WEEK 16 | Necessary Opposition
April 15 - 19, 2024
Reflection.
It’s the title of one of the songs we’re talking about this week, yes. More importantly, it’s something we must all take time for now and again. As we’ve talked about before, we change, even if only minutely, every single day. The world changes around us. If we do not take the time to reflect on those changes, and how they affect our lives, the consequences could be… less than ideal.
BTS WINGS photoshoot
As we saw last week with “Begin” and “Lie”, the member’s solo songs on WINGS are studies in self-reflection. Jung Kook reflects on how meeting his hyungs and growing up in BTS shaped him into the person he became as he left childhood behind. In “Lie”, Jimin reflects on his journey trying to escape from the lies he told himself about not being good enough for BTS.
This time, we’ll explore the remainder of the member’s solos, and the lessons in reflection we can take away from them. It’s fitting that it’s Rap Monster’s song which is titled “Reflection” since he poured so much of himself into the writing of this album. As we’ve come to know him over the years, it’s become very clear to ARMY that he is a master of introspection, constantly looking inside himself to find the answers he needs to navigate the world around him. In “Intro: Boy Meets Evil” we saw an introduction of themes from Greek Mythology. A well-known fact about Kim Namjoon: he’s a reader. So it’s no surprise that the entirety of WINGS is heavily influenced by literature—specifically the book Demian by Hermann Hesse.
All of the member’s solo songs (in the short films created for them) contain a passage from Demian at the start, read by Rap Monster. There is one in the middle of the M/V for “Blood Sweat & Tears” as well. They serve to remind us that while temptation is often perceived as ‘evil’, it has a duality to it which makes it a necessary part of life. Without temptation, there would be no motivation. It’s important to explore the totality of temptation, and examine how it influences our decisions throughout our lives. Remember last week when we discussed “Blood Sweat & Tears” and I asked you to see how many references and symbols you could find in the M/V? Take a few minutes to compare what you found to this extremely thorough breakdown of Demian’s influence on WINGS. Enjoy!
Playlists & Lyrics
BTS: WINGS ALBUM SPOTIFY PLAYLIST (also embedded at bottom of post)
ARMY PROJECT 529 WEEK 16 VIDEO PLAYLIST (all YouTube links)
DAY ONE:
V’s fictional storyline in “The Most Beautiful Moment in Life” Series is not a happy one. Throughout the M/Vs for “I NEED U”, “Butterfly: Onstage Prologue”, and “RUN”, we see him dealing with some very heavy issues—domestic violence, suicidal thoughts, trouble with the police—and that carries over into WINGS.
BTS V in WINGS shoot
V helped write “Stigma”, and used the song as a way to speak to his younger self, when he was feeling fragile and broken. The lyrics tell the story of feeling guilt over some terrible transgression that occurred. The character Taehyung portrays wants to make a confession, and apologizes to someone who he perceives suffered in his stead. He feels unworthy because he couldn’t protect them.
I can’t endure it anymore
Why couldn’t I say it then
I’ve been hurting anyway
so much that I can’t endure it anymore
Now cry I can only feel sorry to you
Again cry because I couldn’t protect you
In the HYYH series, most specifically in the M/V for “I NEED U”, we saw that fictional Taehyung killed his father while coming to the defense of his sister (these are the implied relationships based on ages and context clues). The events in the short film for “Stigma”, apart from dealing with the aftermath of this, also give us more background info on his family situation and why it led to that moment. The lyrics of V’s song in particular are the most closely-related to the storyline of all the members. (Please refer to the explanation video in the Fun Fact below for more info.) We get references to actual glass bottles breaking (the weapon he used) and blood spilling (representative of him killing his father).
The song itself is heavily R&B influenced, a no-brainer match for V’s vocal style. He starts quietly, down in his lower register, but as the song builds, so too does the timbre of his voice. By the end of the song, as he’s fully proclaiming his guilt, he’s firmly in his falsetto and hitting high notes that sound like they should not be possible. It’s a roller coaster of emotions, navigated perfectly by V’s performance.
WINGS SHORT FILM #3 - “STIGMA”: V (03:18 - as shown above)
BANGTAN BOMB: WINGS SPECIAL FILM “STIGMA” (CAMERA DIRECTOR: V) (01:25, He’s adorable.)
