WEEK 27 | Take Off the Mask

Monday Muster
Written By Quince

July 1 - 5, 2024

Revelation.

BTS LYS: HER photo shoot

Love has been the theme for the past few weeks as we’ve been covering Love Yourself 承 ‘HER’. We’ve discussed the discovery of a love that feels destined, the headiness of the love between ARMY and BTS, and loving yourself and your life enough to not care about any detractors who try to bring you down. All on one album… and we’re not done!


This week we’ll finish up our LYS: HER journey with songs that seem to be polar opposites, but are all about discovering truths within ourselves. Sometimes those truths are beautiful, sometimes they’re not, but they always affect how we relate to the world around us. 

We’ll also dive into two extremely important moments in BTS history. The first, an overdue and necessary rebranding of their main image—their group’s logo. And the second, a new brand partnership that may have seemed just like a fun lark at first, but ended up becoming so intrinsically part of the identity of the members and ARMY, we almost can’t remember a time before it. I’m speaking, of course, of the creation of the BT21 characters and their storylines.

BT21 Begins (00:53)

 

Playlists & Lyrics

 
 

Skip to Content: Day One | Day Two | Day Three | Day Four | Day Five

 

DAY ONE:

The first time I ever saw a performance of “Go Go”, I remember thinking to myself, “Are they really saying ‘YOLO’ and doing that floss dance?” It seemed so atypical of a BTS song that I just had to dive in deeper and learn more about the song. And to this day I’m glad I did. Because it masks brilliance hiding under flippancy and word play, which is something that’s hard to pull off, but trust BTS to excel at it.


The choreography we see in performances is a running list of viral dance challenges, and the song sounds mindless at first. It’s full of pop-culture buzz words and instrumentation that gives it the feel of a fun, summer island bop. But, when you really listen…

Squandering fun, pay it all

Leave me be even if I overspend,

even if I cancel my installment savings tomorrow morning like a crazy guy

WOO there’s no tomorrow

My future has already been put in pledge

WOO spend more of my money 


“Go Go” is actually a criticism of the materialism we often see rampant in society, which causes too many people to live beyond their means, and can get them into trouble. Capitalism obviously rules the world, so we all have to play the game to some extent, but here, BTS warns us—albeit very tongue-in-cheek—against the dangers of extravagance. It’s a bit of a follow up to their 2014 song “Spine Breaker”.

BTS - "GO GO" Comeback Stage

 

Bangtan Bomb: "GOGO" Stage with ARMY - Perfect Voice

Billboard Magazine Cover Shoot Behind

 

Fun Fact

The members of BTS have a lot of interests outside of creating and performing music. We love it when they cultivate those hobbies and interests, especially when they decide to share the results with ARMY.

We’ve seen Jung Kook with a video camera in his hand so many times… documenting his members, their important moments, and the world around them. In their earlier years, he talked about fooling around with video editing, and he made occasional funny edit videos.

During 2018, Jung Kook decided to go from “playing around” to professionally producing his own documentary videos. He also decided to release them for us to see on BTS’ YouTube channel, “BANGTANTV”. We know that our Golden Maknae typically excels at anything he puts his mind to… thus, “Golden Closet Films” was born.

Below we’ve linked to the very first two “Golden Closet Films” he produced from footage he filmed during trips taken to Japan (one of which was to celebrate Jimin’s birthday). We’ve also included a tiny behind-the-scenes video showing Jung Kook being excited about his project and explaining why he named his studio “Golden Closet Films”.

We all love Jung Kook’s G.C.F projects now, and he’s improved so much over the years. (Who can forget the one he made while filming his M/V for “Standing Next To You”? If you said “no one”, you’re correct.) We can’t wait to see what he does with his studio in the future, once he’s back from the military.

 
 

DAY TWO:

“But Quince, how does a song like ‘Go Go’ fit into the ‘Love Yourself’ theme of the rest of the album?”

