WEEK 19 | Walk With Me
May 6 - 10, 2024
In Bloom.
Last week we left on a high—literally. We’d found our wings and taken flight, just as BTS did after releasing and promoting WINGS. And while that album is a journey from start to finish… the group knew they still had a bit more to say before moving on completely. Enter the special repackage of WINGS, entitled You Never Walk Alone (YNWA), released February 13, 2017.
BTS - WINGS “You Never Walk Alone” concept shoot
Artistic growth and creativity clearly worked well for BTS. They were not strangers to exploring deeper themes in their music, but WINGS had seen them branching out further to include massive amounts of literary symbolism as well. The response they received was overwhelmingly positive. So, if it ain’t broke…
You Never Walk Alone included four extra tracks, including the (now) legendary “Spring Day”. We’re taking two days (although we could use a whole week) to talk about the influences and inspirations behind it, and its lasting impact on ARMY and South Korea. This song is still charting all over the world, even today.
As we look back at milestones, like the release of “Spring Day”, in BTS’ career, it’s easy to see why they made it as big as they have all over the world. It seems inevitable. But at the start of 2017, there was no such certainty. They knew they were really making headway in South Korea, but the western music world still felt far away. They’d been to America several times, but BTS didn’t think they would ever really have a foothold there.
Luckily for them, ARMY had a very different opinion. Enter the Billboard Music Awards…
Playlists & Lyrics
BTS: ALBUM YNWA SPOTIFY PLAYLIST (also embedded at bottom of post)
ARMY PROJECT 529 WEEK 19 VIDEO PLAYLIST (all YouTube links)
DAY ONE:
Every now and then, something comes along that really captures a moment of time for an entire culture—a zeitgeist, if you will. The term originated in 18th and 19th century German philosophy, and was used to refer to an epoch in history… something that defined the “spirit of the age”. In modern times, we most commonly refer to cultural zeitgeists, or moments in fashion, architecture, or the arts that embody a moment in society.
Billboard article regarding the success of “Spring Day” view here
“Spring Day” can be considered a cultural zeitgeist. It was the “title track” for You Never Walk Alone and saw immediate success upon its release. It debuted at number one on the Gaon Digital Song Chart, and peaked at 15 on the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100. It swept music show wins, even when BTS wasn’t present to perform, and won “Song of the Year” at the 2017 Melon Music Awards. It was critically acclaimed all over the world for its maturity—both in terms of sound and content.
The music video (M/V) was also well-received, and is regarded now as something of a masterpiece. Directed by Choi YongSeok of Lumpens (who has worked with BTS on many music videos), the over five-minute long video is full of symbolism that explores the concepts of death, the afterlife, survivor’s guilt, and closure. It is heavily influenced by the film Snowpiercer, by South Korean Director Boon Joon-Ho, as well as the 1973 short story “The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas” by Ursula K. Le Guin. (See today’s Fun Fact for more info.)
Many also believe the M/V to be tied to the Bangtan Universe, even though it is not officially tagged as such. It has themes and imagery that relate to the BU, like the constant use of trains as a metaphor for change. We also see Jin at the bottom of the stairs, “taking a picture”, separated from the other members while they run around and interact with each other—something that happens often along the storyline in several previous M/Vs.
“SPRING DAY” OFFICIAL M/V (05:29 - shown above)
“SPRING DAY” M/V SHOOTING SKETCH (03:31 -shown below)
JIN’S PREVIEW OF THE BTS FACE PHOTO BOOK: VLIVE 02/19/17 (07:23, He compliments himself and rags on the other members. “V looks handsome, but it’s just an illusion.”)
“SPRING DAY” ON MCOUNTDOWN (04:50, Absolutely beautiful choreography.)
BANGTAN BOMB: JIN BEING JIN BACKSTAGE AT MCOUNTDOWN (01:10, Feat. JK casually sounding like an angel in the background)
BANGTAN BOMB: 17 SECONDS OF J-HOPE BEING ADORABLE (00:17, As advertised.)
BANGTAN BOMB: MORE JIN BEING JIN (00:23)
BANGTAN BOMB: BEHIND “SPRING DAY” AT MCOUNTDOWN (05:40 - shown below)
FLASH FORWARD: “SPRING DAY” TINY DESK PERFORMANCE 2020 (05:30, Bask in the gorgeous vocals - shown below)
BONUS: YOU NEVER WALK ALONE PREVIEW SHOW: VLIVE 02/12/17 (01:04:14, Hilarity and Chaos.)