PINGU PINGU: VLIVE 11/27/16 (00:57, peak TaeTae behavior)
BANGTAN BOMB: V’s WATER BOTTLE TRICK (06:31, Feat. the ALWAYS competitive Golden Maknae.)
V TALKING ABOUT “STIGMA” (00:20)
“STIGMA” LIVE STAGE MIX (04:19, We dare you to not to lose it over his high notes. - shown below)
“SECTION TV” THE STAFF TELLS ON BTS (02:31, Apparently V is difficult to wake up.)
ENJOY THE SOUNDS OF V (00:30, more peak TaeTae behavior)
BANGTAN BOMB: HAPPY BIRTHDAY, V (DURING KBS SONG FESTIVAL) (01:15, HIS SMILE!)
WHAT IF YOU WENT TO BTS HIGH SCHOOL? (SBS STAR SHOW 360) (10:45, A POV Adventure with BTS - shown below)
BONUS: V GIVES SKIN CARE TIPS IN A ROBE AND LISTENS TO NORAH JONES: VLIVE 11/27/16 (28:58, Feat. Jimin playing with filters)
Fun Fact
In the introduction, we discussed that the novel Demian heavily influenced the storyline and overarching concept of WINGS. (See the “Fun Fact” on Day Three for more info on that, and the novel itself.) How then does it specifically show itself in the short films created for the seven solo songs on the album?
The first thing to keep in mind when watching the solo short films is that they are not meant to be music videos. They do not feature the entirety of the songs they correspond with, nor do they interpret the lyrics. Rather, these films fall heavily into the Bangtan Universe, the fictional storyline that began during the HYYH era and runs through a lot of BTS’ discography.
As they are not M/Vs, the short films can be viewed as character studies, providing more insight into the fictional stories created for each member, and how they embody the themes of the album (and Demian) overall.
These films are dream sequences for each character. They are disjointed, and feature rapidly changing scenes that wouldn’t make sense in real life. There is also extremely overt symbolism throughout all seven films which tie them not only to the novel Demian, but also to each other. (For example: the sparrow hawk, the apple, pills, mother and child, burning piano, etc.)
The video linked below is the continuation of the video we included with introduction above. We highly recommend watching that one first if you have not already, as it will provide more context for the album’s concept as a whole.
DAY TWO:
BTS SUGA WINGS shoot
On the surface, “First Love” is about SUGA’s discovery of music and playing the piano. And… it is that, but when we look deeper, we can see that it is also a song about intense loneliness. The feelings that can occur as a result of not remaining true to ourselves, and abandoning the things that make us who we are.
SUGA believes the piano to have been his only friend for a time when he was young, but then feels as though he outgrew it. It’s only after a period of self-reflection that he realizes that, integral to himself, is the juxtaposition of childhood dreams and an ever-changing adolescent persona. Then he seeks out the piano once more, and it welcomes him back, like the friend it always has been to him.
I remember the time
when I faced you again who I had completely forgotten, when I was about 14, The moment of awkwardness was short, and I again caressed you
I had been gone for a long time, but you still accepted me with no repulsion
Without you I’m nothing
Throughout the Bangtan Universe, one of the overarching themes is friendship. Growing up can feel like a lonely experience if you don’t have others who are going through the same things to share it with. In the short film for “First Love”, we see fictional Yoongi seeking out—first—his friend, the piano. He plays Jung Kook’s song, “Begin”. Then he hears Jung Kook whistling, so he goes to look for him. When he doesn’t find him, and returns to the piano only to find it destroyed, it’s a clear message that if we don’t cultivate the connections and friendships around us, we might end up trapped in loneliness, always looking for a way out.
WINGS SHORT FILM #4 - “FIRST LOVE”: SUGA (02:58, Spoiler Alert: it’s a piano. - as shown)
BANGTAN BOMB: WINGS SPECIAL FILM “FIRST LOVE” (SUGA PLAYS THE PIANO) (01:48)
SUGA TALKS ABOUT THEIR FIRST DAESANG: VLOG 11/20/16 (01:41 - as shown)
SUGA AND JIMIN SURPRISE MUSIC CORE ON THE LAST DAY OF BTS PROMOTIONS (01:41, Yoongi plugs his Mixtape)
BEHIND THE SCENES: MAMA AWARDS 2016 (WHEN THEY WON “ARTIST OF THE YEAR”) (03:44, SUGA gets emotional. - shown below)
“ASK IN A BOX” INTERVIEW (13:18, Super cute, although Jung Kook was not feeling it this day.)
