Happy is the debut extended play (EP) by South Korean singer Jin of BTS, released on November 15, 2024, through Big Hit Music.
Contents
Background and release
In 2022, Jin debuted as a solo artist with his song "The Astronaut". Shortly after the song's release, Jin enlisted for South Korea's mandatory military service, serving until July 2024. Happy was announced on October 14, with Big Hit Music confirming that the album would contain six tracks, including pre-released single "I'll Be There" and the title track "Running Wild".
The album contains collaborations with Gary Barlow of English pop group Take That, Wendy of Red Velvet, and Taka of Japanese rock band One Ok Rock.
Critical reception
According to Rhian Daly of NME, with Happy, Jin "creates a bubble of positivity, filling it up with brightness and levity while acknowledging the shadows and struggles that allow that cheerful spirit to shine harder when it finds you"; she described it as an album that "ingratiates itself with you more and more with each spin," highlighting "Heart on the Window" as a standout track. Jeff Benjamin of Billboard noted that "With Happy, Jin proves his capacity to creatively grow and explore fresh musical landscapes while still staying deeply connected to the roots of his BTS journey. With warmth, optimism and universal messages, Happy has the qualities to not only enchant loyal fans, but entertain entirely new audiences — and does so while conveying his most authentic self." Writing for Teen Vogue, Jiye Kim stated that the work is "about energetic movement of the individual towards a chosen goal and greater intimacy with the other. In recognition of this, the final touch of this album is that it's not only easy to sing along to in the home or car, but in a live setting with him," observing that "Jin's voice traverses from rich and low to soaring highs over the band's rhythmic charge" throughout the record. Neil Z. Yeung of AllMusic called it "a great start by any metric" and "a breezy and feel-good EP that lives up to its title."
Track listing
Notes
Various digital editions of the album include either a voice memo or remixes of "Running Wild" as additional tracks.
Personnel
Musicians
Technical