Fun Fact
“You know it all…you’re my best friend...”
“Spring Day” is one of those songs that doesn’t just strike a single chord within us, it strikes several—and often all at the same time. It can be overwhelming. It’s one of BTS’ songs that I personally love, but have to be in the right head space to listen to. It’s beautiful, but profoundly sad, and a lot of that can be attributed to the themes and imagery the lyrics and M/V both explore.
As mentioned above, the song is one that deals with loss, grief, and the emotions we have when we feel left behind by those we love. The lyrics use the metaphor of being stuck in a perpetual winter, waiting for spring to come. This is a major plot point in the film Snowpiercer, which also encourages fighting back against an authority that wants to keep society in the dark in order to protect itself. (Which is very relevant to the Sewol Ferry Disaster, discussed further on Day Two, and in this week’s Side Quest)
Turning a blind eye to suffering, as most of the people do in Snowpiercer, is a theme also explored in “The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas”, the short story written by Ursula K. Le Guin. It is the story of a Utopia that can only ensure the happiness and prosperity of society by exploiting the torture and unhappiness of a single child. At a certain point, each citizen is shown the child and given the choice to remain in bliss, or leave the society to take a path unknown.
BTS invites us to ponder this question for ourselves as we listen to the song. Every day, we are faced with news from around the world that seems too terrible to be real. Are we content to sit back and turn a blind eye to suffering, or do we want to walk toward spring, and the renewal it brings? Take a few minutes to watch the video we’ve linked below which explains the connections between the media mentioned above (as well as the Sewol Ferry Disaster) and “Spring Day”.
*Please be aware that the video does briefly discuss some very heavy topics, like self-harm, mass casualties, and child abuse.
DAY TWO:
BTS - RM on the train in the “Spring Day” M/V
When asked about the inspiration behind his lyrics in “Spring Day”, RM said that he had been thinking about his middle school and high school friends whom he hadn’t heard from in quite a while. The song’s lyrics tell a story of profound loneliness and a longing for missing loved ones.
I miss you
Saying this out loud makes me miss you more
Though I’m looking at your picture,
I still miss you
After its release, many linked the song and the M/V to the Sewol Ferry Disaster. On April 16, 2014, a ferry (MV Sewol) sank while en route to Jeju Island in South Korea. It resulted in the death (or disappearance) of more than 300 high school students. This marked a moment of massive grief, as well as sparking widespread social and political action throughout the country.
It is widely believed that the majority of the lives lost happened as a result of gross negligence from the boat’s crew (most of whom abandoned ship before securing the safety of their passengers) and from the slow response of the South Korean government.
The M/V for “Spring Day” does seem to contain references to the tragedy, if you look closely enough. (If you didn’t check out the “explained” video from the Fun Fact yesterday, make sure you do, it details a lot of these references.) The most notable of those are probably the pile of clothes we see BTS sitting on at one point, and the yellow ribbons that are tied to the merry-go-round behind Jung Kook.
BTS Jung Kook in “Spring Day” M/V in front of a merry-go-round
At first, when asked if there was a connection between “Spring Day” and the Sewol Ferry Disaster, BTS kept their responses vague, but never denied it. Litigation had been going on for years following the sinking, including an investigation into the president at the time, Park Geun-hye. Just a few months after the release of “Spring Day”, President Park was actually impeached, largely due to how she handled the ferry sinking, and the subsequent fallout.
BTS members on the roof of the train station in “Spring Day” photoshoot
In more recent years however, both Pdogg (a longtime writer and producer at Big Hit) and members of BTS themselves have stated implicitly that they did have the Sewol Ferry in mind when they were writing “Spring Day” and creating the music video. (If you’d like more information on Sewol, please see our Side Quest at the end of the week.)
And while the song begins in winter—with sadness—we don’t stay there. Eventually, the lyrics bring us to spring, and the hope for renewal that comes with it.
