Layover

On his official debut, South Korean singer V establishes himself as a distinctive solo force outside of BTS with his immediately recognizable voice. Those warm, smoky vocals stay mostly within his deep baritone range, occasionally flitting up to angelic falsetto. At a short seven tracks, Layover is music for lounging, for staying in bed (alone or otherwise), and for, as one title goes, "Rainy Days." Built upon a sensual R&B backbone, the songs ride spare piano chords, the occasional flute, and atmospheric production courtesy of Frankie Scoca, Freekind, Jinsu Park, Absent Chronicles, and Monro. Romance looms large and that emotional focus is a strength, as V takes his time to seduce on "Slow Dancing," "Blue," and "Love Me Again." As the songs flow in and out of one another in hypnotic fashion, the primary focus is on those lush vocals. Layover is a gorgeous dose of adult-oriented pop that might be unexpected for those expecting the big BTS sound, but thats a big part of the allure. ~ Neil Z. Yeung