WEEK 5 | The Question of LUV
January 29 - February 2, 2024
Vulnerability.
The winter of early 2014 was very cold in South Korea, but that would not deter Bangtan Sonyeondan as they released their next album, the last part of their “School Trilogy.” They were determined to warm hearts and make ARMY fall in love with them (if there were any left who hadn’t already, that is). 2 COOL 4 SKOOL and O!RUL8,2? had focused on the concepts of dreams and happiness respectively. SKOOL LUV AFFAIR would tackle an even more complex topic: love.
This early on in their career, and given the cultural landscape in Korea at the time, we often hear the BTS members talking about being “manly men” or “real men.” Feelings are meant to be dealt with in a cool and direct manner. The “man” should always have the upper hand. The title track from the album, “Boy in Luv,” comes out of the gate and is immediately hard-hitting and aggressive. “Why are you shaking my heart?” However, the follow-up single, “Just One Day,” shows a softer BTS, sweeter and more hopeful: “If you and I could hold hands for just one day…” But this is a perfect representation of young love, isn’t it? Intense and unsure one moment, tender and almost innocent the next.
As we begin our exploration of SKOOL LUV AFFAIR this week, we’ll see the members start to come more into their own as they talk about love (in all its forms), and we’ll watch them cheekily flirt with ARMY more boldly than ever before. They’re tough and cool, but they also wear their hearts on their sleeves for us. As Rap Monster says in “Intro: Skool Luv Affair,” the first track from SLA: “Even if you take everything away from me, I…would give you more.” It’s a statement that is both bold and vulnerable. It is an absolute. BTS will give us everything, no matter what.
How could we not fall in love?
Playlists & Lyrics
SKOOL LUV AFFAIR ALBUM SPOTIFY PLAYLIST (also embedded at bottom of post)
ARMY PROJECT 529 WEEK 5 VIDEO PLAYLIST (all YouTube links)
DAY ONE:
The look for SKOOL LUV AFFAIR was hip-hop, but “make it boyfriend material.” They wore school uniforms and softer fabrics. Their jewelry was lighter, and fewer hats were being worn. They looked like actual boys you would see hanging around in school.
The subject of love had been touched upon briefly in “Coffee” from O!RUL8,2? and their cover of “Beautiful,” but “Boy in Luv” was a whole new experience. This was BTS being assertive and demanding: “Say what you want!” (Incidentally, this is very sage advice when having relationship issues. Communication is key.)
In professional mode, they’re cool and confident. Behind the scenes, they’re still laughing, goofing off with each other, and sometimes a little bit unsure. But we can see them discovering new sides to themselves as they navigate questions about love interests and how they would pursue someone. Enjoy SUGA’s very effective flirting in the Bangtan Bomb linked below, followed by V’s extreme shyness over a comment that he’s the most popular member among their Japanese fans during the radio interview that follows.
SKOOL LUV AFFAIR TRACK TEASER (shown above)
SKOOL LUV AFFAIR JACKET PHOTO SHOOT SKETCH (shown below)
“BOY IN LUV” OFFICIAL M/V (shown below)
GOOFING OFF DURING THE BIL M/V SHOOT (mentioned above)
BANGTAN BOMB: BTS INTERVIEWS “CA MERA” (shown below)
SATURDAYS AT SUKIRA’S - KISS THE RADIO INTERVIEW (not in video playlist)
Fun Fact
It’s not uncommon for Idols to host television or radio programs in South Korea. It happens all the time. From weekly music shows, to variety or interview programs, most Idols take turns performing host duties at various times. SUGA even has his own interview show now (Suchwita).
The radio show you just watched called Kiss the Radio is another that featured Idols as hosts and occasionally switched its lineup. Hosting during this appearance from BTS was Ryeowook, a member of 2nd Generation Idol group Super Junior. This program has also had hosts from Day 6, BTOB, and a few others.