Because no darkness or no season
can last forever
It seems like the cherry blossoms are blooming
This winter is also coming to its end
“Spring Day” became a beacon for much of South Korea. The entire nation mourned along with the survivors and the families of those lost in the ferry tragedy. It has since established itself as a symbol of hope and resilience for ARMY all over the world as well. A message that even when everything feels cold and bleak, eventually, spring will come again…
“SPRING DAY” DANCE PRACTICE (04:38 - as shown)
“SPRING DAY” LIVE ON MUSIC BANK (04:55 - as shown)
BANGTAN BOMB: Q&A BACKSTAGE WITH JIN (“AHH-MY”) (01:01, Feat. Jin’s dopey windshield-wiper laugh while j-hope & V just sigh.)
BANGTAN BOMB: “SPRING DAY” WINS ON MUSIC BANK (07:06, Jin plans his encore performance choreography.)
MUSIC BANK “SPRING DAY” ENCORE PERFORMANCE (05:01, Feat. Jin’s choreography)
BANGTAN BOMB: BACKSTAGE MONITORING AFTER PRE RECORDING FOR MUSIC CORE (01:41, Just…look at V.)
BANGTAN BOMB: LAST DAY OF PROMOTIONS FOR “SPRING DAY” (07:01, Messages to ARMY.)
WHAT IF BTS WENT TO THE ARCADE? (04:44, A battle to avoid Aegyo.)
“SPRING DAY” (CUTE VERSION) FEAT. 2 HYUNGS & 2 MAKNAES (02:55, Witness the losers of the Aegyo Battle… with plushies. - as shown)
BANGTAN BOMB: BEHIND “SPRING DAY” ON MCOUNTDOWN (06:04, Infamous moment of Jin narrating SUGA’s internal monologue.)
LITERALLY THREE MINUTES OF BTS FANBOYING OVER J-HOPE AT A FANSIGN (03:21,They make up multiple songs with his name and praise him for making his mixtape.)
V ASKING ARMYs TO LOWER THEIR CAMERAS AT A FANSIGN SO HE CAN SEE THEIR FACES. (00:39, It’s fine, he’s only the sweetest man ever. EVERYTHING’S FINE.)
BONUS: BACKSTAGE AFTER WINNING AT SHOW CHAMPION (17:16, Jin, Jimin & Jung Kook are “jealous” and give V a hard time for spending too much time with his “Hwarang” buddies.)
BONUS: “IDOL PARTY” WITH BTS (57:43, They play a lot of games and Jimin suffers. - shown below)
Bangtan Bubble: What does “Spring Day” mean to you?
Let us know your answer in the comments below or on social media (include #BangtanBubble)!
DAY THREE:
The journey we went on throughout WINGS was one of self-discovery. It was a call for us to look within ourselves to face the truth and find the strength we need to grow and move forward in life. It’s aimed at self-reliance, but BTS never wants ARMY to think they have to go it alone.
Hence the title of the repackage album for WINGS—You Never Walk Alone, along with one of the new songs: “A Supplementary Story: You Never Walk Alone”. Looking within and finding the strength of one’s “wings” might be personal, but you don’t have to be alone while going through it.
Yeah even if we’re covered in bruises,
we can smile if we’re together
At the end of this road that I walk alone,
whatever is there, I’ll set my foot on it
Though I’d get tired and hurt sometimes,
It’s okay because I’m next to you
Because, you and I, if we’re together,
we can smile
Life is tough. It can sometimes feel like it’s trying to weigh us down. But when we have someone (or many people) to walk beside us to help bear that weight, we can get through it. Because we’re together. This is not just a nod to the relationship between BTS and ARMY, but also to that of the members themselves. Just as we rely on our friends and family members, so do the members of BTS rely on their loved ones, and especially on each other. The seven of them are lucky to have each other—walking the difficult road of fame together, and taking turns being strong.
Toward the end of the song, the lyrics encourage us to crawl, then walk, and then finally to run. This is adapted from a quote by Martin Luther King, Jr.:
If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.
BTS tells us to do what we need to do and find strength where we can in order to keep going. Lean on those around us—including Bangtan and their music.
“A SUPPLEMENTARY STORY: YOU NEVER WALK ALONE” COLOR-CODED LYRICS (02:43 - shown above)
“A SUPPLEMENTARY STORY: YNWA” LIVE STAGE MIX (02:37 - shown below)
BANGTAN BOMB: JUNG KOOK TAKING US FOR A SPIN (00:30, Literally.)
RM & WALE “CHANGE” OFFICIAL M/V (04:50 - shown below)
FRONT ROW LIVE ENT. INTERVIEW W/ ROB HERRERA (13:12, VERY refreshing interview where they get asked about their production & writing processes, including RM’s collab with Wale.)
