after Face’s release, Jimin talked about that time in his life, saying, “I was lost, but I thought I was having fun,” which I think sums up this song in the best way possible.

“This will break me

This is gonna break me

No, don’t you wake me

I wanna stay in this dream, don’t save me

Don’t you try to save me

I need a way we

I need a way we can dream on.”

It’s honestly incredible how music can make us reflect on the vulnerabilities that we try to keep hidden beneath the surface. When I listened to this song, I physically felt what he was talking about.

When I broke off my engagement in 2021, I allowed myself to feel my emotions, but I also tried to convince myself and others that I was fine, though it was really hard. While I did need to say goodbye to the relationship and it was the right thing, the pain from saying goodbye to the dream I’ve had for my entire life — to be married and have a family — was what caused the deep-rooted hurt that was very hard to shake.

This upbeat song captures that initial denial perfectly and promises better things to come, despite the hopeless sounding lines at the ending.

2. Alone

I love “Alone” and could talk about the lyricism in this song for such a long time. It’s another one that past me could relate to, which is why I pause when the song comes on. Jimin singing in his lower register, different from the normal whimsical and airy sound of his voice adds to the sincerity of the lyrics.

Not only does it remind me of the times I spent alone while I tried to find my way, it serves as a reminder of how far I’ve come thanks to my faith, my family, and even BTS’s music, including this song.

Before I started trying to be a freelance writer and before I moved home, and discovered BTS (and my dream to be in Korea), I was working in a job that was slowly breaking me.

Though I had made a few friends at work, I felt so alone, especially when I returned to my empty apartment each night. It felt like every day was just a repeat of the same struggles and that there was no light at the end of the tunnel. I was sad and slowly felt like I was becoming a shell of myself.

This song highlights that feeling, while emphasizing that if you are going through those feelings, you are going to be okay:

“The same day

It flows again

How long do I have to endure it?

Can I go back to where I am from?

This cold and lonely night

Without thinking

I walk in my dark room alone

I said it was okay

I feel like I’m losing myself slowly.

Day and night, fall and repeat

Bad twilight, I look away but

Day and night fall and repeat (Mayday, get me out of here)

Make it right, it’s gonna be alright.”

While this song is so sad, I feel like it’s written with so much hope woven through the lyrics. Even though the night is dark and you feel alone, it won’t last forever, and we should never give up on chasing the light.

1. 편지 (Letter)

“Letter” is one of my favorite songs. And while I love that it is a hidden track created with just A.R.M.Y in mind, I do sometimes wish I could listen to it on my playlist!

The lyrics are beautiful, and the fact that it is literally a letter put to music makes it that much more meaningful to me. I absolutely love poetry, and to me, this letter is poetry.

The song is a message of hope in an otherwise dark-themed album. In this letter, Jimin thanks those who have been by his side and stayed with him in the beautiful, sunny days and the times he fell down. He expresses his desire that those people find all the happiness he wishes he could give them.

The letter starts with an admission of not knowing quite how to convey his love and gratitude, adding that he will, in turn, be there for those who have been there for him.

“I say oh-oh, I hope you can be happier

You, who stretched your hand out to me

Whenever I fell

I say oh-oh, I’ll hold it now

So when you feel like crying, you won’t fall.”

Because this letter was written following the news of their hiatus, Jimin muses about what the future will hold, and if things will be the same when their hiatus ends. He even references BTS’s hidden track, “Sea.”

“After all this time has passed,

Will we be the same?

Just like we were when we first met,

If we are together, even the desert could turn into a sea

Just like we were then.”

Jimin turns away from the questions of what the future will hold to his desire that this life he has built with BTS and A.R.M.Y will last forever, gently requesting A.R.M.Y to stay. In these lines, he also references BTS’s song, “Spring Day,” which talks about the arrival of spring after a long and hard winter (finally being reunited with those you love after a difficult time apart).

He could also be referencing the “cold winter” he experienced while going through the struggles that ultimately produced Face.

“I really hope it’ll last forever

You, who felt like a warm spring to me in a cold winter

I’ll always cherish it

All those moments between you and I.

Baby, don’t leave

Just stay by my side

To you, who sees me bigger than what my little self is

So that I can give as much as I’ve received

So that I can keep my word

Don’t worry, just stay by my side

We don’t know what the future holds

And that’s scary and makes us afraid

But don’t forget we’re always together.”

Muse

I love Muse! Muse, to me, signifies the growth that can be found after a difficult season. I frequently ponder who will be my soulmate and who my heart is waiting for, like Jimin talks about in Muse.

I love the happy and carefree aspects to this album and the excitement of searching for love that is accompanied in the lyrics.

Though it was much harder to choose my tops three songs in this album, I ended up choosing “Rebirth: Intro,” “Closer Than This,” and “Who.”

The other tracks in Muse (that I also adore) are “Smeraldo Garden Marching Band,” “Interlude: Showtime,” “Be Mine,” and “Slow Dance” (featuring Sofia Carson).