BONUS: BTS GAYO! EP. 10 (25:47, Your sound is fine, there is no music for the intro.)
Bangtan Bubble: What was your “first love” as a child? Is it something you still consider special today?
Let us know your answer in the comments below or on social media (include #BangtanBubble)!
DAY THREE:
In the intro we discussed Rap Monster’s propensity for introspection. His solo track was the biggest influence on this week’s blog post. The song is a message to himself. It is one written as an opportunity to reflect upon himself through his music. And isn’t that something we all do through the things we create—no matter if it’s writing, music, art, crafting, social media content, etc—and use to express ourselves?
BTS RM WINGS photoshoot
In the short film we see fictional Namjoon tattooing himself. The image is that of a sparrow hawk (seen previously in some of the other member’s films—most notably Jung Kook’s) which, in Demian, represents a birth of realization. Namjoon is surrounded by mirrors, by endless reflections of himself. He doesn’t like what he sees, and realizes he wants to make a change.
The world is another name for despair
My height is another diameter of Earth
I’m my whole happiness and my worries
They repeat every day, the likes and dislikes directed at myself
When he hears the phone begin to ring (which is presumably Taehyung calling from the police station in the “Stigma” film), it seems to be a wake up call for him—a signal for him to enact change. He runs toward the sound of ringing, but cannot get into the phone booth to answer the call. He beats on the doors, but ultimately feels ineffectual and slides back into despair, the song trailing off with, “I wish I could love myself…”
While the song ends on a note of defeat, it still teaches us the lesson that reflection is necessary, no matter how terrible it might feel to look inward sometimes. We can’t learn, we can’t grow as people and make better choices for the future if we don’t examine what we did in the past.
WINGS SHORT FILM #5 - “REFLECTION”: RAP MONSTER (02:51 - shown above)
BANGTAN BOMB: WINGS SPECIAL FILM “REFLECTION” (POWER MONSTER) (01:13, The God of Destruction strikes again.)
“REFLECTION” LIVE - WINGS TOUR (04:08 - shown below)
“REFLECTION” LIVE IN CHICAGO (ARMY FANCHANT: “WE LOVE YOU!”) (00:51, ARMY tells Kim Namjoon how they feel - shown below)
RAP MONSTER TALKS ABOUT HIS MIXTAPE: VLOG 10/05/16 (04:11, Someday his dimples will destroy the world.)
“LIKE A STAR” REMIX BY RAP MONSTER & JUNG KOOK (01:51, Original by Corinne Bailey Rae - shown below)
ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF VLIVE: VLIVE 10/13/16 (07:30, V flirts with the camera, Jimin has an out-of-body experience in a massage chair on his birthday, and JK practices being seductive.)
RAP MONSTER (feat. YUIKO) COVER OF “UMBRELLA” AT 2016 DUET SONG FESTIVAL (04:07, Original by Epik High feat. Younha)
BONUS: BTS GAYO! EP. 11 (23:33, Again, your sound is FINE, no intro music.)
Fun Fact
The video we presented with this week’s introduction is a great breakdown analysis on the influence the novel Demian has on “Blood Sweat & Tears” and the WINGS album overall. But what is it about this book in particular that caused BTS (and/or Big Hit) to lean on its themes so heavily when creating their second studio album?
Demian was published in 1919, and is by German-Swiss poet, author, and painter Hermann Hesse. It tells the story of Emil Sinclair, a young man who is confused about himself and his life as he transitions from adolescence into young adulthood. This is, of course, a theme that has also consistently run through BTS’ discography.
WINGS, in particular, delves into the concept of self-realization and reflection, and how it is a necessary (an often uncomfortable) part of growing up. Demian encourages its readers to embrace the duality of self by understanding that we will often feel a natural opposition within ourselves. The most familiar representation of this is the presentation of “good” versus “evil”—either accepting or rejecting “temptation”.
BTS has told us from the very beginning since their debut to follow our hearts and pursue our dreams, no matter how big or small. They’ve also encouraged (particularly their Korean audience) listeners to make sure those dreams are personal, and NOT dreams projected from parents or other authority figures.
This is another parallel with Demian, as the book denounces conformity for conformity’s sake. Rather, it champions independent thinking not influenced or set by any sort of precedent or “herd mentality”. Better to look inward, and follow one’s personal convictions in order to achieve true happiness and an understanding of the world.