BTS INTERVIEW AND SELFIE COMPETITION (07:16, The clear winner is V.)
BONUS: BTS IN 360 INTERVIEW (09:21)
Fun Fact
“Namjoon, it’s been five years and you’re still not good with lighting.”
There isn’t much better in this world than a LIVE with a manic Kim Namjoon talking about how he writes and makes music, am I right? Especially when he puts the dimples on display and randomly switches back and forth between Korean and English at lightning speed.
We previously shared a LIVE RM did when WINGS first came out, detailing the writing and production process for all of the songs on the album. When You Never Walk Alone was released, he did another one in which he discussed the new songs on the repackage.
He reveals to us that he wrote the chorus for “Spring Day” while walking in a park, next to a river, and thinking about his school friends. He gives some very sage advice—if you have friends you haven’t heard from in awhile, call or text them first—while also letting us in on the behind-the-scenes process of how songs make it to their final forms.
The subtitles are slightly off in this video, but still correct enough. When it says “This Spring”, he is talking about “Spring Day”. Enjoy Namjoon scolding himself and laughing at his own jokes for awhile… it’s free therapy.
RM REVIEWS YOU NEVER WALK ALONE (33:11)
DAY FOUR:
Before BTS, K-Pop was seen as something of a novelty in the western music market, particularly in America. In 2012, PSY broke through with his mega-hit “Gangnam Style” and suddenly put K-Pop on the world’s radar. However, though he enjoyed a lot of recognition for this success, he was unable to duplicate it or grow even more in the western music industry. Eventually, the hype died down and K-Pop went back to mostly being a niche interest.
Even before they debuted, BTS was doing things differently than other Idol groups. Since they were under a small, almost bankrupt, company, they took every available opportunity to promote themselves. They became YouTube vloggers, released songs for free on SoundCloud as “thank yous”, and they released countless hours of dance practices and behind-the-scenes footage—all to share and connect with ARMY, even before we were named. BTS even had a Twitter account, something other K-Pop artists hadn’t really bothered with before. Whenever and wherever BTS could connect with their fans, they would.
BTS at the BBMAs in 2017 after winning “Top Social Artist”
As their momentum grew, so too did ARMY, including well outside of South Korea. In 2017, BTS was invited to the Billboard Music Awards. They were nominated for the “Top Social Artist” award—a first for any K-Pop artist. The award had been created in 2011 and the winner was determined through fan interactions with an artist’s music, through streaming and social engagement, as well as through the results of a global online voting poll.
Until 2017, “Top Social Artist” had only ever been awarded to one person—Justin Bieber. No other fandom had come close enough to upset his domination before.
BTS showing off their winning card announcing the “Top Social Artist” award
Until ARMY.
BTS won “Top Social Artist” that year, and then again every year after until it became clear no one else would ever be able to beat them in the category. While there hasn’t been a formal announcement of the award’s discontinuation, it hasn’t been an active category since 2021.
But we know what would happen if they brought it back again…
BTS ARRIVES FOR THE “MAGENTA CARPET” AT THE BBMAs (03:47 - shown below)
FLASH FORWARD: BTS MAGENTA CARPET INTERVIEW (02:41, RM: “We’re still awkward.”)
BTS TALKING TO ARMY DURING THE BBMAs: VLIVE 05/22/17 (06:11, j-hope continues to sit upon his throne of lies regarding showing ARMY his abs.)
ANOTHER BBMA MAGENTA CARPET INTERVIEW (02:31, Talking about making M/Vs.)
BTS AT THE BILLBOARD MUSIC AWARDS (18:52, The entire experience, including their win. - shown below)
CELEBRATING THEIR BBMA AWARD WITH ARMY: VLIVE 05/22/17 (06:24)
BTS INTERVIEW WITH BILLBOARD (05:30, SUGA’s infamous pickup line: “You know BTS?”)
BTS INTERVIEW WITH YAHOO (20:35, Suddenly, SUGA becomes fluent in English, much to RM’s surprise.)
Fun Fact:
What’s the one word that comes to mind when you think of BTS on a red carpet or at award shows? Is it “chaos”? I’ll bet it was…
Award Ceremonies can often be boring and run on for far too long—an endless parade of acceptance speeches and sometimes lackluster performances. In the world of K-Pop, the performances are usually far better, but the ceremonies can still drag on.
