[Album Review] RM ‘Right Place, Wrong Person’
BTS leader RM's second solo album encapsulates the unsettling experience of feeling out of place and the juxtaposition of right and wrong.
Images throughout: Big Hit Music.
Following in the footsteps of "Indigo," "Right Place, Wrong Person" is an album that defies categorization. The title track, "Right People, Wrong Place", features no lyrics other than the repeated phrase ‘Right people in wrong place,’ set against in-cohesive rumbling and psychedelic funky music.
The song ends with the phrase ‘feeling high on a forest fire,’ capturing the sense of belonging in adversity, and despite its brevity sets the tone for the rest of the album.
The second song seems directly connected to the narrative that the first track introduces. "Nuts," opens with the promise, ‘I could make this the right place for you,’ aiming to correct the situation.
The third track, "Out Of Love," shifts focus from “Nuts” by addressing the lack of privacy in artists' lives. It critiques how the media and toxic fans expect idols to be perfect while committing the same sins for which they persecute the artists.
The song ends with the verse, ‘Anyway, since you and I believe in different truths, Then I don't blame you, I don't blame you, Love will probably fail,’ illustrating that if the world keeps expecting RM to change, they will be disappointed because he is not willing to abandon his ideologies for outside validation.
"Domodachi," featuring Little Simz, is a soul and R&B-influenced rap song that might be one of the best on this album. The song's title is a Japanese compound word: "domo," meaning thanks, and "tomodachi," meaning friends.
The line, ‘All s*ckers wanna get it, take a sip,’ however, clarifies that the title is sarcastic and the song is directed towards those friends who surround him only for what his status can provide them.
Next up is one of the shorter songs, "? (Interlude)," which, similarly to "Domodachi," is jazz-heavy. The song focuses more on beautiful instrumentals over lyrics, but the short verses are enough to convey the feeling of being wronged by someone who was once close to you: ‘I just hope you remember me / The best grave in your cemetery.’
The only word to explain "Groin" is masterpiece. With a mixture of jazz and hip-hop, this song will get stuck in your head. But what makes it perfect is the lyrics: ‘I can't be a monk, others' words always misunderstand me / Not a f*cking diplomat.’ In a world where the idols have to portray a certain cookie-cutter image, RM is ready to free himself from the limits set on him by others and be his true self.
In a recent video uploaded to the BANGTANTV YouTube channel, where RM shares the album with fellow member Jimin, he speaks of the pressures he feels as the group’s leader and only English-speaking member. Jimin also describes RM’s album as a diary, further proving how candid the leader has been with the sentiment of each track.
The seventh song, "Heaven," unlike the previous tracks, sounds lighter and more psychedelic. This easy listening song hides a much more sinister message of being surrounded by those who want to use you for their own gain: ‘Take my heaven / Oh, you ain’t invited / Go grab your knife and watch me collapse.’
The dejected name of the title track “Lost” juxtaposes with its bright sound. Its chorus features funky beats and speedy synth creating a stand-out track amongst an album filled with jazz and hip-hop centred songs. The experimental accompanying music video is another standout, masterfully directed by Aube Perrie who used artist Maurits Cornelis Escher’s complicated and ‘impossible’ artworks as influence.
"Around the World in a Day" is a slow-paced, groovy R&B song featuring electric guitar, making it one of a kind on this album. With Moses Sumney's melodious vocals and the optimistic verse, ‘Look around, say I love 'em all your lies, only time will sort it out,’ it demonstrates clear growth in the story behind "Right Place, Wrong Person."
The tenth song, "ㅠㅠ (Credit Roll)," seems to be written specifically for us, the listener, posing only one question: ‘When the credits roll, do you hang tight? Do you stay inside or go off to life?’ Would "RPWP" be another album you play while doing mundane chores, or would you dedicate your time solely listening to it.
The last track on the album, "Come Back to Me," was the pre-release song for RPWP. This song delves into depression, as evident in the pre-chorus: ‘I forgot the hour, I don't wanna know 'bout the hour, I forgot to shower.’
Placing a melancholic song at the end of the album might seem like a plea towards an ex-lover or friend, but it is rather a conversation with oneself to overcome a depressive episode. The positioning of a hopeful song like “Come Back To Me” serves as the perfect optimistic outro for an album perfectly representing this era of the artist’s life.
Edited by Chelsea Cheetham.