DAY FOUR:
WINGS opens with j-hope and “Intro: Boy Meets Evil”. In the M/V, we see the chaos that temptation has created in his mind represented through dance, and also by a background of many colors streaked across the surface of the set. This carries through to his solo song later on the album, “MAMA”.
BTS j-hope WINGS photoshoot
Back during the HYYH era Hoseok’s fictional storyline revolved around him being “sick”, taking pills, and seemingly being placed in a mental institution (along with Jimin, as we see in “Lie”). In the short film for “MAMA” we find him possibly still in this institution and we see a doctor diagnose him with “Munchausen’s Syndrome” as he continues to over-medicate himself. Hoseok is likely a prisoner of the landscape created in his mind, and seeks the attention of others through medical care, not bothered if the attention is positive or negative.
Hoseok’s story also involves a fractured relationship with his mother, who abandoned him as a child. We see the landscape painting he’s been staring at in the short film turn to an image of a mother holding a child, showing that he (and all of us really) are always longing for the protective comfort that is represented by a mother figure. The story in the film is in direct opposition to the lyrics of the song “MAMA”, which j-hope wrote to celebrate his own mother, and the sacrifices she made when he was young so he could pursue his dreams. Now he doesn’t want her to worry anymore—instead he wants to be her protective figure.
Hey mama
Now you can lean on me, I’m always by your side
Hey mama
Because you gave me all you got, because you were my support
Hey mama
Now you can trust your son, now you can smile
This speaks to another duality in our lives. There comes a time for us all when our parents no longer actively take care of us, rather we begin to take care of them. It’s not something that typically happens in early adulthood, but with the success of BTS increasing with every new album they released, it’s only natural that j-hope would want to give back to the mother who had sacrificed so much to ensure he had dance lessons and could focus on pursuing his music career.
WINGS SHORT FILM #6 - “MAMA”: J-HOPE (02:51 - shown above)
BANGTAN BOMB: WINGS SPECIAL FILM “MAMA” (J-HOPE’S ACTING) (01:01)
“MAMA” LIVE AT BANGBANGCON (06:23, Bonus at 6:08: spot Lee Know of Stray Kids when he was still a backup dancer for BTS.)
BANGTAN BOMB: J-HOPE’S SELF-CAM DIARY (02:58, j-hope: SUGA, say a word. SUGA: A word.)
“SECTION TV” LUCKY OR UNLUCKY COFFEE (01:45, j-hope has to write in the air with his butt. - shown below)
BTS INTERVIEW ON “ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY” (06:15, JK just really wants his hyungs to clean up after themselves.)
BONUS: BTS GAYO! EP. 12 (18:19, We repeat: DON’T PANIC…)
BONUS: BTS GAYO! EP. 13 (18:30, YOUR SOUND IS FINE.)
Fun Fact:
In the short film for “MAMA” we see a doctor diagnosing Hoseok with “Munchausen’s Syndrome”—but what is that?
According to the National Institute of Health (NIH), “Munchausen’s Syndrome”, which is now also referred to as “Factitious Disorder”, is a condition in which someone intentionally falsifies medical or psychiatric symptoms in order to facilitate internal gains—as a means of coping with stress, out of a desire for attention, or even to gain enjoyment from potentially stumping medical professionals.
The condition was originally named after a fictional character, Baron Munchausen (loosely based on a real person), from the book Baron Munchausen's Narrative of his Marvellous Travels and Campaigns in Russia by Rudolph Erich Raspe. The Baron Munchausen was known to tell wildly exaggerated, but very entertaining, stories about his life and military service.
Why would this disorder in particular be a viable plot point in telling Hoseok’s story in the short film for “MAMA”? As mentioned above, in his ongoing storyline in the Bangtan Universe, he was abandoned by his mother when he was still a small child. It’s likely the trauma from that incident led to a need to constantly seek attention and validation. The pills we see him take seem to suggest he is self-medicating to induce symptoms and make himself actually sick, or at least appear to be, in order to receive attention while under medical care.
DAY FIVE:
BTS Jin WINGS shoot
Jin’s fictional character in the Bangtan Universe is unique. He is often shown on his own, and he’s not paired up with any other member throughout the storyline. The reason for this is that he is some sort of time traveler or can open alternate dimensions, which he does in order to try and save his friends from the tragic turns their stories all seem to take. Whether this happens for real, or only in Jin’s mind is never confirmed. But we do often see him doing things that would suggest he’s trying to find a way back to innocence, to friendship… to light.
