Wake up, ARMY soldiers! V from BTS released his first solo music video for his new song, “Love Me Again.” The track is his first solo song since BTS’ Chapter Two (AKA the period since they announced their break due to the members’ military enlistment). A sultry guitar plays behind V’s silky smooth vocals as he croons about a former lover he can’t let go of. It sounds like the kind of lo-fi music I’d play during a study session or a trip to the beach, and the music video’s warm lighting and ’90s camcorder aesthetic only adds to the laidback vibe. I can’t tell which one I love more: the song itself or the sparkly gold bodysuit V is wearing in the music video.
The song’s lyrics are decidedly not as chill as the beat they coast on. They might be written in a mix of Korean and English, but their message is universal. Let’s decipher V’s heartache as told by the lyrics from “Love Me Again.”
V sings about being DOWN BAD FOR an EX.
From the get-go, V is down horrendously for a former partner. According to the English translation of the song posted by Genius, the first few lines say, “You left me / Took those memories with you / But even now, I can’t let you go, let you go.” Getting broken up with is hard.
The rest of the verse says, “Is that all you have to say? / One word, that’s it? / If ever you regret this / Won’t you let me know? Let me know?” The “one word” could be a lot of things, but my money is on “Bye” or “Sorry.” V can’t believe the relationship is over; since he didn’t get any sense of closure, he’s leaving the door open for his partner to come back (personally, I’d tell him to pick himself up, but heartbreak blinds people to reason).
THE CHORUS IS TOO REAL FOR HOPELESS ROMANTICS.
The pre-chorus puts the spotlight back on V. He admits, “Fine, I will be honest with you / Put it all out there / I think about you all the time / Where you are, who you’re with / Lost without you, baby.” The post-break-up stage of a relationship is almost as obsessive as the crushing stage, and V’s still attached. Do I even detect a hint of jealousy?
The chorus lays down the truth behind every heartbroken person’s plight. V repeats the lyrics, “I wish you would love me again / No, I don’t want nobody else / I wish you could love me again, again” twice in a row. At the end of the day, V misses the person he was with. Keep your head up, king! There are plenty more fish in the sea!
THE SECOND VERSE GETS A LITTLE MESSY.
Depending on how you choose to interpret the lyrics, V’s either back in contact with the person he’s singing about or still thinking about them non-stop. In the second verse, he questions, “Am I the only one like this? / Are you okay if I’m with someone else? / Let’s take it way back, slowly / Make it feel better, yeah, make it forever.” A relationship should be 50/50, but V’s concerned that he’s the only one 100% in his feels after the breakup. The second half of these lines shows that he wants to get his ex back. Sigh… I can’t interfere; it’s a canon event.
The rest of the second verse gives us some insight into the breakup itself. V sings, “Don’t say it’s OK / Said I’m alright, said I’ll be fine / I’m sorry, they’re all lies / Please don’t leave / Please don’t go so far away.” When he was originally broken up with, he pretended like it didn’t bother him that much, but now he admits that his suit of armor is breaking apart.
The last minute and a half of the song repeats the pre-chorus and chorus to really drive V’s point home. Taking a huge career milestone as an opportunity to paint yourself as an emotionally articulate, romantic guy is honestly a power move. I can’t wait to see what kind of music he puts out next!