Disclaimer

This book is a personal project and is in no way affiliated with Big Hit Entertainment. It’s
made of information collected in articles and behind-the-scenes. All the sources can be found in
the bibliography.
This concept book is focused on the global themes that can be found in BTS albums. For
smaller details, lyrics translations, or information about other content, feel free to check the blog
Behind The Screen of Bangtan.

While I tried to remain as factual as possible for the presentation of the albums and the live
performances, some subjectivity can not be avoided and I sincerely apologize for that. Concerning
the parts after the special performances, it is analyses of themes I think are important, but as a
consequence, it will include even more personal interpretations. Also, after a long inner debate, I
eventually chose to use Rap Monster for RM since it was his stage name at the time.

I’m not a professional and I don’t have the pretension to make you learn anything. I still
hope you can find some entertainment while reading this book. If that's not the case, feel free to
send hate, we’re on the web!
Content

Timeline

2 COOL 4 SKOOL

O!RUL8,2?

SKOOL LUV AFFAIR

DARK & WILD

Concerts

Special performances

Hip-Hop and American culture

The colors

The dystopia in the background

Timeline

2013 June 12 2 COOL 4 SKOOL release

September 11 O!RUL8,2? release

November 14 Melon Music Awards

December 30 SBS Gayo Daejeon

31 MBC Gayo Daejejeon

2014 January 16 28th Golden Disc Awards

23 23rd Seoul Music Awards

February 12 SKOOL LUV AFFAIR release

12 4th Gaon Chart Music Awards

August 20 DARK & WILD release

October 17 – 19 BTS Live Trilogy Episode II. The Red Bullet

December 03 Mnet Asian Music Award

26 KBS Song Festival

31 MBC Gayo Daejejeon

2015 January 22 24th Seoul Music Awards

28 5th Gaon Chart Music Awards

March 28 – 29 BTS Live Trilogy Episode I. BTS Begins

 방탄소년단, BTS, 防彈少年團, Bulletproof Boy Scouts. In all these names is engraved the strong
concept that a group of seven Korean teens decided to follow in 2013, after three years of
preparation and hard work.

"Actually, it has a profound meaning. As we mentioned before, 'Bangtan'

literally means bullet-proof. So, it means that we aim to block oppression and
discrimination that rain on adolescents like bullets, and we protect their values
and ideals."
- j-hope at Super Junior's Kiss the Radio, 130629 (trans by Bangtan Subs)

This project started when the producer PDogg met the rapper Kim Namjoon and they
decided to make a hip-hop group under the supervision of Bang Shihyuk. Their goal was to build a
group that would reflect on their lives through their lyrics, a group that sincerely loves music and
that has the greed to do well.
After a lot of changes, the team of rappers turned into an idol group including rappers,
vocalists and dancers, that still had hip-hop as its base. The members taught each other about hip-
hop and diligently worked to improve their skills. They all had something to bring thanks to their
different backgrounds: a genius student who would rather rap underground than study pointlessly,
an acting student cast in the street thanks to his handsomeness, a Daegu producer fully dedicated
to his music, a famous dancer from Gwangju, a top-student from Busan Art School, an aspiring
musician who came to support his friend at an audition, and the multi-talented boy who
participated to Superstar K3 and was offered places in seven different companies.
 PDogg taught a lot to the members. As hinted by his name, made of P for Producer and
Dogg from Snoop Dogg, Pdogg aims to be a cool producer who has hip-hop as his base. With his
and BTS’ knowledge about hip-hop culture, they watched and listened to hip-hop content
together, then had discussions to learn and understand the said culture. Pdogg also gave the
members a lot of assignments to help them improve. As a result, most of the lyrics come from the
members, as well as some other inputs in the production and composition. Pdogg completed the
songs by assembling all the best submissions, like a puzzle.

“Q: I heard that every member participated in composing the songs

and writing the lyrics. What’s the process of making the songs?
SUGA: It’s mostly me, Rapmon and J-Hope that are participating in making
the songs. First of all, the 7 of us decide the topic together. We think about
what lyrics go with a particular beat. When we’ve gathered all the ideas, the 3
of us will write the lyrics and then get feedback from the members. That’s how
we get it done.”
-【The Bridges Magazine Interview】The new representatives of the teens - BTS (Eng trans by Kimmy Yang)
 As BTS were mainly teens at the time, the first subject they tackled was school. But they also
didn’t shy away from socio-political matters. From these themes were born the songs forming the
first trilogy of BTS’ discography. The albums of the school trilogy are hip-hop, both in their genre
and their structure. Through the intros, RM guided the listeners in each album, presenting the
different themes. Dream for 2 COOL 4 SKOOL (Too cool for school), happiness for O!RUL8,2? (Oh!
Are you late, too?), love for SKOOL LUV AFFAIR (School love affair) and the bad sides of love for
the sequel Dark & Wild.
2 COOL 4 SKOOL

130612
Tracklist
1. Intro : 2 COOL 4 SKOOL feat. DJ Friz 1’03”

2. We are bulletproof PT.2 3’45”

3. Skit : Circle room talk 2’11”

4. No More Dream 3’42”

5. Interlude 0’52”

6. 좋아요 (Like) 3’51”

7. Outro : Circle room cypher 5’21”

Concept photo

Videos
Comeback trailer
"No More Dream" MV
"We are bulletproof PT.2" MV
 The first seconds of the first song in the first album of BTS are a sample from Epik High’s
“GO”. The intro also features DJ Friz, from Ameoba Culture, who worked with Drunken Tiger,
Dynamic Duo, and Epik High, all legends from the Korean hip-hop scene and models for BTS1.
The title track “No More Dream” is a token of admiration towards the hip-hop of the US. The
song aims to bring back hip-hop from the 90s and adapt it to 2013. In the 90s, the trends were
gangsta rap, initiated notably by Dr. Dre’s The Chronic, bling-bling, and urban streetwear. BTS and
the rest of Big Hit’s creative team got inspired by these trends, notably Dr. Dre’s “Deep Cover”, a
song released a few months before The Chronic.
BTS considers that “hip-hop is genuine music for telling one’s own story”. So they choose to
talk about their lives, be it trivial things such as Facebook in “ 좋아요" (Like) or their ambition when
they introduce themselves through “We are bulletproof PT.2” and the “Cypher”. The cypher aims to
show how the members enjoy hip-hop, whether they’re good or not, and how they’re sincere
about it.
But BTS also aims to protect their generation. They start by asking "what's your dream?",
confronting youth about their goals for the future. Korean society is based on competition and the
dedication of individuals towards society. It’s thus hard for a young person to have dreams, other
than being a salaryman. The theme is similar to idols’ music from the 90s, like Seo Taiji & Boys.

