Six months after his solo EP debut and roughly a year following his return from mandatory military service, BTS vocalist Jin returned with Echo, a seven-track reflection on life, love and not worrying too much. Lead single “Don’t Say You Love Me” opens the album with a heart-wrenching tale of lingering love that Jin tells Apple Music “anyone who’s experienced heartbreak will find something deeply relatable [in]”. Like 2024 EP Happy, Echo leans into both Jin’s pop-rock sensibilities (“Loser”, “With the Clouds”) and his penchant for soaring ballads (“Nothing Without Your Love”, “Background”, To Me, Today”). Jin’s goofy charm, previously exemplified by the fishing-focused single “Super Tuna”, is back with “Rope It”, a country-rock track that opens and ends with a horse’s whinny. Jin personally shared his comments on each track to give us an exclusive deeper look into the album. “Don’t Say You Love Me” “It’s a pop song with a simple arrangement and a contrasting blend of emotional, melancholic energy. It tells the story of a painful love—two people who can’t let go, even after their relationship has ended. Anyone who’s experienced heartbreak will find something deeply relatable here. It’s also the first time I took on a romantic role in a music video, so this song holds a special place in my heart and will stay with me for a long time.” “Nothing Without Your Love” “This is my personal favourite from the album. It carries a heartfelt message that ‘you’ are my everything—my reason for being—and without your love, I’m nothing. The song blends a hopeful yet overwhelming surge of emotion, and I hope many of you will feel that and love it as much as I do!” “Loser” “‘Loser’ features YENA, and I’m so grateful she joined me on this track—thank you again! It’s a pop-punk song with a lively yet raw edge, and I think the catchy guitar riff will really stay with you!” “Rope It” “‘Rope It’ is my first time trying out the country rock genre. The lyrics are bold and witty, with a message that regrets won’t help you reach your goals.” “With the Clouds” “Just like its title, ‘With the Clouds’ is a lyrical, fairy-tale-like song. The more you listen, the more its unique charm comes through—I hope you’ll enjoy soaking in that atmosphere.” “Background” “This one’s a ballad pop song that highlights emotional and lyrical depth. My vocals take on a deeper, more mature tone in this song, blending with the full emotional texture of the band’s sound.” “To Me, Today” “I worked on this song with the thought that instead of worrying too much about the future, maybe we should focus on who we are today—a version of ourselves that won’t come again. I hope you savour the happiness of today and spend each day meaningfully with the people you love.”