Later this week, we’ll see a television show with the same formula: After School Club (often shortened to ASC). ASC is hosted by a changing roster of Idols who can speak English fluently, or near to it, as the show focuses on international fans. Eric Nam is one of the hosts during this appearance for BTS. Some other hosts over the years have been Seugmin from Stray Kids and Woosung from The Rose.
These shows are a great opportunity for Idols from different companies and of different ages to be able to interact and get to know each other. Who better to interview an Idol than someone who has gone through the same experiences they have? It likely helps them all feel more at ease.
Jin has actually been an MC for different music programs and festivals a few times. Here are a few of the delightful highlights:
JIN BEING EXTRA AT KBS GAYO (FEAT. IRENE FROM RED VELVET AND CHANYEOL FROM EXO)
JIN MAKING SURE HE’S THE MAIN CHARACTER ON THE RED CARPET (2017)
DAY TWO:
As we go from the fake school set of “Boy in Luv” to the real location of JungKook’s high school for his entrance ceremony, it’s a reminder that the members of BTS were all still very much around the age when they could have been experiencing their own “first loves.” They were putting a lot on hold in their lives to be a part of BTS. JungKook, in fact, had delayed entering high school for a year in order to concentrate on the group debuting. As they start to show us a little more mature side, it does raise the question: exactly how much had they given up to be Bangtan Sonyeondan? We can guess, with a fairly high degree of certainty, that having “normal teenage relationships” was one of their sacrifices. The older members may have dated before debuting, but it’s likely that, on average, BTS’ experience with romance at the time was minimal.
During the promotions for SKOOL LUV AFFAIR, some of them seem more at ease being cast as a “romantic lead” than others. JungKook and Rap Monster are both shy, but sincere. Jin and V seem to treat opportunities to flirt as practice for future acting auditions, while j-hope typically deals in aegyo and cuteness aggression. Jimin and SUGA however… well, just check out the backstage dancing and “luv confessions” linked below.
BTS TALKS PROMOTIONS FOR SLA: VLOG 03/27/14 (as shown)
BACKSTAGE DANCING - SPICY JIMIN (as shown)
K.WILL YOUNGSTREET RADIO INTERVIEW (subbed, no visual)
Bangtan Bubble: How would you react if a member of BTS tried to flirt with you?
ARMY Project 529 is issuing you a challenge!
Reply to the Bangtan Bubble with a BTS .gif or meme in the comments below or on social media (include #BangtanBubble)!
DAY THREE:
Is there anything better than a sweet and sincere love song that hits you directly in the heart? A song that makes your insides flutter and whisks you away into daydreams? The follow up release to “Boy in Luv” was “Just One Day,” and it instantly became that kind of love song for ARMY. The lyrics follow the members as they muse about what they’d like to do with their love interest if they could be together, even if it was just for one day. The rap verses and vocal parts flow together seamlessly, and it gives us an example of how BTS was already evolving their sound, even less than a year since their debut.
Also continuing to evolve were the member’s personalities in front of the camera. While we still see some of their “tough guy hip-hop” personas lingering, far more often we see them slipping into their real selves for us, and it’s incredibly endearing. Jin’s affable sweetness and his goofy sense of humor are on full display in the JOD M/V making of, as are some of the earliest moments caught on camera of his and JungKook’s trouble-making antics. In the dance practice, they’re all silliness, with V in particular unable to keep a straight face while dancing.
Amidst the wonderful music they were producing, these moments of real personality were equally important. The glimpses of “seven normal boys from Korea” are what kept ARMY growing, and coming back for more.