1 The members will eventually get the chance to collaborate with all of them, as well as with Seo Taiji.
 As an idol group, BTS can’t be considered without the performance, and thus choreography.
The performance director Son Sungdeuk manages everything that's seen on stage. He created BTS’
first choreographies and gave them advice on their gestures and facial expressions while
performing. He also went to the U.S. with Jung Kook before the debut to study dance. Son
Sungdeuk made the choreographies after listening to the songs and reading the lyrics, so the
moves would match with it. As they are very busy, the members can’t participate a lot in the
creation of the dance but they can discuss it. j-hope, Jimin, and Jung Kook did create their
breakdance parts for "We are bulletproof PT.2" though.
The choreographies are sharp movements executed with a high level of synchronization that
link different figures illustrating the lyrics, like SUGA claiming he has an easy life while sitting on a
throne made by the members, V representing the civil servant with his glasses prop, or j-hope
throwing the straight-pitch. Besides, there is the figure of Jimin being carried by Jung Kook and
destroying the wall represented by the members, symbolizing the current order that should be
taken down. In “We are bulletproof PT.2”, the chorus of “clic clic bang bang” is also literally acted
by the members who make a gun sign with their hands. They prove their strength and hard-work
by showing their abdominals while calling out the people who stopped fighting: “what’s your
dream” in "No more dream", “While you were playing...” in “We are bulletproof PT.2”. On the other
hand, the choreography for “ 좋 아 요 ” (Like) has softer and slower moves to fit the mood of the
song. The members are even sitting most of the time. They also show their thumbs up, to remind
Facebook’s like, which inspired the title of the song.
Another imperative for the performance is to show the members' charms. So the one singing
or rapping is at the center while the others support him by dancing. Kicks and breakdances were
also added to capture all the attention while the camera is on them.
 "Haha I live very comfortably"

"Your future dream career no.1…government employee?"

"Nightly independent study session is a waste of time, we throw a straight pitch at it"

"(Click click, bang bang) we juss sing it like"

“좋아요” (Like) live performance
 Concerning their fashion, BTS mainly wore Katie Eary’s 2013 Spring collection, inspired by
Californian skaters who created streetwear in the 90s. This choice illustrates the will to bring back
the past but with the freshness of 2013. The members also wore several pieces from Hood By Air,
a streetwear brand, this time creating a more direct link with the current hip-hop fashion.
---
 Two tracks were promoted through music videos. The videos include a stylish recording of
the choreography, mixed with close-ups of the members to appreciate their visuals, and scenes to
illustrate the concept that can sometimes have a bit of acting. Both the MV for “No More Dream”
and the one for “We are bulletproof PT.2” - as well as “N.O” MV, and later “ 호르몬 전쟁" (War of
Hormone) MV - were produced by Zanybros, the famous duo who had already worked with Seo
Taiji, PSY, Epik High, SHINee, 4MINUTE, EXO, Super Junior, and Girls Generation.

“... we worked with Bang Sihyuk, the CEO of their company Big Hit, and
he explained that BTS was going to be a hip-hop group and he wanted to
show how students deal with school life. It was like a coming-of-age, he
wanted to show them growing up. So we watched them from the beginning.”
- Zanybros for Rolling Stones India 190418

The set of “No More Dream” has been conscientiously created. The street is similar to the
houses on 21st Street & Lewis Avenue in Los Angeles, where the cover of Warren G's 1994
Regulate... G Funk Era was shot2. The yellow bus is another reminder of the United States. British
culture is also referenced with the red telephone box. The other set, the abandoned school turned
into a skate park, is covered with graffitis reminding of the JnJ Crew. They are a Korean duo of
graffiti writers who started with the slogan "The Wall Destroyer", a message hinting at their desire
to turn the city walls into a canvas.
A lot of posters decorate the set. Some were even created for the MV. There are notably
three movie posters: Arsenic and Old Lace (1944, USA), The Devil Rides Out (1968, UK), and Dead
Man’s Shoes (2004, UK). These are movies of different genres but all with a dark theme that shows
the bad sides of human nature. There are also flyers for parties or storytelling for adults, all events
happening in the evening. Posters related to music can be seen too, like the advertisements for the
Rolling Stones' concert A Bigger Bang, for Tammany Hall Machine’s farewell show, or for Venice in
London, a spectacle. Lastly, there are the posters directly connected to hip-hop: the cover of the
book It's Bigger Than Hip-Hop, and a poster for the festival Hip Hop Versus War. One of the
customized posters also shows the logo of the Temple of hip-hop, an association promoting the
culture of hip-hop and fighting violence.
Activities typical of urban culture can be seen in the background, such as breakdance and
skating.

2 Warren G himself took the members at this crossroad in episode 4 of American Hustle Life.
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130911
Tracklist
1. INTRO : O!RUL8,2? 1’11”
2. N.O 3’30”
3. We On 3’51”
4. Skit: R U Happy Now? 2’28”
5. If I Ruled the World 4’07”
6. Coffee 4’20”
7. BTS Cypher PT.1 2’11”
8. 진격의 방탄 (Attack on Bangtan) 4’07”
9. 팔도강산 (Paldogangsan) 3’25”
10. OUTRO : LUV IN SKOOL 1’26”

