WEEK 17 | Testing Our Mettle
April 22 - 26, 2024
Perspective.
Last week, when we covered j-hope’s solo track “MAMA,” I discussed how the lyrics of the song and the WINGS short film they shot for it present two wildly different messages. The song is a celebration of j-hope’s own mother and his gratitude towards her supportive role in his life. The short film, however, takes us on a journey through the mind of Hoseok (the character j-hope plays in the Bangtan Universe) as he deals with the traumatic fallout after being abandoned by his mother as a small child. The same subject—a mother and son relationship—just from two completely different perspectives.
BTS WINGS Special Concept
This, of course, is a perfect example of one of the core themes of WINGS as a whole, the duality within ourselves and how it influences our interactions with the world around us. We can often find ourselves feeling two emotions, seemingly polar opposites of each other, at the same time. BTS emphasizes throughout this album that it’s important to look at every aspect of ourselves, no matter how uncomfortable, so we can learn and grow.
We’ll continue on in that vein this week, albeit from a much lighter standpoint. The member’s solo songs from the past couple of weeks have covered a lot of difficult topics and feelings, so maybe it’s time to bring the beat up and dance a little, huh? Don’t worry, there will still be plenty of substance, but let’s have a little aftercare, ok? If BTS has taught us nothing else, it’s that we should always love ourselves… just like Jimin does in this clip from a fansign in Busan.
Playlists & Lyrics
BTS: WINGS ALBUM SPOTIFY PLAYLIST (also embedded at bottom of post)
ARMY PROJECT 529 WEEK 17 VIDEO PLAYLIST (all YouTube links)
DAY ONE:
The next track on WINGS is one performed only by the Vocal Line of BTS (Jin, Jimin, V, and Jung Kook). Partially written by Rap Monster, the song talks about facing challenges and losing one’s way in life.
With my eyes closed, I’m still standing here
In the middle of the desert and the sea, I’ve lost my way
Still wandering, not knowing where to go…
On the surface, the song’s lyrics seem very hopeless. This is something we all feel at one time or another as life presents us with difficult decisions or roads to follow. But when we really dig into “Lost”, we can see how it, much like the rest of the album, encourages us to look inward—this time for the strength and determination to keep trying until we find ourselves again.
The vocals, music, and choreography all also echo the theme of trying to find one’s way again. The song’s melody sounds curious, almost inquisitive and the vocals are masterfully delivered, particularly on the chorus parts as each of the members pitch their voices up and down in a way that sounds a bit like confusion. The dance includes a lot of rotation. They’re constantly turning around, as though looking for the correct direction to take on their journey.
“LOST” COLOR-CODED LYRICS (04:07)
“LOST” ON MCOUNTDOWN (04:14, Prepare to be destroyed by the Vocal Line. - shown above)
“LOST” STAGE MIX (04:39, Even more Vocal Line wreckage.)
RAP MONSTER & JUNG KOOK “FOOLS” REMIX (03:54, Orig. by Troye Sivan - shown below)
BTS “AS I TOLD YOU” COVER AT MBC MUSIC FESTIVAL (02:41, Orig. by Kim Sung Jae - shown below)
BANGTAN BOMB: BEHIND “AS I TOLD YOU” AT MBC MUSIC FESTIVAL (06:04)
JUNG KOOK & OTHER ‘97 LINERS PERFORM “I’M A FLYING BUTTERFLY” AT KBS SONG FESTIVAL (03:34, Also feat. members of Seventeen as the band!)
“NOTHING LIKE US” COVER BY JUNG KOOK (03:13, Orig. by Justin Bieber)
BONUS: BANGTAN CHRISTMAS GIFT PARTY: VLIVE 12/24/16 (28:40, Jin becomes a rapper as he yells at Namjoon for not appreciating his gift.)
BONUS: “STAR SHOW 360” WITH BTS (01:17:49, V plays the saxophone - not on YT playlist)
Fun Fact
Jung Kook is the youngest member of BTS, we all know that. He was only 15 when the group debuted in 2013, before he had even entered high school.
