[Review] I’ll Be There – JIN (BTS)

I jump from the start to the end of the week to cover JIN’s solo comeback. JIN is the first BTS member to complete his military enlistment. Soon after being discharged from the military, he is back on the music scene with a pre-release, I’ll Be There, for his upcoming solo album, Happy. This is JIN’s first solo release since The Astronaut in 2022.

I’ll Be There is a song with a hopeful and uplifting message for those alone. Combined with JIN’s vocals and the upbeat band instrumental, this pre-release will surely appeal to many people. While he isn’t BTS’ go-to vocalist, I liked the oomph JIN puts behind his vocals. It gives I’ll Be There so much body and robustness. I also thought the slight huskiness of his vocals worked exceptionally well in this song, establishing a personal and individual sound we don’t get from JIN in BTS releases. The melodies and hooks were catchy, helping keep I’ll Be There buoyant in several ways. As for the instrumental, I’ll Be There‘s pop-rock venture is cheerful and puts a smile on my face. I also observe that it is percussive-heavy, bringing upbeat and great energy. Usually, the guitar or keyboard work gets the limelight in these types of songs. But the percussion (via the drums) definitely speaks louder in I’ll Be There. That said, I’ll Be There could have used more guitar, particularly in the final chorus. We get a guitar showing briefly, but I would have loved to hear more. But overall, I’ll Be There is an excellent return for JIN.

I quite like the premise of the music video, where JIN brings people together with his music. After all, he is sending a message of strength to those alone. JIN also looks like he enjoyed performing in front of a growing audience, which makes sense, given he didn’t have much opportunity to do this over the last two years. Towards the end, JIN is shown to be alone, embracing that side of the message whilst he performs the song and giving those at the subject of I’ll Be There‘s message further representation in the video.

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 8/10
Overall Rating – 8/10