Concept photo

Videos
Concept trailer
Comeback trailer
"N.O" MV
 “You must find your happiness and your own life before it’s too late.” is the warning BTS
gives to youth with the new title track “N.O”, the abbreviation of “No Offense”. This time, it’s trap
music that has been used, the same genre that can be found in “We are bulletproof PT.2”. Trap
music appeared in the 2000s and got popular in the 2010s. After paying homage to their models,
BTS now starts to follow their path and to explore styles contemporary of them. They keep the
theme of school, but this time criticize how harsh the educational system is in Korea.
The members don’t forget where they are coming from either. They reaffirm their passion for
music and their determination to succeed in “진격의 방탄" (Attack on Bangtan), which title is a nod
to the popular manga Attack on Titans. And in “팔도강산" (Paldogangsan), they show their love for
their birthplace using local dialects (satoori) while reminding the listener we all live under the same
sky. It’s originally a song from 2011 made by the rap line to advertize Big Hit auditions. The version
used here was adapted to the whole group though. Another line of satoori can be found at the
end of the outro. Jung Kook asks the girl out in Busan satoori.
The tracklist globally remains centered around hip-hop, be it its form that still includes intro,
outro, and skit, or the music genre. But BTS also proves their ability to work with a different style
through the cover of “Coffee”, the first track by famous Korean indie group Urban Zakapa. The
theme of love appears more clearly here and more positively than in “ 좋아요” (Like). The tracklist
ends with “Outro: Luv in Skool” that announces SKOOL LUV AFFAIR.
 The choreography, be it for “N.O” or the Concept trailer, is as direct as the lyrics. The robot-
like movements illustrate how “children are raised as studying machines without a chance to think
about the future. A world where classmates are not friends but competitors trying to trample each
other.” These choreographies work similarly to the ones for 2 COOL 4 SKOOL: the members move
quickly and swiftly to show their strength and combative mind, while still executing complex figures
illustrating the lyrics. Fans can thus see SUGA moving j-hope’s arm to illustrate the “machines that
study”, or him jumping on RM’s back during the “Step on even your close friends and rise above”
line. RM also points up during the “To the SKY” line and they all roll their arms for “we roll”. But
the choreography isn’t only at the service of the lyrics. The final breakdance is the occasion for the
members to act a fight scene against SWAT agents, a logical follow-up to the message of the song
that’s urging young people to revolt against the established order.
" 진 격 의 방 탄 " (Attack on Bangtan) has a different style of dance. The members leave the
high-precision tough moves to rather enthusiastically jump, freely move and celebrate how they
are the brave bulletproof boy scouts. They still play the lyrics, Jung Kook jumping on j-hope’s back
at “We step on our seniors’ backs on stage (I’m sorry Man)” or everyone falling at “The first block
of dominos has been knocked over.”. The acting is even amplified by the use of the baseball bat
when j-hope raps “Look at my first bat, I hit a home run”.
The same energetic mood can be found in " 팔도강산" (Paldogangsan), where the members
playfully fight over who has the best birthplace, with SUGA, Jimin, V, and Jung Kook on one side,
facing j-hope, who is accompanied by Jin and RM, even though they’re technically not from the
same province. The choreography still includes a scene, when Jimin is carried from one side of the
stage to the other to illustrate “After all, we all understand each other from Munsan to Marado”,
Munsan being a city in the North while Marado is in the South of the country.
 "To the SKY"

"Step on even your close friends and rise above"

 "Look at my first bat, I hit a home run"

"We step on our seniors’ backs on stage (I’m sorry Man)"

 "The first block of dominos has been knocked over."

"After all, we all understand each other from Munsan to Marado"

 Kim Sunghyun, also known as B1monster, is the head of the visual creative team. He
participated in the elaboration of the concept photos, the MVs and directed the styling of the
members, sometimes even customizing the clothes himself. He also decorated the Bangtan Room,
in which BTS worked. His choices were made after a discussion with the members. He also gave
them advice on how to select their clothes and they asked for his opinion when they bought
something. Kim Sunghyun's goal was to help the members gain confidence as he thinks that while
an outfit can't change a person, it can change their attitude.
Concerning the concept, BTS has to look hip-hop. The sense of unity of the whole group was
also important, so the members couldn't wear whatever they wanted.

“Of course, it’s always been hip-hop style. There’s a little bit of street
Gothic within it.”
- Kim Songhyun about O!RUL8,2? concept, episode 2 of Rookie King

Several outfits are from the 2013 collection of DXPE Chef, a contemporary streetwear brand.
BTS also wear uniforms, with a twist since the top can be snatched to reveal a white sleeveless top,
fitting with their concept of revolting against the established order. The street gothic influence can
be seen through the accessories, notably Christian crosses. The crosses also appear in the booklet.

For the whole school trilogy, the make-up is mostly natural, made to emphasize the
members’ beauty with just the addition of the eyeliner that helps the still young BTS to have an
attitude and look powerful. The same reasoning was used for their hair: most members have black
hair but styled. These decisions were made to balance the sense of authenticity that’s essential to
hip-hop, with the canon of K-pop ordering that idols should be handsome.
--

I
I ,/,

- ,

./
 The comeback trailer for O!RUL8,2? guides the fans from the black world of 2 COOL 4
SKOOL to the white world of "N.O". There still are elements typical of hip-hop and street cultures,
such as sneakers, a radio, a snapback, or mics. They all fuse in the end to form a BTS temple.
Only "N.O" was accompanied by an MV. The set was minimalist, all white with just enough
decoration for the public to recognize a school despite the guards.

"'N.O' has a dystopian style. The red pill is to make people think as
society wants them to think. 'The red pill is to make us all think the same
things. Also means it’s telling us to all live the same life.'"
- RM, Wide News at Open Studio,130912

The uniforms emphasize the effects of the red pill by making all the members look the same
and erasing their individuality. After the revolt, they change their black uniform for a white hip-hop
outfit that is different for each member. All the extras wear white outfits that make them blend
with the white world.
The story can also be felt during the choreography scenes, with the lighting going from the
red of the pill to the white of the world and the members wearing outfits that are black and white.
 The graphic design studio Studio XXX is behind all the packages for the school trilogy and
DARK & WILD. The studio had to show through their design that these albums are a school series
based on hip-hop with the concept of 'teens screaming to the world'. For O!RUL8,2?, the hip-hop
concept was shown through bold fonts and strong red text. Bold fonts and primary colors were
used for the whole series.

2 COOL 4 SKOOL and O!RUL8,2? are similar in terms of form, with a booklet attached to the
case, and the CD on the other side. The main difference is their color. SKOOL LUV AFFAIR has a
bigger and more complex package but it still has an attached booklet next to the CD. The surface
of the package has a chalkboard color, to remind of school.
DARK & WILD is different. The package is a square box containing the CD and the photo
book is now separated.
From 2013...
It’s during the promotion for O!RUL8,2? that Rookie King - Channel Bangtan was filmed
and released.

“Q: You were on SBS MTV ‘Rookie King BTS – channel BTS’, how do you
feel about filming a reality show?
A: It was a great opportunity to experience something different from music
broadcasts. And it seems that the practice of speaking and moving around
in front of the cameras turned out well, so it was great.”
【The Bridges Magazine Interview】The new representatives of the teens - BTS (Eng trans by Kimmy Yang)