In fact, Jung Kook should have become a high school student before BTS’ Debut, but due to the high demands of their schedule at that time, he made the decision to put his enrollment off for a year. Thus he entered in 2014, the same year Jimin and V, the next two youngest members, graduated.
The group’s scheduling conflicts never really let up after that. As a result Jung Kook was not able to maintain a consistent attendance record, but he still studied as hard as he could. Eventually, he opted to graduate by taking a qualification exam rather than traditional attendance.
Jung Kook graduated in February of 2017 and all of his fellow members went to the ceremony. Enjoy the videos below where they all look so proud, taking a million pictures of their beloved maknae.
BTS attends Jung Kook’s high school graduation, 2017
DAY TWO:
BTS has never shied away from controversial commentary in their lyrics, including well-penned jabs at their county’s government, education system, and societal expectations. The next track we’re discussing from WINGS is another amazing addition to the list of their songs created to get people thinking… and talking.
“Am I Wrong?” is written by all the usual suspects at Big Hit (Pdogg, Supreme Boi, RM, ADORA, etc.) but is also co-written by five-time Grammy-winning American blues musician Keb’ Mo’, who also lent a sample to the track from his 1994 song also titled “Am I Wrong?” The sample sets the tone with a funky rhythm and upbeat melody that carry through the rest of the song. The sound of the song sits in direct opposition to the heavy nature of the lyrics (we’re always embracing that duality), which talk about how the modern age of information breeds apathy, and how frustrating it is trying to search for authenticity and truth amongst all the…well, bullshit.
BTS MBC Show Music Core performing “Am I Wrong?”
If what you see on the news is nothing to you
If that comment is nothing to you
If that hatred is nothing to you
You’re not normal, you’re abnormal…
Some of the other lyrics in “Am I Wrong?” are a bit of a call back to their track “Baepsae” (or “Silver Spoon”) and its denouncement of Korea’s almost caste-like system of societal inequality. With SUGA’s verse he says, “We’re all dogs, pigs, become dogs because we’re angry.” This is often perceived as a direct ‘clapback’ to an Education Ministry official named Na Hyang-wook. At a dinner meeting with newspaper reporters in July of 2016 , Na put his foot in his mouth and said that 99% of South Koreans were like “dogs and pigs”, had no ability to move up in the world and could be treated like animals—just being fed and kept alive. He later expressed regret at having made the comments, claiming he was under the influence of alcohol, but that was not sufficient a reason to keep him from losing his job, which he did about a week later.
“AM I WRONG?” LIVE STAGE MIX (03:43- shown above)
“AM I WRONG?” DANCE PRACTICE (02:29 - as shown)
BTS COMEBACK MNET MINI FANMEET (MPD PERSPECTIVE) (02:22 - as shown)
BTS COMEBACK MNET MINI FANMEET (WITH SKIT) (03:05, V is the Godfather. It’s hilarious.)
BANGTAN BOMB: J-HOPE & JUNG KOOK BEHIND MUSIC CORE SPECIAL MCs (04:31)
YINYUETAI INTERVIEW (09:52, They name j-hope as the sexiest dancer.)
Bangtan Bubble: What was your “Do you think the ‘Information Age’ has made us more apathetic or more passionate? Why?
Let us know your answer in the comments below or on social media (include #BangtanBubble)!
DAY THREE:
As we move farther along in our exploration of BTS’ vast career, we find ourselves happening upon more and more of what I like to call “Legendary Moments in Bangtan History”—moments when a member, or the entire group did or said something which resulted in a meme or inside joke being born, or a “must see” moment for ARMY in their BTS journey. The WINGS era gave us so many of these, it’s almost impossible to keep track of them.
There are several moments we want to make sure all of you catch, and we've linked them below (on Day Three) and throughout this entire week. There are sweet ones like Jung Kook’s high school graduation, V reviving his rusty saxophone skills on TV, or Jin and Jung Kook being the adorably chaotic duo they are. We have a good amount of sexy moments as well—the Vocal Line’s performance of “Lost” on MCountdown immediately comes to mind as well as literally ANY performance of “Cypher Pt. 4.”
