Active during his pre-debut days as an underground rapper ( Runch Randa ). 13-year-old Nam-joon was already a prodigy in rap, he'd often attended gigs in his hometown Ilcheon and earned a place for himself in the underground scene at an early age, impressing even older underground rappers. He had made a collab with the famous rapper Zico back in 2008, the track can be found on many platforms including YouTube and SoundCloud.
In early 2015, RM earned not only the approval from big names in the Korean Hip-hop scene, but he had also gained respect from the American Hip-hop figure Warren G. The two came together for the track "P.D.D", where RM asks his haters to stay alive to witness his success. The west coast rapper stated in an interview with CJ America, "I couldn’t understand all his lyrics, but I can say that it was very good because his flow, style, and rhythm are all excellent.” He then even went on to say, "When I hear Rap Monster’s songs, it sounds like Snoop Dogg or me rapping with the beats we’ve made.”
On March 4, 2015, RM released a single with Warren G entitled, "P.D.D (Please Don't Die)" ahead of his first solo mixtape RM following an offer by Warren G to collaborate. The track reflected how RM felt towards those who hated and criticized him at the time, which he used to find very upsetting.
That same March, RM collaborated with hip hop project group MFBTY, EE and Dino J on the song "Bucku Bucku". He featured in the song's music video and also had a cameo appearance in a music video for another song by MFBTY, "Bang Diggy Bang Bang".
He released his first solo mixtape in the same year, titled 'RM'. It's a work where Namjoon gives his take hip-hop's influence in his life, the hardships he'd experienced in pursuit of his career, as well as his struggle with self-love and self-acceptance. "Awakening", the third track of the mixtape, talked of his internal conflict between his two identities of "rapper" and "idol", as he had received backlash from the underground Hip-hop community prior to his debut with BTS, claiming that he'd betrayed his roots as a rapper. To this day, the mixtape is considered one of the best works inside the Korean Hip-Hop scene.
Following RM's release, he featured along with Kwon Jin-ah on Primary's "U" that April. In August, RM collaborated with Marvel for Fantastic Four's soundtrack in Korea, releasing the digital single, "Fantastic" featuring Mandy Ventrice.
In August 2016, vocal duo Homme released a single titled "Dilemma", which was co-produced by RM and Bang Si-hyuk.
In 2017 was released the track "Change", a collab between Wale and Rap Monster (RM). The song talks of global violence, the school system, social injustice, and bullying. The two conversed through lyrics, claiming that people were controlled by the higher power and voiced out their wish of a changing world.
In 2018, he came out with a second mixtape named "mono". A project containing a few collaborations (with artists such as HONNE, NELL, eAeon) where Nam-joon experimented with lofi Hip-Hop and ballad. Though different from his previous works, he was still able to showcase his soul-deep lyricism, where he often implemented his skill of using wordplay and metaphors to further reach his listeners. With this mixtape, he continued to explore his own identity and life through a microscope, touching topics like loneliness, self-doubt, longing, and even explored the concept of love and hate. 'mono' proved RM a unique artist of diversity and growth. The mixtape is available on Spotify, iTunes, and SoundCloud. During its first day of release, the mixtape reached high positions on stream platforms, giving RM a profile with verification, resulting in his becoming of a more acknowledged rapper, producer, and songwriter.
In December, RM collaborated on a remix of Fall Out Boy's song "Champion". The track reached number 18 on Billboard's Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles and helped RM reach number 46 on the Emerging Artists Chart for the week of January 8, 2018.
In November, RM also collaborated with Tiger JK on his last and final album under the stage name Drunken Tiger, featuring on the track "Timeless". Tiger JK originally expected RM's lyrics to contain self-praise, which was the trend of rap at the time; RM instead wrote lyrics about leaving behind the historical meaning of Drunken Tiger's name.
A lot of prestigious artists, from South Korea and EUA, found interest in RM and invited him for collaborations. Famous American rappers like Wale and Lil Nas X, even the rock group Fall Out Boy and famous Korean artists like Drunken Tiger and Gaeko.
On March 25, 2019, Honne announced that RM would feature on their remake of "Crying Over You" alongside singer BEKA, which was released on March 27.
The same day, Big Hit Entertainment released the song "Persona" as a trailer for BTS' EP Map of the Soul: Persona, performed as a solo by RM.
In 2019 Lil Nas X called RM for one of the remixes of his hit "Old Town Road". And this collab gave Namjoon and the other BTS members a chance to perform along with Lil Nas X for the first time on the 2019 edition of the Grammy's stage.
On December 29, it was announced that RM would feature on Younha's track "Winter Flower", released on January 6, 2020.
RM also featured on "Don't", the lead single of Korean singer eAeon's second solo album released on April 30, 2021.