The show revealed the members’ idol life and their different characters. In addition, a lot of
content was shared with the fans so they could follow the growth of BTS. Facebook albums
containing behind-the-scenes of music shows were published, the members did log videos, they
posted on Twitter and the Fancafe, Bangtan bombs were regularly revealed and there were
Episodes to follow the members during a special event, be it a shooting or an award ceremony.
Fans were able to watch the members closely, to see their sincerity and to sympathize more
easily with their message. They also had the chance to meet BTS during fan meetings.
... to 2014
While the beginning was humble, the members still met a decent success. They snatched all
the important rookie awards for 2013. They worked on their albums with famous figures in the
industry, following the path of their role models, searching for their sea in the desert.
2013 was a busy year but 2014 was even more intense. BTS released two albums again,
filmed their Season’s Greetings for 2015, performed The Red Bullet, their first muster, shot the
NOW 2, had their debut in Japan, and their first Japanese album Wake Up, filmed American
Hustle Life, celebrated their first Festa, and participated in year-end shows. They also attended the
Kcon in the U.S., which was the occasion for them to affirm their will to carry the Hallyu.
"Hallyu is BTS because we’re going to travel all around the world and
spread K-Pop. So look out for us in the future." - SUGA
"Hallyu is a connection. Even though it’s a Korean song, other people
from around the world can connect to us through our music." - Jung Kook
"Hallyu is one. Because the music brings everybody together." - Jimin
"Hallyu is hope." - j-hope
"Hallyu is culture. Because Hallyu brings so many parts of Korean culture
together." - Jin
"Hallyu is like a stream of entertainment. Games, drama, movies, food.
It’s all those things and not just music. It spreads across the world." - Rap
Monster
"Hallyu is the answer. It’s the solution to entertainment." - V
BTS and Fans Answer What Hallyu Means to Them! 140813

Their promotion was also assured through two webcomics, Hip-Hop Monsters and We On.
The hip-hop monsters were also turned into merchandising.
 Melon Music Awards, 131114

28th Golden Disc Awards, 140116

 23rd Seoul Music Awards, 140123

3rd Gaon Chart K-Pop Awards, 140212

SKOOL LUV AFFAIR

140212
Tracklist
1. Intro: Skool Luv Affair 2’58”
2. 상남자 (Boy In Luv) 3’50”
3. Skit: Soulmate 1’32”
4. 어디에서 왔는지 (Where You From) 4’00”
5. 하루만 (Just One Day) 4’00”
6. Tomorrow 4’22”
7. BTS Cypher Pt. 2: Triptych 4’48”
8. 등골브레이커 (Spine Breaker) 3’59”
9. Jump 3’57”
10. Outro: Propose 2’03”

Concept photo

Videos
Comeback trailer "상남
자" (Boy In Luv) MV
"하루만" (Just One Day) MV
 SKOOL LUV AFFAIR is the culmination of the school trilogy, focusing this time on “the love
that blossoms in the school”. The intro is a direct follow of O!RUL8,2?'s "OUTRO : LUV IN SKOOL",
with the same music being used. The lyrics detail how each rapper would propose.
This album necessitated a lot of work in the studio and a lot of modifications. But it’s also
the first album to include a member’s name in the production credits. SUGA shared a song he
made during his trainee days, titled “Jump”, as well as the song “Tomorrow”, that he completed
with the help of Slow Rabbit. SUGA thus joins Pdogg, Slow Rabbit and Supreme Boi among the
names in the production credits.
The main tracks, "상남자" (Boy In Luv) and "하루만" (Just One Day), both talk about love. The
first one is about a boy trying to confess like a tough man and the second about what the
members would do if they had just one day with their significant one. " 상남자" (Boy In Luv) has an
old school hip-hop beat and is intended to have an exciting feeling, to grab the attention of the
public and to be easy to sing along to.
The sweet younger sibling of "팔도각산" (Paldogangsan) can be found in this EP. "어디에서
왔 는 지 " (Where You From) is the occasion for SUGA and j-hope to rap in satoori about them
approaching a girl.
Despite the joyful theme of the album, the members still point out society’s problems with
"등골브레이커" (Spine Breaker). This time it is about the pressure young people might receive from
their peers to own expensive items and how they could make their own parents’ spine break when
they keep asking for money.

SKOOL LUV AFFAIR got a limited repackage including instrumental versions and the song
"Miss Right".
 The choreography for "상남자" (Boy In Luv) shows three key points: the King Kong dance, the
shaving dance, and the matrix dance. Even though the theme of the song is love, the moves of the
members are quick and powerful, to show they are tough virile men. The dance ends with the
members showing the familiar gun sign they use when they introduce themselves, and that could
already be seen in “We are bulletproof PT.2”.
On the opposite, " 하루만" (Just One Day) uses chairs and delicate moves. The chairs make
their comeback after “ 좋 아요 ” (Like), but this time they’re a central element of the dance as the
members stand and sit on it, and move them around. j-hope and Jung Kook choreographed their
solo themselves for their performance at the WAKE UP OPEN YOUR EYES concert in Japan.
“Jump” has the usual enthusiasm of the rising Bangtan, with jumps and raised hands.
The King Kong dance

The shaving dance

 The matrix dance

"상남자” (Boy In Luv) MV

"상남자” (Boy In Luv) MV

"상남자” (Boy In Luv) MV

 The styling is more diverse in this album. The members wear clothes from various brands,
like Bowller, Markus Lupfer, QNIGIRLS, Greyhound Original, Zara… The clothes can be streetwear or
from a woman collection, as long as they show the mood of love that the tough teens are feeling.
There are also some punk rock accents, notably with the skulls from Markus Lupfer’s collection 3. In
parallel to these stylish outfits, the members also appeared in school uniforms, showing the more
trivial aspects of the school life.
The energy of love can also be felt with the vivid colors of their hair, be it V adopting a
bright orange, Rap Monster’s bleached hair, or Jin and Jung Kook’s red hair.

SKOOL LUV AFFAIR is also more diverse with the filming locations. BTS finally leaves studios
to shoot the concept photo outdoor, at unique locations.

3 This style will later come back and develop into the rock concept of DARK & WILD and the punk concept of 화양연화 pt.2.
Skool Luv Affair concept photo

Deserted plant: 582 Changman-ri, Gwangtan-myeon, Paju-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea

Nothing N Nothing: 335-20 Seogyo-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea

 The music videos for SKOOL LUV AFFAIR are the beginning of the collaboration with
Lumpens, a studio that "pursues the fantasy of the visual and auditory senses".
“상남자” (Boy In Luv) MV is set in a more realistic school set, allowing the immersion of the
public in casual school life and the love story. Fans can thus appreciate how all the members team
up to help Jung Kook confess to the girl, even though they do it with the carelessness and
clumsiness of overexcited and almost childish teens.
Like in "No More Dream" MV, a lot of pop-culture nods can be seen thanks to the numerous
posters covering the walls. Posters for real events, movie posters, and advertisement posters are
mixed with concert posters, album covers, a picture of Mos Def and a citation from Rhythm &
Poetry, a documentary about the Australian Hip-hop scene.
Several pieces come from SNEEZE magazine. Pages from this publication can be seen in half
of the MVs of the school trilogy.