“JUST ONE DAY” OFFICIAL M/V (as shown below)
BANGTAN CHART COUNTDOWN SKIT + “JUST ONE DAY” PERFORMANCE - MNET COUNTDOWN
DANCE PRACTICE: “JUST ONE DAY” (V can’t stop laughing - shown above)
M!COUNTDOWN BACKSTAGE (not in video playlist)
BANGTAN BOMB: STAIRWAY CONCERT - JUNGKOOK SINGS “EYES, NOSE, LIPS” FT. JIMIN (Orig. by Taeyang)
BANGTAN BOMB: WHO WILL GET SCARED? (Everyone predicts j-hope)
HANGING OUT ON A SUMMER DAY (Peak maknae JungKook)
Fun Fact
We’ve seen BTS songs become part of viral TikTok trends a number of times. The most recent is very relevant to this week’s content. In fact, you probably already know which one I’m talking about…
Right now, if you search “Just One Day” on TikTok, you’ll see many creators pointing to a caption that reads, “I’m not fluent in Korean, but...” and then lip syncing along with the chorus of the song and sometimes even doing the choreography.
Here’s a few of our favorites that we’ve found. Thinking about making your own? Check out the Bangtan Bubble below and give it a try!
Bangtan Bubble: What does the perfect “Just One Day” look like for you?
Let us know your answer in the comments below, or on social media (include the hashtag #BangtanBubble)!
DAY FOUR:
It is a joy to watch BTS be more themselves in front of the cameras. In the Keyword Talk interviews linked below, we find some of the most candid replies to questions ever given by the members up until this point. They talk very openly about what their dreams, happiness, and love all really look like to them.
For SUGA, this means making his music and being able to share it for as long as possible. Yesterday we talked about BTS’s sound evolving with their latest comeback. This included their level of involvement in their music as well. Rap Monster, SUGA, and j-hope had all participated in writing their songs from the beginning, but two of the songs on SKOOL LUV AFFAIR, including “Tomorrow”, were also produced by SUGA.
“Tomorrow” is about not giving up on your dreams, even if you feel frustrated, stuck, and unable to achieve them today. There is always tomorrow. The song has an incredibly dynamic sound: it is intense, yet uplifting. And the choreography is an ARMY favorite. If you’ve never seen it before… we won’t ruin the surprise.
SKOOL LUV AFFAIR KEYWORD TALK PT. 1/2 (shown above)
SKOOL LUV AFFAIR KEYWORD TALK PT. 2/2 (shown below)
RED BULLET TOUR - “TOMORROW” PERFORMANCE (multi-angle fancam)
Fun Fact
Recently we had Jeanie, a licensed therapist and creator of Noona’s Noonchi, as a guest on one of the Project’s TikTok Lives.
If you missed it, you can watch it here . She uses K-Dramas and K-Pop to relate to her clients. Taking time to consume the content of something we enjoy (like BTS) is a form of self-care, which is extremely important for our mental health.
Many of us have found comfort, solace, and refuge in BTS’ music. SUGA himself has said he hopes that the words he writes can help those who have struggled with the same issues he has, most notably anxiety. We mentioned how “Tomorrow” is about still trying to move forward, even when you feel stuck. A simple message, but inspiring.
Here are a couple of examples we found of ARMY expressing how “Tomorrow” helped them deal with some of their worst thoughts and moments:
DAY FIVE:
Remember B-FREE from last week? Who could forget the way he acted towards BTS during a podcast interview with a panel of Korean rappers that Rap Monster and SUGA had been invited to take part in? At the time, the two BTS members kept their composure and professional attitude, never giving away how they truly felt in the face of such unwarranted bullying.
But did they forget about it? Of course not. Last week we also talked about cyphers and how they are used as a form of expression for rappers. SKOOL LUV AFFAIR features “BTS Cypher Pt.2: Triptych” and is widely considered to be a direct response to the words B-FREE had hurled at them months prior. It’s not hard to find the correlation once you read the lyrics, go back to the podcast, and look up a little information on B-FREE himself.
And it’s the perfect clapback. BTS has always lived by the rule of “say it with the music.” They don’t need to respond to haters with hate. They just pen a few killer rap verses and the job is done–all while continuing to set a better example for those next in line.