BTS has been to a staggering amount of these events during their career, and whether they’re performing, receiving an award, or even just presenting, they’re always “extra” and make their own fun. When the camera lands on any member of the group, you never know what could happen, but it’s sure to become a treasured meme for ARMY to enjoy.
Here’s a video compilation of some of BTS’ funniest moments from award shows. Highlights include Jin refusing to smile for the camera, V’s enthusiastic dance moves, JK doing literally anything to avoid giving a speech, including disappearing, and RM getting caught in a moment of extreme enthusiasm. Enjoy!
LEGENDARY BTS AWARD SHOW MOMENTS (08:11, Try not to laugh, we dare you.)
DAY FIVE:
With BTS appearing at the 2017 Billboard Music Awards, ARMYs in America got to know them a lot more through all of the interviews and appearances they had leading up to and after the award show. The members got to show more of their personalities and interact with western artists they had admired for years.
This time when Americans were getting a better glimpse at BTS was both exciting and frustrating. A lot of the interviews the group had during this time were superficial, with questions like “What’s your favorite American food?” and “What American artist do you want to collab with the most?” being asked over and over again, ad nauseam.
Also, as RM was the only member fluent in English, he had to shoulder most of the weight of these interviews. Sometimes he would translate and get answers from the other members, but frequently there wouldn’t be enough time, or the questions wouldn’t be worth translating, so he would just do all the talking himself. This was tiresome for him, and frustrating to the other members who wanted to help more.
Occasionally, there were interviewers who asked questions more about their music-making process or the inspiration behind their songs. We’ve tried to source as many of those as possible, and keep the superficial ones to a minimum. Although, admittedly… they are a great source for ARMY inside jokes and memes.
ANOTHER BILLBOARD INTERVIEW (14:17, Actual good questions! And BTS Superlatives. - as shown)
JIMIN CAM WITH BTS GETTING READY FOR THE BBMAs: VLIVE 05/22/17 (03:19, An attack from multiple fronts. - as shown)
DINNER CELEBRATING THEIR BBMA WIN: VLIVE 09/30/17 (22:08, Jin was not there, he was sick. - as shown below)
Bangtan Bubble: What’s your favorite BTS red carpet moment?
Let us know your answer in the comments below or on social media (include #BangtanBubble)!
FINAL THOUGHTS:
If you ever hear someone say that BTS is “just a boy band”, make them listen to “Spring Day” and watch them choke on their words. Watching their messages grow with them and their audience—from telling kids not to go to college just because their parents want them to, to writing songs about dealing with grief and loss on a mass scale—is rewarding beyond measure.
Join us next week, (not today), as we continue with You Never Walk Alone…
BTS WINGS: YNWA Album
Side Quest
On April 16, 2014, a passenger/cargo ferry sank off the coast of South Korea, en route to Jeju Island from Incheon. It was hauling quite a lot of cargo, as well as a large group of high school students and their chaperones, on their way to a weekend field trip on Jeju.
The ferry unfortunately did not reach its destination, and hundreds of lives were lost when it sank. The tragic incident, and the aftermath of how it was handled are both a blight on the memories of many Koreans.
Here we have provided some links if you would like to learn more about what happened. The video, from the YT channel “Rotten Mango”, is very long, but also extremely informative. It’s well-researched and gives a lot of context to the massive impact this had on Korean society. While this video handles the subject matter with the utmost respect, it is also an extremely disturbing story. Keep that in mind while watching, and don’t be afraid to take breaks if you need to.
THE SEWOL FERRY DISASTER AS TOLD BY ROTTEN MANGO (01:54:29, a podcast that details the incident and aftermath. - shown above)
CREDITS:
YouTube/Web
HYBE LABELS, BANGTANTV, Bangtan Subs, BTS shooky kookoo, Peppy Grace Subs, BTS Live Archive, Nhung Nguyen, Mnet K-POP, * eun, mxhjhae21, Rin Woo, Run BTS, journal with P., bulletproof vibes, LOPEZ Justin Nicole D., KBS WORLD TV, Lemoring, KBS Drama Classic, Front Row Live Ent., 104.3 MYfm, Yahooo Esports, Bringing it Back to The Beatles, BTS, es더, Billboard, Billboard Music Awards, Yahoo, vujeonz, Taehyung Only, Rotten Mango, wikipedia.org, billboard.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).