“SNEEZE looks to expand the street-inspired culture of skateboarding to

unexpected references, places and images. The magazine is an authentic
guide to modern street culture and lifestyles.
SNEEZE was established in 2008 to address the street-smart with at least
some level of higher education. Its readers range between the ages of 18-
37 and are predominantly male. Our target reader is part of a unique
consumer group that is brand and trend aware, passionate about
skateboard culture, art and fashion, as well as one that is looking for a
unique blend of news and thought.
SNEEZE is a poster size, less-is-more, full-color, no binding, soft-fold
publication. With a page size this large, full-bleed images and ads become
posters/art for our readers’ walls. Each turn of the page is unpretentious, an
honest source of surprise.”
- Presentation of the magazine on its LinkedIn page.

" 하 루 만 " (Just One Day) MV has a simple set with warms colors and only 7 chairs for the
dance. The shadows bring texture and volume while remaining as immaterial as the free day the
members dream of.
 The Japanese debut was the occasion to shoot another music video for the new version of
the title tracks. The MVs for “No More Dream Japanese version”, “Boy In Luv Japanese version”, and
“Danger Japanese version” were filmed and released in 2014. The videos are mainly dance scenes.
The sets have aesthetics similar to the Korean versions, notably with the use of the posters from
SNEEZE magazine, and the places looking deserted.
The outfits for "No More Dream Japanese version" are mainly from Pyrex Vision, a brand
made for youth, and Off-White, a streetwear brand. The two were created by Virgil Abloh. Pieces
from Ballin Paris, Stüssy, Supreme and Hood By Air could also be seen. While the brands changed,
the clothes still belong to the same style as in the Korean versions. The make-up and hair are also
similar, except for “No More Dream Japanese version" that was shot during SKOOL LUV AFFAIR
era.
“No More Dream Japanese version" and “Danger Japanese version" include some narrative
parts. In the first, the members enter the school/prison at night, vandalize, avoid the security, set
on the fire alarm and successfully escape. In “Danger”, V is waiting for a text or a call that never
comes. He eventually let all his anger out by performing at an underground hip-hop club where all
the members are. It's the occasion to see Jimin as a DJ and j-hope doing a dance battle.
 Extracts of the

Interview
available in BTS 'SKOOL LUV AFFAIR' Showcase Making (Disc 2)
(translation from hellomissbrandy)
 DREAM
Q. Self-introduction

RM I'm Rap Monster of BTS. I'm the leader of this team. 21 years old. Nice to meet you.
SG Hi. I'm SUGA, a rapper of BTS.

J Hello. I'm the oldest of BTS, Jin.

JH Hello. I'm the only hope of BTS, j-hope. I rap and dance.
JM Hi. I'm the charming one, Jimin.

V Hi. I'm V, the vocalist of BTS.

JK I'm the youngest of BTS, Jung Kook. I'm a vocalist.

Q. What was your childhood dream?

SG I wanted to be a fireman when I was really little. Since I was close to music throughout my
childhood, I naturally dreamt to be a musician. I was close to music naturally so I don't have
any turning points. There were some people who led me to this field, though. There was a
reggae group called Stony Skunk. Watching them, it occurred to me that I should be a
musician!
J I wished to be like my dad. He was really busy with his work. He worked hard for our family.
Still, he never forgot presents for us on his way home. I have really nice memories of him. I
wanted to be a person like him.
JM When I was in elementary school, my dream kept changing. Comic books influenced me a
lot. I wanted to be a cook, then a policeman. Since entering middle school, I wanted to be a
singer.
RM I had a unique dream, which was being the doorkeeper of an apartment. We had a young
doorkeeper at our apartment. He was really cool. I wanted to control the illegally parked
cars. Rather than deciding to be a musician, I decided to rap my story when I was in my first
year of middle school. I was impressed by 'Fly' from Epik High or 'Without Me' from
Eminem. Rap seemed so fun and interesting to me. Before that, I had my parents… My
parents didn't pressure me, though I was a good boy. Rap seemed very different for me,
who lived as a good boy. Rap was tempting.
V I lived in the country since I was in the 6th grade. My dream was to become a farmer, just
like my grandmother. Whenever I watched famous musicians, I dreamt of being a singer and
performing on stage. My dad told me a singer should play at least one instrument. I've
 learned saxophone for about 3 years. There was a time I wanted to be a saxophone player
rather than a singer. Though it changed again. So I started dreaming to become a singer
again.
JK I loved dancing. One day I was searching for dance videos and saw G-Dragon in a
music program. He was so cool. Then I thought that I want to be someone like that,
too.
JH When I saw Bigbang performing 'Lie'. Their stage was so cool. It made me feel proud, just
for watching it.

Q. After debut, do you still have any wishes?

SG To make good music constantly. That's all. I'm not desperate for winning in music charts. I
just want to make good music.
RM For BTS to make a name for themselves. 'BTS? Okay, I'll have a look.' Whether people like us
or not, we need to make them listen to our music. That’s the most important part.
J In the short-term, my dream is to give a concert. My biggest dream is to rank first.

Q. What is your dream as an artist?

SG I'm constantly working on some songs. My goal is to release 20 or 30 of these tracks at

once, without making little mixtapes, by the end of this year.
JH I want to be on various TV shows. Variety shows are fine. Music programs are good too. I
just want to be on many different shows.
J I want to try acting, even if I should start as an extra.
JK I want to be a singer who really touches the fans.

Q. What’s your dream as a human?

JM My dreams as a singer keep coming up. I can't think of any dreams not related to my career.
Though I can say what kind of person I want to be. Some singers are really cool, even when
they're not doing anything. A person who has the air of charisma! I want to be a cool
person, both externally and internally.
JH Literally being happy. My dream is to live happily with my family.
RM This is a basic motto of hip-hop. My dream is to do as I want to do. Currently, I'm often
forced to sacrifice other things to make my dreams come true. If I try really hard and
achieve my goals someday, I want to live after my heart. I lived a self-conscious life, and I
want to get free from it.
 HAPPINESS
Q. What do you think happiness is?

SG I think happiness is to do what you want to do. Doing what I want to do! Eat what I want!
Hear what I want! Sing what I want! I think this is happiness.
JH If you don't care about the standards, and think you're happy, then you are happy.
RM Doing what you want! Living as myself, becoming myself! Wouldn't that be
happiness? JM Achieving the goals you set previously, one by one seems to be a happy life
for me.

V Going on a trip with the members!

J A life without worries, accompanied by the right people for you. Isn't that
happiness? JK You're happy when you feel happy.

Q. Name 3 requirements for your happiness?

JM First of all, love. Then money and stage.