Screenshot of BTS performing “GO GO” on MNET

Valid question. And one I pondered extensively when I first started studying the album for the blog. At first, the song seems out of place. It’s a critique of society’s obsession with the appearance of material wealth… what on earth does that have to do with love?

My week is Mon-Tue-Wed-Thu Fri-Fri-Fri-Fri

My bank account is yah

a bottomless jar

I’m pouring water into it every day

Just rather break it

To worry all the time, we are too young

At least today, rather than worrying, just Go


In South Korea (and many other places) the work week is endless, a lot of young people are forced to work on the weekends to keep up with their jobs and/or their studying. Whatever money they earn just seems to go straight through their bank account like water through a bottomless jar. Dealing with that day in and day out, especially when you’re young, can be grueling.

The last line in particular—“At least today, rather than worrying, just Go”—sums up the crux of BTS’ message in particular. Love yourself enough not to shackle yourself to these worries all the time. Don’t put so much effort into the endless accumulation of wealth or the buying of luxury items you can’t afford, when those things don’t bring you actual joy in life. Live free of worry and responsibility while you can, and focus on what matters most… not money.


And when you start looking at “Go Go” from this perspective, suddenly the silly, repetitive use of “YOLO” (“You Only Live Once”) makes all the sense in the world, right?

"GO GO" Heart Performance for ARMY

 

Jimin in Japan: VLOG 04/13/18

 

BTS - "GO GO" From Bang Bang Con The Live 2020

Stples & Friends BTS Spotlight - Ep 1 - Love Yourself: Her

"GOGO" Special Stage (BTS FOCUS) 2017 MBC

 
 
 

Bangtan Bubble: What’s your favorite part of the choreo from “Go Go”?

 
 

Let us know your answer in the comments below or on social media (include #BangtanBubble)!

 

DAY THREE:

The last official track on Love Yourself 承 ‘HER’ is a labor of love and co-production from SUGA. And if you watch any of the interview and behind the scenes footage we’ve linked for you, it’s clear he was immensely proud of the track… he mentioned it, in typical Min Yoongi fashion, as often as humanly possible. He also, along with RM and others, contributed to the writing.

To be fair, it IS an amazing song. And a perfect “end” for an album that discusses finding and exploring love in many different ways. “Outro: Her” reflects on someone trying to find love inside themself, and letting it also show on the outside. Sometimes in relationships we can lose ourselves, or feel like we have to put on a mask in order to be accepted and loved.

Maybe I’m your truth and lie

Maybe your love and hatred

your heaven and hell, sometimes pride and embarrassment

I can never take off the mask

because behind the mask I’m not that guy you know

Today, too, make up to wake up

and dress up to mask on

to become myself that you love

To become that guy that you love

LYS: HER album Press photo shoot

It’s not healthy, of course, to hide ourselves like that. Eventually, it cultivates resentment, and bitterness. The song goes on to explore the “narrator” finding that acceptance in themselves and recognizing their own worth. This allows them to find a love that is real, in which they can be themselves. 

The “Love Yourself” series spans three albums, so it would be tiresome if all of the songs said the same thing, I find it amazing that BTS took the opportunity at the end of the first album to remind us that the most important love we can look for is the love within ourselves.

Golden Disc Awards 2018 - Outro: HER and Spring Day

 

BTS - "Outro: HER" FMV Eng Subs

 

Five Minutes of Love from BTS

BTS Backstage at Golden Disk 2018

Boys of BTS Tease 2017 AMAs Performance \ E! Red Carpet & Award shows

 
 

DAY FOUR:

BTS performance of “MIC Drop” on MNet

Last week we talked about “MIC Drop” and its declarative message to BTS’ haters. “Look at all of our success. Nothing you say matters.” It’s bold, and brash and when we hear it we think, “Hell yeah. Tell ‘em BTS.” Because no one deserves their flowers more, right?  

