When global hitmakers BTS announced they would focus on solo music back in June, it gave way to "BTS' Chapter 2." So far, this new era has seen a debut studio album from J-Hope, Jack in the Box — as well as a history-making Lollapalooza appearance — and a solo single from Jin, "The Astronaut." Next up, RM will show off his individual talents with a new solo album, Indigo.
As RM's fans know, he has released mixtapes and collaborated with other artists in the past. He's even branched outside of music on his own, recently announcing his role as MC on the variety show "The Dictionary of Useless Human Knowledge" and serving as an art patron for creators in his native South Korea. But Indigo marks RM's official introduction to solo stardom as a singer, and it comes at a pivotal time for both BTS and its leader.
The beloved K-pop group has been on an unofficial hiatus since June, and their break will now extend until 2025 so all seven members can complete mandatory military duties in South Korea. Luckily for ARMY, that doesn't mean the music is stopping — and for RM, it means he gets to really focus on the music he wants to make.
"Finally, my 1st album will be releasing thanks to everyone," the singer wrote in a WeVerse post. "I worked hard on it for the past 4 years … It will be very different from my past projects."
Fans will soon find out exactly what "very different" means. In the meantime, take a look at everything we know about RM's forthcoming debut solo album, Indigo.
Indigo
2022.12.2.
2PM (KST) | 12AM (ET)#RM #Indigo pic.twitter.com/6xjd0uHdrA— BIGHIT MUSIC (@BIGHIT_MUSIC) November 10, 2022
Indigo will be released on Dec. 2.
On Nov. 10, RM revealed in a series of Instagram stories that his debut album is slated for a Dec. 2 release. His label, BigHit Music, followed with the official announcement shortly thereafter, sending ARMY into a frenzy of excitement on social media.
It's his first full project since 2018.
RM has previously released two mixtapes, his eponymous project from 2015, and Mono from 2018. He's also released solo singles like 2017's collaboration with Wale, "Change," 2019's "Crying Over You" with HONNE and BEKA, and most recently, he featured on Balming Tiger's song "SEXY NUKIM" in September.
All of the solo music RM has released so far has demonstrated that he can really do it all — from slow crooning R&B, to conscious hip-hop, to moody alternative sounds. As RM teased himself, this album will be "very different" from his previous releases, so fans are likely very eager to see what new sounds he has in store.
We've never heard RM like this before.
Although RM nor BigHit Music have revealed what the sound of Indigo will be, BigHit did give some insight into the album's content in a Weverse post.
"Through Indigo, RM delivers his candid thoughts and feelings and showcases wide-ranging music through collaborations with various artists," BigHit wrote. "We hope everyone's excited about RM's latest release!"
RM also shared in a livestream on Weverse that Indigo will be "completely different" from Mono. "If 'Mono' recorded my 2016 to '18, then I think this new album serves as my diary and archive for 2019 to '22," he said. And in a Nov. 14 Instagram post, RM also hinted that Indigo is "the last archive of my twenties."
There will be some collaborations with "fun friends."
As part of Rolling Stone's Musicians on Musicians series, RM sat down with Pharrell Williams to discuss their respective careers — and also to tease that they have a collab coming. While it hasn't been confirmed if that team-up will be featured on Indigo, RM has mentioned on Weverse that "fun friends" are included on the project.
The cover art is more colorful than his previous projects.
RM's Mono featured a white album cover, and his first mixtape cover was black and white. This time, Indigo consists of a photo of blue — dare we say, indigo — fabric. The album title will be bleached in white. Much like the title suggests, this album may be more colorful than his previous releases, as hinted by the change in aesthetic.
You can preorder Indigo starting Nov. 15.
If you're looking to hear Indigo as soon as possible, preorders begin on November 15. After RM has put in four long years of hard work on Indigo, the wait will surely be worth it for RM's official solo debut.