Indigo is the debut studio album by South Korean rapper RM of BTS, released on December 2, 2022, through Big Hit Music.

Comprising 10 tracks, it includes appearances by Erykah Badu, Anderson .Paak, Tablo of Epik High, Kim Sa-wol, Paul Blanco, Mahalia, Colde, Youjeen of Cherry Filter, and Park Ji-yoon.

The ninth track, “Wild Flower”, a collaboration with Youjeen, was released alongside the album as its lead single, together with an accompanying music video.

Indigo was certified double platinum by the Korea Music Content Association in January 2023 and has sold over 800,000 copies domestically as of July 2023, and over 100,000 units in the US.

RM additionally said he wanted audiences to get to know the band members, including himself, as separate entities, outside of the BTS collective, and revealed they all had solo music in the works that they were preparing to release.

"[6] On November 10, during Hybe Corporation's annual community briefing on YouTube, CEO Jiwon Park announced that RM would be the third member of BTS—after J-Hope and Jin—to release a solo project, his debut album.

In a follow-up post on Weverse, he mentioned "working hard on it for the past four years" and that "fun friends" were included, seemingly hinting at collaborations on the album.

The official announcement notice from Big Hit Music, posted on the platform shortly afterwards, confirmed collaborations with various artists, but did not publish any names.

In line with the album's title, the blue-tinted visual featured "a rapidly paced montage of vague images" with the sound of static playing in the background.

[14][15] Five teaser photos followed the next day and showed RM, dressed in blue denim and all-white outfits, standing and sitting in the same warm-toned, light-filled room from the previously shared mood images.

The teaser was nature-based, first showing a "serene field of wheat", followed by "RM walking on a plain and admiring the sunrise", then cutting to an overhead view of the clouds lit up from below "with pockets of lighting", before ending with a wide angle shot of RM standing atop a mountain next to a lone tree as "atmospheric drum and synth beats" played in the background.

[31] RM also guested on a two-part episode on the Melon Station radio series where he talked about producing the album, his collaborations, shared behind-the-scenes anecdotes, and participated in a Q&A.

Two hundred fans were selected via lottery on Weverse—winners were announced on November 24—from among those who preordered the album, to participate in the event, which was recorded for subsequent promotional video content.

Featuring guest appearances by Paul Blanco, Kim Sa-wol, Colde, and Youjeen, the show was uploaded to the official BTS YouTube channel for free viewing later that month.

She described the record as "a more candid representation" of RM" that "presents a vivid accumulation of lessons learnt, artistic prowess and a mature outlook on ageing."

"[42] NME music writer Rhian Daly gave Indigo five stars, stating that RM “makes [an] emphatic bid for timelessness” with a “remarkable solo debut” that “incisively and imaginatively captures the uncertainties and unpredictabilities of life.” Daly observed that Indigo is “unpredictable and restless” and “exists in a constant state of metamorphosis, all the while searching for – and eventually finding some – answers.” The album “holds a mirror up to a period that’s often seen as one of exploration and finding your path” and like life, is “thrillingly in flux.” Daly praised the opening track “Yun” as a “a pensive callback to ’90s boom-bap that asks questions of identity, art and purpose” and the “rawness and roughness - and almost an emo quality” to RM’s vocals in “Lonely.” Daly continued: “lyrically, the record shows one of his generation’s most incisive and imaginative writers levelling up.” Daly noted that RM “deploys every feature masterfully, each buoyed by a feeling of purpose” and concluded that “ ‘Indigo’ feels like a masterpiece with the potential to be remembered as a classic.”[46] Rolling Stone music writer Michelle Hyun Kim noted that “heavy is the head that wears the crown” in relation to RM, and through Indigo, he “reclaims his pen.” Kim opined that “Indigo is an adventurous sonic portrait of RM’s inner world, the work of an artist who finds his voice by bringing together the influences that resonate with his soul.” Kim praised the track “Yun” for creating a “sonic meeting ground” for “two legends to meet,” Erykah Badu and the late South Korean painter Yun Hyong-keun.

Okwodu referred to it as a “shift toward a more intimate kind of storytelling” and challenging of genre as “an addictive blend of rock, pop, hip-hop, and funk.”[49] The Recording Academy stated that RM “showcases a new level of artistry” on Indigo, praising the album for its intentionality and its meshing of artistic mediums through music and art.

The album’s collaborations “reflect the caliber of artistry RM has reached” and “his ability to bridge the gap across borders.” Recording Academy writer Ashlee Mitchell observed that “this album is about the art of music, not breaking records or following trends.”[50] Uproxx writer Lai Frances called “Wild Flower” a “bone-chilling” single from RM’s “highly anticipated Indigo album.”[51] Writer Lexi Lane also praised the track “Still Life” for “blending elements of R&B with RM’s heavy-hitting rap verses.”[52] Indigo tracks were likewise chosen as best new music picks by Nylon (“Yun” features Erykah Badu sounding “magical against the rapper’s complex ruminations”), Consequence (“Still Life” features a “dichotomy…which is about reclaiming autonomy when living a life that’s incredibly on display”), Rolling Stone, and MTV.

Like good art, Indigo speaks to ideas and messages that are complicated to put into everyday words, but just listening to the music lets it all come to the surface".