And, of course, we have a plethora of funny moments to enjoy as well. Make sure you check out the Christmas VLIVE to see Jin become a rapper as he gets angry at Rap Monster for not appreciating his gift. We have a return to enjoying V as the Rap Line’s #1 Fan with some impromptu vibing out he does to different cyphers. But the funniest and most intriguing moment might just be when Jimin interrupts V's discussion about baring his back for “Blood Sweat & Tears” to tell ARMY that it wasn’t actually V’s back we needed to be excited about—complete with a quick look down to what he was referring to. *wink wink*
We also have a lot of really interesting cover songs, and some originals—only available on SoundCloud—for you to explore this week. My personal favorites are “Something” by Rap Monster and “Fools” by Rap Monster and Jung Kook.
“AM I WRONG?” MCOUNTDOWN (02:24, This choreo is the BEST.)
BTS GREETINGS TO MELON MUSIC FOR WINGS ALBUM RELEASE (00:49 - shown below)
BANGTAN BOMB: SWEET JIN & JUNG KOOK CHATTER (01:42, JK is DONE with Jin.)
BANGTAN BOMB: JIMIN CAM: INTERVIEWING BTS DURING BS&T PROMOTIONS (06:13, Closeups of V’s beautiful face and a pouting SUGA.)
BACKSTAGE AT MCOUNTDOWN (14:49, THE legendary moment when Jimin tells ARMY that it’s NOT V’s back we should be excited about. - shown below)
Fun Fact
Over the years BTS, and the individual members have performed and/or recorded many covers of songs by other artists.
There were a number of them that happened during the WINGS era we included this week and it got me thinking… what is everyone’s favorite cover by BTS or one of the members?
So I challenged a group of the 529line to link me to their favorites, and I got some really great results. Some of these we’ve already covered in the blog and some of them we haven’t gotten to yet, but I couldn’t resist sharing them anyway.
This is by no means a complete list, but I had to leave some in the vault, and keep all of you wanting more! Enjoy!
“FALLING” BY JUNG KOOK (ORIG. BY HARRY STYLES) (from Morrigan)
“SOMEONE LIKE YOU” BY V (ORIG. BY ADELE) (from ME)
“AUTUMN OUTSIDE THE POST OFFICE” BY JIN (ORIG. BY YOON DO HYUN) (from RivenSky)
“I’LL BE MISSING YOU” BY BTS (ORIG. BY PUFF DADDY, FT. FAITH EVANS & 112) (from Namz07)
“FIX YOU” BY BTS (ORIG. BY COLDPLAY) (from everyone)
DAY FOUR:
BTS Rap Line performing “Cypher Pt. 4”.
Since their career spans longer than a decade, it makes sense that BTS has an unbelievable amount of anthemic songs in their discography. Songs that make us stand up and not just sing along, but SHOUT along with the lyrics. Songs that all of us, after we become ARMY, put on a list as “absolute musts” to recommend to any non-ARMY friend who we might be trying to bring over to the Purple Side. Songs that are just quintessentially…BTS.
“Cypher Pt. 4” is one of those songs. The last entry (so far) in the group’s long-running cypher series—”Cypher Pt. 1” appeared all the way back in 2013 on ORUL8,2?—this is the end cap to an ongoing epic message to all of BTS’ detractors and haters. But this one has a twist.
