WEEK 1 | Destination: Debut
January 1-5, 2024
KIM NAMJOON!
KIM SEOKJIN!
MIN YOONGI!
JUNG HOSEOK!
PARK JIMIN!
KIM TAEHYUNG!
JEON JUNGKOOK!
BTS!
BTS (L to R ) V, Suga, Jin, Jungkook, RM, Jimin, and J-HopeThe Fan Chant
Seeing it written on the page, every ARMY can immediately hear it in their mind, being screamed with joy and pride, and at decibels probably able to be heard out in space. (I don’t care if sound doesn’t travel in space. The Fan Chant does. IT’S SCIENCE.) These words inspire excitement, they convey admiration, and most importantly, they are a rallying cry for all BTS fans. We can see the mass of ARMY Bombs blinking in and out: a wave of purple love.
Debut Album 2 COOL 4 SKOOL
But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. We didn’t start here. Where did we start? Let’s take it back. Allllll the way back. Back to 2013. Let’s meet Bangtan Sonyeondan… our Bulletproof Boy Scouts.
Playlists & Lyrics
2 COOL 4 SKOOL ALBUM PLAYLIST (Spotify playlist)
ARMY PROJECT 529 WEEK 1 VIDEO PLAYLIST (all YouTube links)
DAY ONE:
June 13, 2013. Debut Day. The Fan Chant didn’t exist yet. BTS ARMY didn’t exist yet. BTS had followers; they had been cultivating a small, but loyal, group of them since starting their pre-debut Vlogging journey on YouTube and establishing their presence on Fan Café. On Debut Day, it was just Rap Monster, Jin, SUGA, j-hope, Jimin, V, and JungKook along with a handful of fans taking on Music Program showcases and the K-Pop world…
Fun Fact
Did you hear Jimin calling j-hope “Hyung” in the Behind-the-Scenes video above?
Age and honorific titles associated with age are very important in Korean culture. The term “hyung” basically means “older brother” and is used by Korean males in reference to other, older males with whom they are close. It doesn’t apply to just biological older brothers, but can also be used for close friends, mentors, or peers. Want to learn more about it, and also other important honorifics? Check out this link from “KoreanClass101.com”
DAY TWO:
We all know that music videos (M/Vs) play a vital role in the careers of many musicians. K-Pop Idols are no exception. In fact, M/Vs are extremely important in the Korean Music Industry. They present a story to go along with the artist’s song; they give us visuals and the message intended for their audience. BTS, although they debuted as a hip-hop Idol group with a strong focus on rapping and producing, always placed the highest importance on the MESSAGE their music would deliver to the world. Even right out of the gate with their debut single, “No More Dream”. The title track for 2 Cool 4 Skool encourages young people to dream for themselves, and not just to blindly follow their parents’ ambitions…
“NO MORE DREAM” OFFICIAL M/V (as shown)
FLASH FORWARD! WHAT DID BTS THINK OF THEIR DEBUT SHOWCASE YEARS LATER?
(Did you notice when j-hope said, “You can see the passion in our eyes” and Taehyung joking replied, “That’s just all the eyeliner we’re wearing”? Take note, that’s a BIG inside joke for BTS ARMY, you’ll often see it referenced on Social Media… or maybe even later in this blog post.)
Bangtan Bubble: What was your big dream when you were in school? Did you achieve it? If not, is it still your dream now?
Let us know your answer in the comments below, or on one of our social media accounts (include the hashtag #bangtanbubble)!
DAY THREE:
You know, when BTS started to become more well-known around the world, most people misunderstood what their name means. Bangtan Sonyeondan looks intimidating if you don’t know Korean, and “BTS” is a fairly common acronym in the English-speaking world for “Behind the Scenes”. Even though this is NOT what BTS stands for, it IS something that BTS does a lot… they give us behind the scenes footage of almost everything they do. One of the reasons BTS ARMY has become what it is today is because these seven incredible individuals invited us into their world, to be a part of their team from the very beginning…
Fun Fact
When BTS was being formed, j-hope (Street Dancing & Hip-Hop) and Jimin (Contemporary & Hip-Hop) were the only two members who had any previous dance experience!
So they, along with JungKook (who excelled naturally at dancing and learning choreography… he’s “The Golden Maknae” for a reason, y’all) made up the original “Dance Line” of BTS.
As the years went on, V was added to this line-up, and now that they have ten years behind them since Debut, it’s not as important to the members to specifically define these “roles” within the group.
Want to see a little more of the dancing j-hope and Jimin did before joining BTS?
DAY FOUR:
Starting a new venture is scary, whether it’s a career as a Korean Idol, or piecing together a cohesive, interactive fandom-based internet project in basically three weeks during the holiday season (HAHAHA WHEE!). But it’s also exciting. The members of BTS were nervous and scared, but also ready to share their passion (it’s more than just the eyeliner, Taehyung) with the world. Their biggest passion? Music. The Rap Line (Rap Monster, SUGA & j-hope) spent hours sharing artists with the four Vocal Line members, enrolling them in a sort of “Hip Hop Academy” whenever they weren’t in school or the practice rooms. Honoring their influences and what came before has always been important to BTS, and they did just that with their amazing reinterpretation of J-Cole’s “Born Sinner”, which BTS released as “Born Singer” on SoundCloud the day before their debut. . .
“BORN SINGER” LIVE W/ ENGLISH SUBS (as shown)
BANGTAN BOMB: “BORN SINGER” (A.K.A. SUGA being completely unimpressed by V’S and JungKook’s antics)
Bangtan Bubble: Did you know that when Jimin was a trainee, BigHit tried to make him rap? Thankfully, that didn’t stick! What’s your favorite Jimin moment from 2 COOL 4 SKOOL?
Let us know your answer in the comments below, or on one of our social media accounts (include the hashtag #bangtanbubble)!
DAY FIVE:
The second single from 2 Cool 4 Skool was “We Are Bulletproof Pt. 2”. Another hard-hitting track, full of aggressive beats and impressive rapping (even from JungKook, who as you may have noticed, was often used as a sub-rapper in the early days of Bangtan). Despite the heavy sounds of the track and the difficult choreography created for performances, the strongest part of “We Are Bulletproof Pt. 2” is, again, the message. (Are we seeing a pattern yet?) While others may have been out playing, BTS members have been in the studio and in the practice rooms. They’ve been working hard. You can throw stones at them, but they have no fear. They are bulletproof. They WILL succeed…
“WE ARE BULLETPROOF PT. 2” OFFICIAL M/V (as shown)
IZE MAGAZINE ARTICLE ABOUT BTS’ DEBUT*
*Note: This article contains interviews with all seven members of BTS. If you right click on the content, Google will provide translations, however the translation mixed up pronouns occasionally. Please be aware.
Fun Fact
Bangtan Sonyeondan, or Bulletproof Boy Scouts is a name that was created by BigHit’s CEO (at the time) Bang Shi Hyuk (Bang PD).
The idea behind it, after also speaking with the members, was that they, and their music, would serve as a “bulletproof shield” for the youth of the day. They would protect against harsh words and criticisms and offer uplifting messages for success. Click the link below to hear BTS talk about their name and j-hope’s explanation of what it means.
Bangtan Bubble: Has BTS’ music ever been a “bulletproof shield” for you in your life?
Let us know your answer in the comments below, or on one of our social media accounts (include the hashtag #bangtanbubble)!
FINAL THOUGHTS:
And that’s a wrap on WEEK ONE! What did you think? We want to hear from you on social media. What do you love most about Debut Week? Did you learn something new? Find us on social media at the links below and let us know your thoughts!
Stay tuned for next week, as we continue to dive into 2 Cool 4 Skool, including a lot more behind the scenes clips as well as interviews!
CREDITS:
YouTube
HYBE LABELS, BANGTANTV, Bangtan Subs, Mnet K-Pop, Mnet TV, mar 21, Peppy Grace Subs, elimsbts, GoldenJK 정국, 1theK (원더케이), 뉴스인사이드 (News Inside), BtsxArmy. Print:Weverse (magazine.weverse.io), IZE (ize.co.kr)
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); Website Team: Colette (TikTok: voicesinmyhead2)
Join us on TikTok every Sunday evening at 8pm ET for a LIVE wrap up of each week's The 529 Connection. Hosted by the ARMY Project 529 Admin Team on Stefne’s channel (@StefARMYProject529). If you can't watch live and want to watch later, Lives will be recorded and posted to our YouTube channel (ARMY Project 529).