And it would be easy to think that—because they were experiencing real global fame for the first time following the release of Love Yourself 承 ‘HER’—they had reached that point in their career where they were no longer plagued by doubts, or insecurities. “MIC Drop” was what they wanted the world to hear, but there was more to the story, and it was contained in “Sea”, a hidden track on the album. It was hidden because this part of the story was just for ARMY, and the members of BTS knew they would understand.

Originally written in 2016, RM had considered the track for his mixtape, but ultimately shelved it. It was pulled back out again the following year and dusted off by producer Slow Rabbit, and given some new lyrical life by SUGA. 


BTS LYS: HER continues to win awards

Is this place that I’ve reached really the sea,

or is it a blue desert?

I don’t know I don’t know

if I’m feeling the waves at this moment yeah

I don’t know I don’t know

if I’m still being chased by the sandstorm yeah

I don’t know I don’t know

whether it’s the sea or a desert

whether it’s hope or despair

whether it’s real or fake shit

I know I know

that this trial given to me now

I know I know

that I will overcome

I know I know

that it’s me who is the place where you can rely on yeah  

                                                                                            

“Sea” relates the hardships BTS faced so often after their debut, as they had to compete with groups from other, bigger, companies for recognition. The uncertainty of those days carries over into the present, as they feel shaky on the grounds of their newfound success—and worry that it could be taken away at any moment. “MIC Drop” was their brave face, but “Sea” exposed their underlying feelings. It also offered hope, letting ARMY know BTS still counted on us, and that we could count on them.

 

BTS Exclusive Interview

Flash Forward: Jung Kook singing "Sea"

Comeback Show - BTS DNA (D-1)

 

Fun Fact:

Remember all the way back to Week One, when we talked about BTS’ 2013 Debut? Seems like forever ago, right?

At first, they were marketed as a hip-hop Idol group, so their sound and image had to match. The original BTS logo featured their name on the background of a bulletproof vest. Not only was this to reinforce the “hard” edge of their hip-hop persona, but it was also a nod to their name’s actual meaning. In English, Bangtan Sonyeondan essentially translates to “Bulletproof Boy Scouts”.

BTS’ first message, at the time of their debut, was that they wanted to be a “bulletproof shield” for their generation. This message didn’t exactly change as the years went on, but it did evolve into something a bit more sophisticated.

By 2017, BTS themselves had also evolved, and the relationship between them and ARMY was more one of mutual support and protection, with both sides having each other’s backs no matter what. With this in mind, as well as with their newfound growth in the western music scene, BTS decided it was time for a bit of a rebrand.

They debuted their new logo, along with one for ARMY as well that showed the growth and maturity they’d achieved since their debut. They traded the bulletproof vest in for what could be interpreted as both a shield, and a door, with ARMY’s logo being the inverted version, meaning the same thing.

The also added an English meaning for their name: “Beyond the Scene”. Why? We haven’t found a definitieve answer to that yet, but we suspect it was because they were tired of saying that it WASN’T “Behind the Scenes” and/or explaining to English-speaking audiences what Bangtan Sonyeondan means. Whatever the reason, the logo change was well-timed, and widely-praised.

BTS Logo Animation

 
 

DAY FIVE:

Koya. RJ. Shooky. Mang. Chimmy. Tata. Cooky. 

BT21 Gang

For those of us who discovered BTS within the past few years, these names have always been there—synonymous with the members of BTS. We’ve seen them with their plushies, pajamas, character headbands, etc. We’ve purchased all the different kinds of merchandise, and seen cute little shorts with the characters in them.

But have you ever wondered how it all got started?

If you’ve never taken the time to deep dive into the BT21 Universe as you have with Bangtan itself, now is the time—starting with its creation. BT21 is a collaboration with the global character brand LINE FRIENDS. It was created on September 26, 2017 and was the first project of LINE FRIENDS CREATORS. The members were invited to partner on every aspect of the project, from the initial design stages, to the creation and elaboration of their characters’ storylines.

