BTS' V releases 3 songs ahead of solo debut

Image shows BTS' V for his solo album "Layover." (Big Hit Music)

BTS' V on Monday released a series of songs ahead of his solo debut, scheduled for early September.

At 1 p.m. on Monday, the singer put out three self-made songs -- "Scenery," "Winter Bear" and "Snow Flower" -- all of which he had previously unveiled for free streaming.

The song releases come as V gears up to drop his first solo EP, "Layover," on Sept. 8.

V released "Scenery" in January 2019 for free download on SoundCloud. He composed and penned the lyrics for the song, a sentimental tune in which he expresses his innermost thoughts. With "Scenery," he racked up 100 million streams in just 15 days, the shortest time recorded on the music platform at the time.

In the summer of 2019, he put out his first self-created English song, "Winter Bear." The 27-year-old also produced a music video for the song. V said he was inspired after watching the movie, "About Time," during BTS' world tour. He also noted that his bandmate, RM, had given him a hand in writing the English lines.

"Snow Flower" was V's Christmas gift to his fans in 2020 during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Singer-songwriter Peakboy, also V's close friend, featured in the song. Upon its release, the song topped SoundCloud's Hot & New: All Music Genres chart and stayed there for six days.

V, whose real name is Kim Tae-hyung, is the last member from the hit K-pop group to make a solo debut. BTS' members have each been embarking on solo careers since June 2022, when the group announced a temporary pause of their journey together.

V's upcoming first official solo record has been made in collaboration with Ador's CEO Min Hee-jin, also the creator of the sensational rookie band NewJeans. Min said she focused on making an album that reflects V's musical taste, while portraying a completely new side of the singer.

"Layover" will be a six-track package consisting of the title song "Slow Dancing," its piano instrumental and four B-side tracks, "Rainy Days," "Blue," "Love Me Again" and "For Us." "Love Me Again" and "Rainy Days," as well as their music videos, were released earlier this month.

By Choi Ji-won(jwc@heraldcorp.com)