V For happiness… Family, health, and
honor. JK Health, love, and honor.

JH I think they're family, health, and love.

SG Somehow I don't think you should be rich to be happy. Health, family, and music.
J I'll need money. Not too little, not too much. The people surrounding me will be really
important. This is really personal. I want a quiet atmosphere. Maybe a calm and quiet place,
in the countryside.

RM Health! I guess health is the most important. Then insistence! You should know clearly when
you're happy and what you want to do! Maybe you can call this a dream. The last one is
love. Wealth and honor are wonderful. Though I think they follow you if you try your best.
You need luck or other conditions to have them. That's why those three are the most
important.
 Q. When do you feel happy during your day?

RM When my work turns out really good? Other than that... when I lie on my bed! Lying down
after practice!

JM These days, we practice dancing for a long time, till we get really exhausted. I feel so happy
when everything ends and I take a shower at our residence.
JH When I take a shower and sleep after dancing and sweating.
J Many of you would feel the same. I'm happy when I eat something I've made. It's better to
make food with your own recipe rather than eating out.
JK I’m happy when I fall asleep after
practice. SG Me? When I fall asleep.

V I feel happy when I talk with BTS.

 LOVE
Q. If you notice that all of BTS fancy the same girl?

RM Well... I… If this is happening among us, we are BTS!... I won't give up (love)! Hahaha. This
shouldn't happen, but if it does happen, I think I should try my best not to leave regret.
SG The story is about choosing between friendship and love. I respect every individual's taste
and thoughts. I won't force her to love me.
JH I think about this a lot. I'm really sensitive when it comes to love. I'll try to understand the
situations of each side. I'll try to solve this wisely.
J I'll give up. I have some friends. If these guys fight for love… I might observe from far away,
not fighting or stopping it. The original story gets along in my opinion. I'll just observe.
JM I would rather find another person. I bet you can love someone while keeping the
friendship. V I'll observe what others do and watch for a chance. I pour everything into
someone I love...

JK To the last moment… I will not...! give her up.

Q. Can you think of any movie or song in which love is well expressed?

J This is an unrealistic story. 'Pretty Woman' is an old movie. The scenes from the movie
are not likely to happen in real life. I like those unrealistic parts.
SG I like melancholic songs. 'My love by my side.' I'm not saying I want gloomy love. I just like
to sing it.
JH Our new album SKOOL LUV AFFAIR includes 'Just One Day'. I wrote the lyrics for my part. I
wrote it with all my heart. 'Just for one day I wish to be with you' It expresses my emotions.
RM You know the animated movie 'Frozen'? At first, I thought it was about love between a man
and a woman. It was more than that. There were friends and family. They loved each other.
Elsa loved Anna and Anna loved Elsa… Those emotions can all be called love. I think love is
like that. We normally think of love between a man and a woman. I think caring for others is
also love.
V 'A wolf's temptation'! I wouldn't want to give up if I was him. He leaves the girl considering
his health. Another man stays beside the girl and keeps her safe. I think that's love.
JK The movie 'Love 911' has a happy ending. I wish I have an opportunity to love (happily) like
that.
JM I'll just try to love in real life!
 Q. When do you realize the fans’ love?

J When I say I'm sick or hungry some of the fans hear it and feel sorry for me. Sometimes
their face and attitude look so honest. I see my mother in them.
RM First, when we're performing. Because we are singers. Our fans wait from the morning till the
evening to see us for 3-4 minutes… Whenever I see that, I feel so sorry and grateful. Second,
when I read messages from them! When I read fan letters or mentions from Twitter, I get to
think ‘Have I ever loved someone single-minded?’ I think of this often.
JM When we're on a TV show, or going somewhere to perform with other singers too.
Sometimes we have only a few fans watching us. Those fans shout for us at the top of their
voices. I feel very touched when they watch us.
SG I'm the one who raps. Tunes and rhythms are added on words for raps and songs I think.
(When I'm on stage) those are some of the moments I can tell my story. I feel grateful when
they listen to me.

Q. Can you express your love for the fans?

JH I always think about them. We have an official cafe and a Twitter account. I often check the
mentions from Twitter. I check the cafe a lot too. I especially read 'To. BTS’ often. I keep
thinking, there are so many kinds of our fans out there! 'Wow, they really love us.' I realize
somehow.
JM I try hard to show that our attention to our fans is deeper than the love fans send us.
J That's a great thing. I can't say it in words. This can't be explained with words.
SG Actually, I'm not good at expressing my feelings. I'm terrible at it, so many of you
misunderstand me. I always thank you so much. It's too bad that I'm not good at explaining
my feelings. I love you so much. Thank you, guys.
JK Actually, I want to reply to every message the fans send us. I'll be your Jung Kook,
expressing my emotions to you.
RM I like expressing myself with words. I always tell my fans that I wish we could build up a
person to person relationship, it's a contradiction somehow, but I still want to communicate
with my fans, 'person to person'. I mean it.
V Please look forward to our new album. We'll get closer to you, and be cool and charming,
so you’ll feel proud of us. We BTS will stay close to each other. I love you, ARMY!
DARK & WILD

140820
Tracklist
1. Intro : What am I to you 2’45”
2. Danger 2’45”
3. 호르몬 전쟁 (War of Hormone) 4’26”
4. 힙합성애자 (Hip Hop Phile) 4’17”
5. Let Me Know 4’15”
6. Rain 4’25”
7. BTS Cypher PT.3 : KILLER (Feat. Supreme Boi) 4’28”
8. Interlude : 뭐해 (What are you doing now) 0’42”
9. 핸드폰 좀 꺼줄래 (Could you turn off your cell phone) 3’54”
10. 이불킥 (Embarrassed) 4’02”
11. 24/7=heaven 3’36”
12. 여기 봐 (Look here) 3’39”
13. 2 학년 (So 4 more) 3’55”
14. Outro : 그게 말이 돼? (Do you think it makes sense?) 2’53”

