RM of BTS is officially a solo artist following the release of his debut album, Indigo, on Friday.
Speaking with Variety, the K-pop sensation said he began writing songs for his first solo record in 2019, starting with the lead single "Wild Flower." Said RM, "I think I started to write three songs in 2019. And most of these songs were made to be complete in 2021 and early 2022. They were almost complete before the decisions (about solo careers) and stuff."
The album, which he said he "just tried to write like a diary," sees him exploring different genres with the help of multiple collaborators that feature on eight of the record's 10 tracks.
"I don’t care about the genres," he said. "I just like the sounds. I like pop because it’s pop. I like rock because it’s rock. I like folk because it’s folk. So I just wanted to try all those things, but I just don’t want it to end as just an experiment."
RM said he tried to make Indigo "well-balanced — sound-wise, genre-wise, position-wise."
The rapper admitted he held this project very close to his chest and kept it mostly away from his bandmates. "We just usually don’t judge or easily advise somebody, because it’s their own," RM explained before revealing, "The only one I shared the whole music with was J-Hope, because he gave me a listening session before his Jack in the Box came out, so I just paid back the same."
RM added J-Hope's favorite track was "Wild Flower" and "Yun," his collaboration with Erykah Badu.
Indigo is available to stream and purchase now.