3. Who

“Who” is such a dynamic song! As soon as it starts playing, you can’t help but want to dance. It’s quite literally the perfect drive-down-the-street-with-the-windows-down-sing-at-the-top-of-your-lungs song. (Don’t just take my word for it, try it yourself!)

The acoustic version of this song is absolutely stunning and makes this journey to love feel even more bittersweet and full of longing. If I had to choose my favorite out of the two, I think I would have to choose the acoustic version. I love listening to the quiet strum of the guitar and the rawness in Jimin’s voice as he sings.

In this song, Jimin encapsulates the endless questions that come with the search for the person you desperately want to find and spend the rest of your life loving. The chaos in the music video could be seen as a representation of the inner questions rolling around in your heart while contemplating these questions.

Over the course of the song, he asks over and over, “Who is my heart waiting for?” questioning where she is and how he’ll find her, sharing that he wants to “give her the world.”

This is another song I definitely relate to. It’s kind of scary being in your mid-20s and having no idea who you are going to end up with, and that is the biggest question mark in my life right now. I loved the honesty in the lyrics, as well as the fun way the message of the song is conveyed.

The music video is a visual treat as well, with lights, dancing, and an incredible set that perfectly conveys inner turmoil surrounding the uncertainty of looking for love.

“If every day I think about her

Yeah, every day of my life,

Then tell me why I haven’t found her

Why? Why? Why? Why? Why?

So many people to see

And places to go

We still haven’t found hello.”

2. Closer Than This

“Closer Than This,” like “Letter,” is a message to A.R.M.Y, as well as a tribute to BTS as a whole with clips from their debut to now highlighted in the music video. The song was released separate from Muse, releasing as a Christmas gift to A.R.M.Y following his enlistment in December of 2023.

In this song, Jimin talks about the team’s debut in 2013 and the moment they met A.R.M.Y, fondly reflecting on how they were “so shy and awkward back then” and how quickly the time has flown by.

In the following verses, Jimin comforts A.R.M.Y, saying that though they have to leave for their military for a short period, it’s only “a small comma in our story” before they’ll be back again.

“Don’t have to worry now

Letting go of your hand for a moment

But it’s only a small comma in our story

Just call my name out loud

Until the days tinge purple once again.”

(Purple is the color that represents BTS, and V even coined the term “보라해” or “I purple you” to mean, “I love you more than love.”)

“Whenever you need me (I’ll be)

If you will believe me (I’ll be)

I’ll never let you go

Never let you go.”

The song ends with Jimin’s promise to remember only the happy times during this time apart and that like how the time flew from their debut to now, this time apart will fly by too. He even references “Spring Day” like he did in “Letter.”

“Whenever it rains, I’ll remember the times I sang in the rain,

Whenever it snows, I’ll cherish how you smiled for me in the snow

On the spring day, when we meet again, I’ll tell you everything I couldn’t before

My love, my babe, forever by your side

Seven equals one, right, our hearts still beat as one

Close your eyes for just a second, I’ll be standing in front of you.”

1. Rebirth: Intro

My favorite song on this album is “Rebirth: Intro.” I love the beauty in this song, and it almost feels like listening to a soft daydream filled with longing for the person who is meant to cherish your heart. It’s the beginning of love and wanting to express it to the person.

It’s a promise that you will spend the rest of your life treating that person as if they are the most precious thing in the world and wanting an authentic and life-long love with them.

“I want a real good love, good love, good love

I’m tryna find a love, good love, real love

I was in pitch black, but I couldn’t stop thinking of you all day long

I want to take one step and two steps closer

Without you knowing

Stay with you, with you, with you

I will be your reason, reason, reason

I hope this feeling reaches to you, to you, you

To you.

White clouds

The wind passing by

Floating petals

It feels like it’s been waiting just for us

When that door opens

When I get closer to you

I’ll tell you this

I will be special all for you

Special just for you

For you

For you

I wanna be with you.”

This song, though shorter than most of the songs on the album at 2 minutes and 24 seconds, starts out with a gorgeous mix of light music that if I were to try to explain it to someone who hasn’t listened, I would be most apt to describe it as how I would imagine shooting stars sound as they fall.

The sound of stars falling transitions into the core music of the song, soon leading into Jimin’s whimsical vocals expressing his desire to have a love that is real, true, and forever.

There is just something about the tempo and pacing of this beautiful song that makes me listen to it over and over on repeat. When the drums come in on the chorus, I’m swept up into the lyricism and beauty of it all, and it’s one that stays imprinted on my mind long after it ends.

I think it’s a song that I also relate to, perhaps making me feel even more connected and in-tune to every aspect of the masterful way it’s written and arranged. In a world that is content with fast-paced, self-serving love that never lasts, I want a “good love, real love.”

Conclusion

Though this ended up being much longer than I originally anticipated, it has been such a joy being able to express my love for these albums and share my experience at “The Truth Untold” exhibition with all of you.

If you’ve listened to these albums, which song has left the most impact on you? And if you haven’t, you might want to grab your earbuds 🤭

With Love,

Bailey