Concept photo

Videos
Comeback trailer
"Danger" MV
"호르몬 전쟁" (War of Hormone) MV
 The school trilogy got extended through the sequel titled Dark & Wild. After the positive
side of romance, it’s time for the members to discuss “love gone awry”. Tracks are divided into a
first “Dark” half and a second “Wild” half, starting from “Interlude: What are you doing?”. The songs
highlight the different genres of hip-hop — South, West, Boom Bap and Trap — which provide a
clear direction of BTS' music. Dark & Wild is not only the first full-length album by BTS but also
the first one they recorded overseas, while they were filming the show American Hustle Life, in Los
Angeles.
The title track “Danger” is a tightly-composed hybrid hip-hop song with a piercing punk-rock
guitar sound that features stark rap, a powerful hook and exhilarating shouting. The melody was
written by the famous songwriter THANH, who also made a special apparition in the Mo-Blue-Mix
version of “Danger”.
“호르몬 전쟁 " (War of Hormone) is a representation of the energy brought to youth by the
hormones while still reminding that if “Girls are a cold iceberg?” you should “Let it go”, showing
the importance of consent. The Mario soundtrack at the beginning shows how, just like Mario
becomes super Mario, the teens of BTS have grown into young men.
Rap Monster guides the listener one last time into the album with “Intro: What am I to you?”,
explaining how the girl that accepted the love of the Boy in SKOOL LUV AFFAIR is now ignoring
him.
SUGA once again signs the production of a song, “Let Me Know”. The other producers from
Big Hit also made several songs. Slow Rabbit is still behind most of the ballads, notably "Rain".
Supreme Boi, who wrote all the cyphers and participated in the creation of most of the tracks, is
featured in "Killer".
The members add another proof of their love for hip-hop with “ 힙합성애자" (Hip-hop phile),
this time revealing how their interest for hip-hop started.
Criticism of society can't be forgotten either. "핸드폰 좀 꺼줄래" (Could you turn off your cell
phone) points out how means of communication keep developing but people keep growing apart.
Despite the theme of the album, positive love songs can be found in the "Wild" part, like "이
불 킥 " (Embarrassed), “24/7=heaven” and " 여 기 봐 " (Look here). BTS also took the occasion to
celebrate their first anniversary with "2 학년" (So 4 more)4.

In the booklet, the tracklist and the lyrics were handwritten by the members.

4 "So 4 more" is also the title of a song released for the 2014 Festa. A more literal translation of "2 학년" is 2nd Grade.
 The dance for "Danger" features fast, energetic, almost violent movements like kicks and
punches, to show the anger of the Boy being ignored. The punch to the members’ chest, that
aimed to remind King Kong in “Boy in Luv”, this time expresses the hurt they feel in their heart.
On the opposite, “호르몬 전쟁" (War of Hormone) includes several hip movements, reminding
the seductive and sexy aspects of the song. The members designate their own body during the
chorus, instead of drawing a silhouette in the air, like during the “beauty, beauty” line in “ 상남자"
(Boy in Luv). V plays the role of the girl during j-hope’s verse and accepts to get in the car.
"Danger" MV
"We are like parallel lines"

"Danger" MV
 "Danger" MV

"호르몬 전쟁" (War of Hormone) MV

 Most outfits this time are from Versace, the worldwide famous luxury brand with its unique
Medusa logo. Leather and jean are more present than in previous concepts, supporting the shift
towards a punk-rock style. All these elements make for a manly image, more mature than the
students from the school trilogy.
"Danger" MV

Deserted plant: 582 Changman-ri, Gwangtan-myeon, Paju-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea

"호르몬 전쟁" (War of Hormone) photo concept

Goodneck pub: 255 Samseon-dong, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, South Korea (moved)

Coin Wash 24: Haengdang-dong, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Construction site: 230-4 Eungbong-dong, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Foreign Food Mart: 137-8 Itaewon-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Street: 141-21 Itaewon-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, South Korea
"호르몬 전쟁" (War of Hormone) MV

Gyeonggi English Village Yangpyeong Camp

 “Danger” MV was set partially at the same deserted factory where the concept for SKOOL
LUV AFFAIR was shot. The low lighting changes the mood of the set and makes it go from a
school building in poor condition to a dark place only lighted by the flames of anger.
The other group scenes were filmed on the subway station set. The name of the station,
Goya, is a nod to the name of Choi Yongseok's son. Choi Yongseok is the Lumpens director who
filmed BTS' MVs. Posters from SNEEZE magazine appear again on several walls and pillars.
However, the posters near the stairs and on SUGA's set are from Shepard Fairey. Shepard Fairey is
an American graphic artist and social activist. He conveys strong messages through his art. The
presence of his works thus adds a political statement to the concept of hurtful love.
The group scenes are entirely dedicated to the choreography. The anger is represented by
the members during their solo scenes, where they show their frustration and wrath through
different actions like boxing, destroying or burning objects, cutting their own hair, throwing things,
tearing paper, or dancing.

"호르몬 전쟁" (War of Hormone) MV was entirely filmed at an outside location and is almost
fully a sequence-shot. It’s the last collaboration with Zanybros. It shows each member appreciating
the beauty of a girl then letting her go when they realize she’s not interested. The last scene, in the
gymnasium, has an aesthetic reminding of Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit", a group that Kim
Sunghyun admires a lot.
V JIMIN

JUNGKDDK
-·
..'
.
Concerts
BTS LIVE TRILOGY EPISODE II. THE RED BULLET

Setlist
(Opening VCR) – N.O – We are Bulletproof PT.2 – (ment) – We On – 힙합성애자 (Hip Hop
Phile) – (ment) – Let Me Know – Rain – 이불킥 (Embarrassed) – (ment) – 여기 봐 (Look here)
– Outro: Propose – (VCR) – No More Dream – Tomorrow – (ment) – Miss Right – 좋 아요
(Like) – BTS Cypher PT.3 : KILLER (Feat. Supreme Boi) – (ment) – BTS Cypher Pt. 2: Triptych
+ 호르몬 전쟁 (War of Hormone) – Danger – (ment) – 상남자 (Boy In Luv)
(VCR) – 길 (Road/path) – (ment) – Jump – 진 격 의 방 탄 (Attack on Bangtan) – 팔 도 강 산
(Paldogangsan) – (ending VCR)