“BTS CYPHER PT.2: TRIPTYCH” COLOR-CODED LYRICS (shown above)
BTS ADORABLY INTERACTING WITH ARMY AT THEIR FIRST ISAC COMPETITION (ISAC = Idol Star Athletics Championships - shown below)
AFTER SCHOOL CLUB (feat. Eric Nam & Kevin Woo)
FLASH FORWARD! “BTS CYPHER PT.2: TRIPTYCH” PERFORMANCE (Fancam 2015)
Fun Fact
Did you know that B-FREE tried to “apologize” to BTS years later for the things he said to and about them during Kim Bong Hyun’s Hip-Hop Invitational 1st Anniversary Broadcast?
He actually did so twice, both times through Twitter. The first was in 2016, then again in 2019. He spoke about growing as a person and learning that hating on anyone isn’t the way, whether you agree with them or not, and lamented any pain he’d caused BTS or their fans.
His words rang hollow for most of ARMY, who felt he was only apologizing because BTS was growing more famous. He has also never attempted (that we know of) to apologize to them in person, which also calls his sincerity into question.
Whether the attempts were performative or not, they didn’t go over well for the most part, and B-FREE remains largely irrelevant to this day in any capacity other than being fodder that inspired some good music.
If you would like to read a little more about his “apologies,” you can do so here and here.
Bangtan Bubble: Have you ever been bullied? What would you say to your bullies now?
Let us know your answer in the comments below, or on social media (include the hashtag #BangtanBubble)!
FINAL THOUGHTS:
Are you in luv yet? Silly question, huh? What’s your favorite moment so far? Do you like BTS showing their softer side to us this time? Comment below and let us know your thoughts!
Stay tuned! Next week, we’ll finish up Skool Luv Affair and see how the members feel as they approach the one year anniversary of their Debut!
Side Quest
Welcome to a new segment in the Monday Muster: the Side Quest!
As we move forward in the BTS timeline, we will have more and more content to get through. Sometimes there’s just not enough time in a week to cover everything we want to share with the 529line! And sometimes there is content that is a big part of BTS that doesn’t fit in with the story we’re telling through their music.
When this happens… you’ll get a Side Quest!
For our inaugural Side Quest, it’s time for American Hustle Life! Filmed while BTS was working on their fourth album, Dark & Wild, it’s a “reality series” that chronicles BTS traveling to Los Angeles to study in the ways of hip-hop with some well-known American rap and hip-hop artists, like Warren G and Coolio. Like Rookie King, AHL is full of cringe-worthy moments, but it also has a lot of worthwhile content. It’s the source of many BTS inside jokes and memes, in fact. This Side Quest will be split up between this week and next.
AMERICAN HUSTLE LIFE: EP. 1 (shown above)
- The members fly to LA without knowing they’re about to begin training with Coolio to learn about hip-hop.
- Divided into three teams, the members give different performances trying to win over LA citizens.
- The members have a hip-hop dance lesson with Jenny Kita, and after that, a dance battle.
- BTS is forced to clean their pigsty of a dorm.
AMERICAN HUSTLE LIFE: EP. 1 Unreleased Content
- On the plane to LA
CREDITS:
YouTube/Web
BANGTANTV, Bangtan Subs, HYBE, DKDKTV, SBS NOW / SBS 공식 채널, MBCkpop, KBS Kpop, Channel Bangtan, Madboyjeffy, @minamochi, A.R.M.Y. Base Subs, Lil Cutie, Enjoy BTS More, Kpop Vews, Snow Ball, K.EScoop _ATJ, Bangtan Turkey, bwiyomi, JVJ_95z, 방탄 짱짱, dheslovesbts, Vic Tory, nochu gguk, dailymotion.com, aminoapps.com, distractify.com, usbtsarmy.com
TikTok
@tomkoods, @Kobroos, @zekeyy_, @are_u_ok17, @elizemustaffa, @teamwstw, @xlilwhitex, @the.navarose
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); 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).