BTS, on June 14 2022, announced that they will be taking a break from group activities to focus more on solo projects. RM subsequently appeared as a featured artist on the single "Sexy Nukim" by alt-K-pop group Balming Tiger in September,
RM released his debut solo studio album, Indigo, led by the single "Wild Flower", on December 2. The album peaked at number three on the Billboard 200, making him the highest-charting Korean soloist in chart history. he also has a girlfriend
Lonely
RM Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
나 혼자 섬에
So fuckin' lonely
Somebody call me
찰나는 영원 속에
슥 담겨져 있어
싫어 이 hotel room
시끄러운 경적소리
좁아진 방의 너비만큼
나 내게 갇혔어
I tried a million times to let you go
So many memories are on the floor
And now I hate the cities I don't belong
Just wanna go back home
I'm fuckin' lonely
나 혼자 섬에
So fuckin' lonely
Somebody call me
Oh, bae, I gotta tell you some
나 모든 게 싫어졌어 (what?)
Uh, yeah, guess I'm wasted
Time fuckin' ticks and I hasten (oh)
온종일 YouTube and Netflix
그저 또 폰 속 데이터와 datin' (oh, God)
매일 아침과의 랑데부
빨갛게 돌아가는 나의 물랑루즈
I shot a million stars to let you know
So many trivial thoughts are on the floor
And now I hate the buildings I don't even know
Just wanna go back home
I'm fuckin' lonely (mm-mm, mm-mm, mm)
나 혼자 섬에 (mm-mm, mm-mm, mm)
So fuckin' lonely (mm-mm, mm-mm, mm)
Somebody call me
I'm fuckin' lonely
나 혼자 섬에
So fuckin' lonely
Somebody love me, ah, ah, mm, yeah
Ah, ah, mm, yeah
Ah, ah
The lyrics to RM's song "Lonely" express a deep sense of isolation and longing for connection. The opening lines "I'm fuckin' lonely, 나 혼자 섬에" immediately convey a feeling of being trapped or stranded alone on an island. This metaphorical island could represent a state of emotional isolation and detachment. The repetition of "So fuckin' lonely, Somebody call me" further emphasizes the desperate yearning for someone to reach out and offer companionship.
The lyrics also touch upon the fleeting nature of happiness and the feeling of being stuck in a never-ending cycle. The line "찰나는 영원 속에, 슥 담겨져 있어" hints at the transitory nature of life and how those moments of joy or belonging can quickly fade away. The mention of the "hotel room" adds to the sense of confinement and detachment from the outside world. The noise of car horns and the smallness of the room serve as metaphors for feeling trapped in one's own thoughts and loneliness.
The second verse delves deeper into the despair and dissatisfaction. The lyrics express a disillusionment with various aspects of life, such as cities, memories, and even oneself. The desire to "go back home" signifies a longing for a place where one feels safe, understood, and connected. The repetition of "I'm fuckin' lonely, Somebody call me" in the chorus amplifies the intensity of the emotion being conveyed.
Overall, "Lonely" explores the profound sense of isolation and longing for connection that many people experience in their lives. It showcases RM's vulnerability and depth as an artist, touching on universal emotions that resonate with listeners.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm fuckin' lonely
I feel incredibly isolated and alone
나 혼자 섬에
I feel like I'm all alone on an island
So fuckin' lonely
So incredibly lonely
Somebody call me
I desperately need someone to reach out to me
찰나는 영원 속에
In the fleeting eternity
슥 담겨져 있어
I am trapped within
싫어 이 hotel room
I hate this hotel room
에 혼자 떠있어
I'm floating here alone
시끄러운 경적소리
The noisy sounds of car horns
좁아진 방의 너비만큼
As narrow as the width of this room
나 내게 갇혔어
I am trapped within myself
I tried a million times to let you go
I have attempted countless times to move on from you
So many memories are on the floor
There are so many memories scattered on the floor
And now I hate the cities I don't belong
I despise the cities where I feel like I don't belong
Just wanna go back home
I simply want to return to my home
Oh, bae, I gotta tell you some
Oh, my love, there's something I need to tell you
나 모든 게 싫어졌어
I've grown to hate everything
Uh, yeah, guess I’m wasted
Uh, yeah, I am wasted
Time fuckin’ ticks and I hasten
Time keeps ticking and I feel rushed
온종일 YouTube and Netflix
I spend my whole day on YouTube and Netflix
그저 또 폰 속 데이터와 datin’
Just endless data and dating on my phone
매일 아침과의 랑데부
The rendezvous with my everyday mornings
빨갛게 돌아가는 나의 물랑루즈
My rouge that turns bright red
I shot a million stars to let you know
I sent endless messages to let you know
So many trivial thoughts are on the floor
There are so many insignificant thoughts scattered on the floor
And now I hate the buildings I don’t even know
I now despise unfamiliar buildings
Just wanna go back home
I simply want to return to my home
Somebody love me, ah, hmm, yeah, ah, hmm, yeah, ah
I crave for someone to love me
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Hy Weon Kang, Nam Jun Kim
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind