WEEK 2: “Do Something”
January 8-12, 2024
Anticipation.
It can induce excitement and fear in equal measures. With anticipation comes uncertainty. When we know something new is on the horizon, whether good or bad, we might think we know what to expect, but we can never know for sure. We can only walk towards what’s coming, and hope for the best. We can only, as it says in “No More Dream”:
“Do something… put your weakness away.”
It was the same for the seven members of Bangtan Sonyeondan before their debut. In the months leading up to the June 13, 2013 release of 2 Cool 4 Skool, BTS began making their presence known online. They started Vlogging on YouTube, established their Twitter account, and opened their FanCafé (sort of an early version of Weverse).
JungKook documenting Jimin’s dance practice 08/12/13
Through their various social media platforms, BTS began documenting their journey and connecting with fans. Looking back, we can see their anticipation. Not only as a group, but individuals as well. Each of them had high hopes, juxtaposed by equally big fears. Were they ready to debut? Were they even good enough? Would fans respond well?
Rap Monster, Jin, SUGA, j-hope, Jimin, V, and JungKook all wanted love and affirmation from those fans. We’ll explore how that drove them forward, despite their worries that didn’t disappear after June 13th. In fact, BTS became very good at being able to pull everyone in with their boundless energy, charisma, and enthusiasm, in spite of their nerves.
Why don’t we let our Leader kick things off?
Playlists & Lyrics
DAY ONE:
Bangtan Sonyeondan was meant to be a shield for the youth of their generation. It’s in their name. Last week we mentioned that the message in “We Are Bulletproof Pt.2” was one of brazen confidence. “We go hard, we are not afraid…” But that wasn’t always true in reality.
Rap Monster and SUGA both struggled to reconcile their previous lives as underground rappers with their new image as members of an Idol group who also sing and dance. JungKook was shy in front of cameras and missed his family. V was convinced the company was planning to cut him from the group at the last minute because he was kept a secret until just before Debut Day.
The pressure was immense. At the time of BTS’ debut, BigHit was not a large company. In fact they were on the brink of bankruptcy many times. The members knew they had to work twice as hard to get even a fraction of the opportunities afforded to Idol groups who debuted under any of the “Big Three” K-Pop companies (SM Entertainment, JYP Entertainment and YG Entertainment).
Even so, they were determined to do their best, and leaned on each other for support from the very beginning. (They also annoyed each other from the very beginning.) The brotherhood bond was becoming THEIR shield.
FIRST GROUP VLOG: OT6! WHERE’S V? (as shown above)
FLASH FORWARD: ROLLING STONE INTERVIEW WITH V (2021) - HE THOUGHT HE WOULDN’T DEBUT
OT7 VLOG: 06/16/13 (They start out Vlogging in pairs, OT7 at the end.)
JIMIN & V FIRST VLOG 06/19/13 (The beginning of VMin.)
BANGTAN BOMB: SUGA WON’T LET JIMIN BREATHE (Bonus Jin)
“OUTRO: CIRCLE ROOM CYPHER” LYRIC VIDEO (shown below)
Fun Fact
We know JungKook is the youngest member of BTS. In one of the VLOGs you just watched, Rap Monster tells us he’s given JK the nickname of the “hwang-geummagnae” (황금막내) or “golden maknae”.
Maknae means “youngest” in Korean. As mentioned briefly in last week’s “529 Connection”, age is extremely important in Korean Society. Your age determines how others address and treat you. There is also a difference between Korean Age and International Age. JungKook has said he was 17 when BTS debuted, but that’s in Korean Age. For the rest of the world, he was only 15. The other members in the group looked out for him, and treated him like their little brother. He often credits them with raising him into the man he is today.
Want to learn more about the Korean Age System, and what it means? Check out the link below from “KoreanClass101.com”.
Just last year, the government passed a law that adopted the International Age System into practice in South Korea. Everyone in the country suddenly got a bit younger.
Why the Golden Maknae? Rap Monster explains he bestowed this nickname on JungKook because he’s the youngest, but he’s also an all-rounder. He excels at every position in the group. This nickname has stuck through the years as JK has proven time and time again that he will succeed at pretty much anything he puts his mind to. Want evidence?
DAY TWO:
As promotions for 2 Cool 4 Skool went on, a lot of “firsts” started happening for BTS. They had their first radio interviews (which SUGA really enjoyed, kickstarting his love of DJing and hosting… I wonder how that turned out for him?) The members got to answer questions about their stage names, and they also had to explain why they kept wearing them on their shirts. (The trials of being from a small company.)
Another first: Fan Chants! In the links below, listen to the unbelievable difference between the performances with and without them! The Fandom was growing stronger, and they were about to be named…
Fun Fact
Our anniversary as a Fandom is July 9. Here is the original Tweet in which BTS declared ARMY’s name on that day in 2013.
Did you know that ARMY is actually an acronym? That’s why you typically see it in all capital letters. ARMY stands for Adorable Representative MC for Youth (although we don’t really talk about it). In other words, the fans were representative of the youth for which Bangtan Sonyeondan were being bulletproof shields. BTS had ARMY’s back from the very beginning. And eventually BTS ARMY grew large enough to become a shield for BTS as well.
Here are the Fan Chants you can hear during “We Are Bulletproof Pt. 2” and “No More Dream”.
Bangtan Bubble: When did you become an ARMY?
Let us know your answer in the comments below, or on social media (include the hashtag #BangtanBubble)!
DAY THREE:
Have you ever loved and hated something at the same time? In South Korea, the music and television industries go hand in hand. It is incredibly common to see K-Pop stars not only on music shows, but also variety and reality TV as well. BTS was not exempt. Enter Rookie King. They began filming it shortly after debuting, and it started airing just before their first Comeback dropped. While Rookie King has a lot of cringe-worthy moments, it also began showing ARMY glimpses of the members real personalities, and not the personas they were putting on for the cameras while performing. Rap Monster’s sometimes uncontrollable manic energy, Jin’s complete willingness to be unhinged and goofy, SUGA’s quiet sarcasm, j-hope’s sunny disposition, Jimin’s playful mischievousness, V’s unique outlook on things, and JungKook’s silliness. It also gave us one of the very first viewings of the ultimate decision-making tool for Bangtan Sonyeondan: Gawi Bawi Bo (가위바위보), or “Scissors, Rock, Wrapping Cloth”. Better known to a lot of us as “Rock, Paper, Scissors.”
BTS on “Rookie King”, playing a game
POPS IN SEOUL: "SECRET BOX" INTERVIEW (as shown)
ROOKIE KING: EPISODE ONE (as shown)
Fun Fact
During the RapLine’s performance of “Satoori Rap” in the first episode of “Rookie King” you just watched, the members talk about where they’re from and the accents and dialects that come from those places.
Do you know exactly where in South Korea all the BTS members are from?
Click image to zoom
Rap Monster: Ilsan
Jin: Gwacheon
SUGA: Daegu
J-hope: Gwangju
Jimin: Busan
V: Daegu/Geochang
JungKook: Busan
To say that BTS has had a huge impact on their home country is a bit of an understatement. If you travel to South Korea and visit their hometowns you will actually be able to see many ways the members have been honored in their hometowns over the past ten years of their career. One of the most common is artwork and murals.
Take a look at this video which shows you many of the murals you can find dedicated to Bangtan Sonyeondan, and where you can find them. (Editor’s Note: we recommend muting the video and just reading the subtitles because the audio narration is a bit choppy and off-putting.)
DAY FOUR:
Of all the members, Jin and Jimin seemed to struggle the most with the images the company wanted them to portray to fans at first. Jin, having been literally scouted off of the street by BigHit for his good looks, was told he needed to act cold and aloof; to have a personality that matched his visuals. But this was in direct opposition to his actual affable and goofy nature. As an avid lover of food, he also didn’t enjoy the diet the company kept all of them on, and often spoke up about staff members telling him to lose weight.
Jimin was tasked with being the group’s charming heartthrob, the “bad boy” who shows some skin for fan service. We all know Jimin is a natural flirt (let’s be honest, it’s like breathing for him), but a “bad boy” he is not. He was also put under immense pressure at first to maintain his body a certain way. In some respects, he’s still dealing with the ramifications of that. Fortunately, times changed and the members were allowed and encouraged to grow into their own images and personalities after a while. Luckily, all the members of BTS are now in a much happier and healthier place, despite rough early days.
JIN VLOG PRE-DEBUT: 01/12/13 (as shown)
BANGTAN BOMB: BACKSTAGE SHENANIGANS (Featuring V’s sweet smile and JungKook being the maknae.)
MUSIC BANK: “WE ARE BULLETPROOF PT. 2” & “NO MORE DREAM (as shown)
EVER WONDERED ABOUT “WE ARE BULLETPROOF PT. 1”? (LIVE PERFORMANCE 2015)
Fun Fact
One of the things BTS has been most well known for over the years is their synchronized choreographies.
While the members are very talented, that kind of precision only comes with hours upon hours upon hours of PRACTICE. In the VLOG you just watched from Jimin and Jungkook, they talk about how hard the choreography from “No More Dream” is, particularly the “Flying Kick” move they have to pull off.
Imagine how many times they had to do that over and over to get it right? (I’m tired just thinking about it.)
FLASH FORWARD! Check out this interview from 2023 with SUGA and Jimin in which they discuss how they practiced endlessly to become so in sync with each other that they would even move their eyes at the same time.
Bangtan Bubble: What’s your favorite dance move from 2 COOL 4 SKOOL?
Let us know your answer in the comments below, or on social media (include the hashtag #BangtanBubble)!
DAY FIVE:
Many of us struggle with not comparing ourselves to others. Imagine being in an Idol group and feeling like you were everyone’s least favorite. Sadly, j-hope didn’t receive his first physical fan mail until several months after BTS debuted. Not being completely confident in his visuals, he had also been wearing a mask during a lot of their official promotions for 2 Cool 4 Skool. A shame, because one of the best things about j-hope is his bright smile. In some of his Vlogs he mentions his lack of fan mail, but says, “It’s okay. The messages left for the group are really nice.”
It’s this attitude that makes him, and the other members, so special. It’s BTS before anything. Before ego, before pride, before envy. Eventually he took off the mask and started receiving mail from fans, which overwhelmed and amazed him. BTS are truly grateful for every bit of love and support they get. It’s more important than any negative feelings. Such a powerful lesson from seven young men, and one they’re still teaching us today.
JIMIN DELIVERS FAN MAIL (j-hope is touched. SUGA sleeps through it.)
ROOKIE KING: EPISODE 2 (as shown)
Bangtan Bubble: Ever felt like you had to wear a “mask” like j-hope? Did BTS help you realize you didn’t need to?
Let us know your answer in the comments below, or on one of our social media accounts (include the hashtag #BangtanBubble)!
FINAL THOUGHTS:
2 Cool 4 Skool album
We’ve reached the end of WEEK TWO and BTS’ Debut Era. What were some of your favorite moments from the 2 Cool 4 Skool promotions? Did watching some of these early Vlogs give you a different perspective on any of the members? Find us on social media and let us know your thoughts!
Next week, the journey continues with the group’s first Comeback: O!RUL8,2?. Did you enjoy the preview of it in Rookie King Episode 2? Next time we'll continue on with Rookie King, and celebrate BTS’ 100 Day Anniversary!
CREDITS:
YouTube/Web
BANGTANTV, Bangtan Subs, MTVK, HCZA89x, 한밤 HANBAM, mar 21, KBS WORLD TV, Channel Bangtan, Ida S, 1theK (원더케이), 뉴스인사이드(News Inside), 뜬뜬 DdeunDdeun, MBC every1, iBangtan 0613, Arirang Radio K-Pop, Korea Walk Tour, usbtsarmy.com, KoreanClass101.com
Twitter/X
@BTS_twt, @bangtantoori_e (BTS Hometown Map image)
Rolling Stone Magazine (rollingstone.com), Reuters (reuters.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); Editing Team: Heather (TikTok: heathertot7); 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).