As per usual, the Rap Line is utter perfection, each member delivering his verse with devastating skill and individuality. Leading the charge this time is Rap Monster, who comes in and immediately sets the tone of the song by sarcastically apologizing for several “transgressions”, including not meeting typical Korean beauty standards, for being on TV, even his name! But then he goes on to point out something else about his name…
Though you hate me, YOU KNOW ME
Though you hate me, YOU KNOW ME
I like hate comments better than no comments
I don’t know you
BUT YOU KNOW MY NAME
He’s claiming here that the people taking time to hate on him are still boosting him up. While he isn’t bothered with the identity of those who don’t like him, he's very aware that they can't help knowing all about him—whether they want to or not. Both j-hope and SUGA follow along in the same vein, with j-hope rapping about how he will always strive for success, how he doesn’t accept failure, and how haters can basically stand at the bottom of his mountain and whine for all he cares. Meanwhile, SUGA reminds the haters that he worked hard for everything he earned and that it’s not his fault they live a fruitless life and are unable to find any success. What really sets “Cypher Pt. 4” apart from the rest of the series is the super catchy chorus that has a poignantly true message, even though it’s couched in sarcasm.
I love I love I love myself
I love I love I love myself
I know I know I know myself
Ya playa haters
You should love yourself
BTS knows who they are, and they love who they are. Everyone trying to tear them down should really look inward, as BTS does throughout WINGS, and try to love themselves. Or, essentially…fuck off.
“CYPHER PT. 4” COLOR-CODED LYRICS (04:54 - shown above)
BANGTAN BOMB: “CYPHER PT. 4” LIVE PERFORMANCE (04:57, Now it’s the Rap Line’s turn to wreck us. - shown below)
KBS SONG FESTIVAL “CYPHER PT. 4” PERFORMANCE (03:05 More destruction.)
FLASH FORWARD: SUGA PERFORMS “CYPHER PT. 4” AT D-DAY TOUR (FAN CAM) (02:03)
KBS SONG FESTIVAL BTS COVER “CLASS IDEA” (ORIG. BY SEO TAIJI AND BOYS) (02:18, Kim Namjoon decides to come for everyone’s throats.)
RAP MONSTER COVERS “SOMETHING” (ORIG. BY DRAKE) (02:53, Prepare yourself for another attack. - shown below)
BTS FANSIGN EVENT (06:40, No subtitles, but it’s cute.)
Fun Fact:
The last time we talked about a cypher track was all the way back in Week 8. That was “Cypher Pt. 3” on BTS’ first studio-length album, Dark & Wild. Do you remember something else we might have mentioned then as well? About who is the Rap Line’s biggest fan?
If you remembered that it’s V—or just clicked the link I gave you to figure it out—bonus points to you! (Side note: there’s no prize besides the satisfaction of being right.) Nobody stans the members of BTS’ Rap Line more than Kim Taehyung does.
In this installment of “V Desperately Wants to be a Rapper”, we present these videos from two fan signs BTS held during their promotions for WINGS. During these fan signs, you will see Taehyung unable to help himself anytime he hears “Cypher Pt. 4” play… he has to use it as a moment to audition for a spot on the Rap Line. Enjoy his whole-hearted attempts and also Rap Monster and j-hope being supportive hyungs by hyping him up.
V CAN’T HELP HIMSELF WHEN HE HEARS “CYPHER PT. 4” AT A FAN MEET (03:22, With ad-libs from j-hope)
DIFFERENT FAN MEET, SAME STORY. V LOSES HIS MIND (02:05, This time with hype from Rap Monster & j-hope)
SAME FAN MEET, DIFFERENT ANGLE (01:04)
DAY FIVE:
Today we continue our celebration of “Cypher Pt. 4” and all things Rap Line. Linked below you’ll find a particularly brutal live performance stage mix compilation in which Rap Monster is in glasses and making aggressive eye contact, j-hope is sporting a bucket hat and slinking along to the beat, and SUGA struts around the stage, points to his imaginary Rolex, and then kicks us in the face at the end of his verse. And we’re grateful to him for it.
We also have a few tracks linked today that you can only find on SoundCloud (so many good gems BTS released only on there… we’re still holding out for “DDaeng!” to make it to streaming platforms soon!) by members of the Rap Line. Continuing to showcase the group’s ongoing love for J. Cole is “God Rap” by Rap Monster. It’s a remix of Cole’s “God’s Gift”, and is an intense introspective look at the desire to influence oneself to be an individual, to be “a god” rather than following the herd.
