RM’s original post-album plan didn’t happen as expected.
BTS‘s RM released his debut solo album, Indigo, following two successful solo mixtapes released in 2015 and 2018.
The genre-bending 10-track album featured nine incredible artists and brought to life RM’s twenties, which were filled with many life-changing moments and unforgettable memories.
As the leader of one of the most popular musical groups in the world, RM has often explored his solo music outside of BTS, building a musical identity that is his own while still cherishing what it means to be one of seven in BTS.
This group, of course, is a crucial part of my life. But it does not entirely represent who I am as a person, and I had to release this album to stand on my own as an individual.
— RM
In speaking with Hypebeast shortly after his album was released, RM shared that Indigo was essential in maintaining his own identity after 9+ years with his fellow group members.
RM worked on Indigo over the course of four years, and when asked how he felt after he released his long-awaited album, he shared,
It feels like I’ve finally done my homework that I’ve been putting off for a long time. It also feels like an initial public offering of the RM brand. I’m very proud that I got to leave behind a record of my trials and tribulations at the end of my 20s.
— RM
The album has been a long time coming; RM began recording his own music in 2007 under the stage name Runch Randa. After 15 years, 2 stage name changes, and nine years as the leader of BTS, the experiences earned him the accolade of having other industry legends on the album with him, including the “Queen of Neo Soul,” the legendary American singer-songwriter Erykah Badu.
Another of those legends is a pioneer in Korean hip-hop, Epik High‘s Tablo, who didn’t even listen to the sample RM sent him before agreeing to feature on the album.
\ 
After the album received critical acclaim and RM was able to collaborate with some of his biggest role models, one might think RM would take time to bask in the success of the release. Having spent nine years getting to know BTS’s leader, ARMYs may have predicted that he hasn’t slowed down.
Instead, he shared with Hypebeast that he’s already begun working on his next music project and began before the album was even released. He revealed that working on Indigo “set something off” in him.
Putting Indigo together was hard work, so I wanted to take some time off after releasing it. But once I released it, I found new inspirations and felt the desire to work on new music. I realized that I’m really not the type to take breaks.
— RM
In a small hint to ARMYs about what is next, he shared his upcoming project will be more upbeat and playful than the heavier subject matter tackled in Indigo.
For more on RM’s creative process for Indigo, check out the article below!