In the beginning of the short film for his solo track, “Awake”, we see Jin looking away from an apple, trying to resist temptation. We’ve already learned that temptation is an inevitable part of life—Jimin took a bite from his apple in “Lie”—but Jin doesn’t want to accept that. He would rather maintain control and hold onto an idyllic world, where he can avoid pain and suffering along with his friends.
“Awake” starts quietly, then builds up into sweeping orchestral melodies and soaring vocals. And as we continue through the short film, his voice, as well as Jin himself, continue to try and lead us toward the light and away from temptation.
Maybe I, I can never fly
Like those flower petals over there,
as if I have wings, I can’t do so
Maybe I, I can’t touch the sky
But I still want to reach my hand
I want to try running, just a little more
Perhaps it’s Jin’s refusal to accept that darkness is just as much a part of life as the light is that keeps him separated from his friends? Whether that’s true or not, “Awake” still offers us a sliver of optimism along with the struggle: it’s worth it to keep trying when something is important to you. Facing temptation doesn’t always have to mean giving in—nor is giving in necessarily the wrong thing to do. The important thing is self-realization and accepting that sometimes we have to embrace the duality of the good and the bad, the light and the dark, in order to fully reach true growth in life. If we don’t, we run the risk of being stuck in a “time loop”, like Jin—always running, but never reaching a destination.
WINGS SHORT FILM #7 - “AWAKE”: JIN (05:19 - as shown above)
BANGTAN BOMB: WINGS SPECIAL FILM “AWAKE” (JIN LIP SYNCING) (01:42)
“AWAKE” STAGE MIX (05:51, Excuse me while I literally float away on Jin’s voice and the orchestral arrangement of this song. - as shown)
“MOM” JIN COVER (03:29, original by Ra.D - as shown)
BONUS: BTS GAYO! EP. 14 (19:38, You’ve caught on by now, right?)
BONUS: BTS GAYO! EP. 15 (19:30, Making the “Spine-Breaker” M/V)
BONUS: JIN GAMES WITH ARMYs ON HIS BIRTHDAY: VLIVE 12/16/04 (39:16, The SAVAGERY is unparalleled.)
Bangtan Bubble: Tell us about a time you gave into temptation and if it was the right thing to do.
Let us know your answer in the comments below or on social media (include #BangtanBubble)!
FINAL THOUGHTS:
Whew! This week was heavy, right? But we, as a fandom, appreciate that BTS never shies away from difficult topics like abuse, self-harm, and mental health. These are not easy subjects to deal with in any medium, but they are very real problems that people in the world deal with all the time, including perhaps some of us involved in this Project. Exploring themes like this within the bounds of media and music make these themes easier to swallow and digest. When we hear the words from someone else’s mouth first, it can make it easier to then apply them to ourselves.
When we return next week, we’ll still be with WINGS but there will definitely be a shift in mood. It will be time to get up and dance… and maybe also time to address the haters again…
Side Quest
It’s that time again. We’ve brought you footage from ISAC (Idol Star Athletics Championships) before that featured BTS, but sadly… this will be the last time.
BTS only participated in ISAC through 2017. They never released an official statement as to why they stopped attending after that year (and there is speculation out there that they were “banned” after “leaking” photos early, but these are rumors with absolutely no confirmation behind them), but the most likely reason is that they simply became too busy. 2017 and 2018 were huge years for BTS, and their overseas schedules increased exponentially.
So, enjoy these highlights from their last two years at the games, which include more archery, some amusing dancing, and their last (and least serious) 400M Relay Race.
BANGTAN BOMB: PRACTICING ARCHERY FOR ISAC 2016 (07:16 - shown above)
BANGTAN BOMB: 400M RELAY AT ISAC 2017 (02:09, They definitely were NOT trying to win this time - as shown.)
CREDITS:
YouTube/Web
HYBE LABELS, BANGTANTV, Bangtan Subs, BTS, Bangtanie Subs, Enjoy BTS more, 1theK (원더케이), PẶC THÍNH, BTS Live Archive, MBCentertainment, KOCOWA TV, iBangtan 0613, myrkivee, SUGA & spice, TV-People, M2, MIN MONARCH, Lynn Eksonyeondan, Daniela Botello, pepanook, KBS WORLD TV, wikipedia.org, blog.lareviewofbooks.org, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
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).