Why BTS? Why were they selected to be the first artists to join the FRIENDS CREATOR project? As mentioned earlier this week, LINE FRIENDS is a ‘global’ character brand, so they were looking for someone to partner with who had global appeal, and was often trending on social media. BTS, with their worldwide popularity, and their ability to storytell, fit the bill nicely. 

The BT21 brand launched on December 16, 2017. Below, we’ve linked to the videos released that showed the process of the members of BTS helping with the design process of their characters. It’s interesting to see their thought processes—how some of them (Jin and V) knew what they wanted pretty much right out of the gate, while others (SUGA and j-hope) struggled a bit and had to go through several rounds of design and discussion before settling on a vision with the professional creators. And since the launch of BT21 and their fictional world “UNIVERSTAR BT21”, the characters and the stories created around them have become synonymous with the BTS members themselves. The initial premise introduced seven characters (well, eight really, with VAN, who symbolizes ARMY) who seemed destined to find each other and make an impact on the world.

We are BT21

Prince TATA from Planet BT, who had been traveling with VAN, crashed on Earth. In order to spread love, TATA decides to become a star. Finally, they have met six fascinating members: KOYA, RJ, SHOOKY, MANG, CHIMMY, and COOKY and together, they make ‘BT21’, and they are dreaming of becoming the most famous stars in the universe, THE UNIVERSTAR! Will BT21 become UNIVERSTAR, and spread love around?

Spreading love has always been one of BTS’ main goals, and BT21 has helped them do just that, through storytelling and adorable character animation. Here’s hoping they get to continue on together for a very long time. 

BT21 Universe 1 - Teaser

 

BONUS: BT21 Original Story - Season 1 Compilation

 

BT21 Universe 1 - Prologue

BT21 Universe 1 - EP.01

BT21 Universe 1 - EP.02

 
 
 

Bangtan Bubble: Which BT21 character do you relate with the most?

 

Let us know your answer in the comments below or on social media (include #BangtanBubble)!

 
 

FINAL THOUGHTS:

BTS LYS: TEAR album

What an amazing album, yeah? Love Yourself 承 ‘HER’ is a beautiful exploration of so many facets of love, and it really took us on a journey. But we’re not done. Not even close. 


Join us next time as we begin looking into the following album in the LYS series, Love Yourself 轉 'Tear', which is arguably, the darkest part of the trilogy. We spent the last three weeks feeling mostly happy, giggly, and seduced, but we’ve got some rough waters ahead… including a song that literally lays out the story of BTS’ moment of almost destruction. See ya next week!

 
 
 

Side Quest

Yes friends, “Run BTS!” Season Two marches on. She was… lengthy. But we’ll never complain, because for most of us, “Run BTS!” is our happy place, right?

This week we have episodes 33 through 38 of Season Two. Some classics are included for sure, like the “Manito” episodes that include the jump photo shoot in which Jin and SUGA could not manage to jump high enough to save their lives, and Jung Kook yeeted j-hope completely out of frame so he could win. In the “Kimchi Battle” episodes, we get to listen to Jin yell at his other members (especially RM) for not adequately following instructions correctly to our heart’s content. And finally, episode 38 gives us the glory of SUGA dressed in a Chimmy costume in order to carry out a punishment he received from an earlier episode. It’s amazing.

Enjoy!

 
 

"Run BTS!" Episode 34

 
 
 

CREDITS:

YouTube/Web

HYBE LABELS, BANGTANTV, Bangtan Subs, ARMY Project 529, 102.7KIISFM, ARMY Brys17, ARMY 💜 BTS💐, AskAnythingChat, "BBC Radio 1, Billboard, BlackCarrot, BT21, BTS being BTS, BTS Live Archive, E! Insider, Enjoy BTS more, Galaxy Joonbug, kentang goreng, KBS WORLD TV, Machi, "MBCkpop, MK Shows, Mnet Kpop, Namjoon Kim, tatamic, TSN1995, UltimateDodo, wokobee, twitter.com (@bts_twt), 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), Namz (TikTok: Namz07); 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).

Quince
Next

WEEK 26 | I’m Taking Over You