Harkening back to the topic of discussion on Day Three this week—not-to-miss BTS moments—today we have a performance that lives in infamy in “Boralore”. It’s the group’s cover of Rain’s 2008 hit “Rainism”, a staple in the K-Pop community. They performed this during an end of the year showcase, which SUGA had to miss unfortunately (due to the ear injury we mentioned in previous weeks). The song, with lyrics like “I’m gonna be a bad boy,” is already crazy, but when you add in the choreography and the way each member commits to the attitude of the song, it’s… something else. After you watch the full performance, go ahead and look up fan cams for the individual members. You won’t be sorry, we promise.
“CYPHER PT. 4” STAGE MIX (05:03, HELP. - as shown}
“CYPHER MEDLEY” FT. SUPREME BOI (09:52, We’ve shared this before, we don’t care, we’re sharing it again. It’s THAT good.)
“GOD RAP” BY RAP MONSTER (A REMIX OF “GOD’S GIFT” BY J. COLE) (03:33 - as shown)
“RAINISM” COVER BY BTS (ORIG. BY RAIN) (2:16, This performance is LEGENDARY. - shown above)
BONUS: CELEBRATING 4 MILLION V APP FOLLOWERS: VLIVE 02/07/17 (31:01, Some VERY special dancing happens.)
Bangtan Bubble: Now that we’ve covered all the Cyphers, which one is your favorite?
Let us know your answer in the comments below or on social media (include #BangtanBubble)!
FINAL THOUGHTS:
Onward we march through this juggernaut of an album! After the heavy topics from last week, it was good to get a bit of an uplift in mood, right? And it’s always great to revisit, or discover for the first time, those moments that drew some of us to BTS and made us become ARMY.
Next week is our last with WINGS and we’ll be going out with a bang! The album will end on a high, and we’ll get to see some more fan favorite moments, including another Muster, and a legendary SOPE (SUGA and j-hope) performance in Japan…
Side Quest
RUN BTS! is back with Season 2 and we couldn’t be more excited!
The six episodes we have for you this week, which mark the beginning of the second season of BTS’ variety show, contain some of the craziest and funniest moments in the show’s history.
We can never forget Jung Kook throwing Jimin over his shoulder and smacking his butt, V’s epic fall and slide on the ice, or our introduction to SUGA’s alter ego: Min Yoonji.
RUN BTS! SEASON 2, EP. 11: “GO TO SCHOOL” (26:23 - shown above)
RUN BTS! SEASON 2, EP. 15: “SNOW PARK - WINTER OLYMPIC GAMES” (19:41)
CREDITS:
YouTube/Web
HYBE LABELS, BANGTANTV, Bangtan Subs, Brilliant, Bangtanie Subs, KBS Kpop, theultimatedodo, Strawbérry Milk, BTS Live Archive, 호풀홉, Peppy Grace Subs, no.tokki, Lemoring, Bette HuMatthews, Enjoy BTS more, Focusnews, Mnet K-POP, BBTS9717, MBCKpop, Jaeguchi, Lynn Eksonyeondan, KBS WORLD TV, M2, TSN1995, Queen, Sarah, December Deer, BBC Radio 1, af_taehyung, Lucya Debora, TV-People, bts_moment, MIN Rya, MTV UK, soundcloud.com
ARMY Project 529 Volunteers
Research Team: Angel (TikTok: Lilangel2828), Leslie Day (TikTok: Leslie Day), Merry (TikTok: merryj67), Sam T (TikTok: samt_26), Shelley (TikTok: shels167), Trudy (TikTok: theeducationmommy), Viv (TikTok: VivEliz); Video Team: Leslie Day (TikTok: Leslie Day); Editing Team: Kendra (Discord: Mudskipper); Website Team: Colette (TikTok: voicesinmyhead2)
Join us on TikTok every Sunday evening at 8pm ET for #the529live, a wrap up of each week's The 529 Connection. It’s hosted by AP529 Founder, Stefne, on her channel (@StefARMYProject529). If you can't watch live and want to watch later, Lives will be recorded and posted to our YouTube (@ARMY Project 529).