BTS LIVE TRILOGY EPISODE I. BTS BEGINS

Setlist
(Opening VCR) – Jump – (ment) – OUTRO : LUV IN SKOOL + Intro: Skool Luv Affair – 어디에
서 왔는지 (Where You From) – Dance battle (j-hope & Jimin) – (ment) – We are Bulletproof
PT.1 – We are Bulletproof PT.2 – (VCR) – No More Dream – N.O – Tomorrow – (ment) –
Outro : 그게 말이 돼? (Do you think it makes sense?) – 좋아요 (Like) pt.1 + pt.2 – Converse
High – (ment) – 24/7=heaven – 2 학년 (So 4 more) – If I ruled the world – BTS Cypher PT.1
& BTS Cypher Pt. 2: Triptych – Danger – 호르몬 전쟁 (War of Hormone) – 진격의 방탄 (Attack
on Bangtan)
(VCR) – 흥탄소년단 (Boyz with Fun) – (ment) – Miss Right – (ment) – 상남자 (Boy In Luv) –
(ment) – Born Singer – (ending scene and VCR)
 With the school trilogy complete, it’s time for BTS to show they’re as passionate on stage as they are
in the studio. BTS' first exclusive concert is BTS Live Trilogy Episode II. The Red Bullet. It was followed by
BTS Live Trilogy Episode I. BTS Begins in 2015. The Red Bullet was also extended through a tour in Asia,
Australia, and America. These events were the occasion for the members to show their charisma on stage, as
well as new choreographies, live vocal performances and to develop more the concept of the trilogy through
the VCRs shown in between songs.
The members prepared diligently, rehearsing for a long time to make sure everything would go
smoothly. Fans rewarded their hard work with just as much effort. BTS Begins shows sold out in 2 minutes
and reunited 6,500 enthusiastic ARMY.
Both concerts were organized by the company Plan A. BTS Begins, as its name implies, is about the
beginning of BTS. There are references to the members’ school years with the middle school graduation
yearbook and a discussion about their first meeting and their first impression about each other. The setlist
also includes self-composed songs, cover songs, and projects released before debut. Lastly, the fiction part is
about the meeting of seven boys, how they unified through music, and became friends. Following directly,
The Red Bullet tells the story of BTS finding their way by throwing a red bullet into a uniformed and
oppressed society. Plan A made sure to connect the two Episodes by recreating the first scene of The Red
Bullet at the end of BTS Begins. Indeed, the last song of BTS Begins is followed by a play where the
members go to the classroom in the back of the stage and reenact the beginning of The Red Bullet VCR.
 VCRs

VCRs: Yangpyeong

The VCRs for the fiction were shot in Yangpyeong5. The school set was again a deserted factory. The
teacher was played by Kim Taehwan. It was the first time BTS worked with a professional actor.

The promotion for the concerts consisted of posters and video teasers. For The Red Bullet, the
members appeared in military uniform, with a red bullet tattoo. In the teaser, they avoid a red bullet.
BTS Begins promotion was more centered around the fiction part. The members wear the same
clothes as in the VCR while doing activities they did as children. They also have a B0613+XXS tattoo,
with their initials instead of the XX. Jin is different though, as he shows a serious face and has no tattoo.
This concert was also teased at the end of The Red Bullet. Similarly, a teaser for Episode III was revealed at
the end of BTS Begins.

5 The real arboretum that inspired the Flower Arboretum (풀꽃수목원) in the BU is Yangpyeong Wildflower Arboretum (양평들꽃수목원).
 1\/1

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TS LIVE TRILOGY

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 The Red Bullet stage was decorated with screens in the background, as well as lighting and lasers.
BTS Begins stage was similar, with decoration reminding of the front of a school building and the addition
of the central scene and the lift to the first floor that allowed BTS to be close to more fans. The screens and
the lighting could change depending on the song, to fit its mood. The screens showed close-ups of
the members so the people far away from the scene could also enjoy their expressions. Some times, it rather
showed the lyrics of the song, like during "좋아요" (Like) when the lyrics were shown on Facebook's private
message interface. It could also be something fitting the theme, like rain during "Rain". On the other hand,
the lighting directs the attention of the public. During "Let Me Know", only the member singing is under the
light. At the end of both concerts, pyrotechnics and confetti were prepared, intensifying the performances.
The members also adjusted to the songs through different types of performances. As the main tracks
have choreographies, they danced during those. A few sidetracks got new choreographies too, sometimes
just for the chorus. " 이 불 킥 " (Embarrassed, literally "Blanket kick") has a special dance, with a bed to
reference the blanket kick the Boy do out of embarrassment. The screen also shows the inside of a bedroom.
For emotional songs, BTS stood on stage without moving, focusing on their vocal performance, while for
energetic songs, they filled the scene with enthusiasm and interacted with the public. Some fanservice was
also added through the cuteness punishment during " 여기 봐" (Look Here), or the interactions during "Miss
Right" and "2 학년" (So 4 more), as the members made the fans sing with them. Supreme Boi, who produced
all the cyphers, made a special appearance during "BTS Cypher PT.3 : KILLER" on the dates in Seoul.
There were short breaks in between songs, the ments, that allowed the members to rest, talk with the
fans, and announce the following song. They also introduced themselves and pronounced their thanks at
those times. The first ment in BTS Begins was the occasion for j-hope to summarize The Red Bullet and
introduce BTS Begins as a "limited special edition".

“resisting oppression and surveillance. They destroy what has been oppressing
them, their classroom with the red bullet inside their bullet-proof vest.”
- j-hope about The Red Bullet, during BTS Begins

VCRs also gave time to the members to rest and to change outfits. So they don't stand out, the videos
are connected with the song performed next, notably through the screens. The VCRs are the occasion to
develop a narrative related to the story of the school trilogy. The opening VCR introduces the setting of the
story, with the tyrannic teacher and BTS acting rebellious. It's followed accordingly by "N.O" and "We are
bulletproof PT2", that have concepts similar to this narrative. During those songs, the screens display
mathematic formulas and a set fusing a school with a prison, reminding of the one from the VCR. Besides,
the members wear a school uniform. In the second VCR, BTS come back to class to fight the teacher with
the red bullet. It's followed by a performance of "No More Dream", with new outfits from DKNK, and the
school burning in the background, like at the end of the video.
 The first VCR of BTS Begins, after the middle school graduation yearbook, shows seven boys going to
school and being late, then being sent to a storage room with a wall covered in citations from Georges
Orwell’s 1984. The first performance, "Jump", is performed in similar outfits to those of the VCR, with some
HBA pieces too. The choreography is also upgraded with a dance break using the school bags the members
wear on their back. The 1984 wall can be seen on the screens. After the second VCR, during which the seven
boys who became friends through music, find the bulletproof vests, BTS performs "No More Dream" and
"N.O", with the set of the storage room in the background. They are also wearing the bulletproof vest with
Off-White outfits.
During the encore, the members wear the merchandising of the concert while they perform. The
encore for The Red Bullet is introduced by a VCR summarizing BTS career. On the same theme, the songs
for the encore are about BTS' story and their passion, namely "길" (Road/Path), "Jump", "진격의 방탄" (Attack
on Bangtan), and " 팔도강산" (Paldogangsan). " 진격의 방탄" (Attack on Bangtan) got a modified version of
j- hope's scene. Instead of running toward the public, he ran across the stage and put a basketball in
the basket made up by a dancer. On the opposite, the encore for BTS Begins is introduced by a humoristic
video about the members’ first impressions about each other, which leads to happy songs, so " 흥탄소년단"
(Boyz with Fun) and "Miss Right". However, this encore has a second, more emotive part, during which BTS
notably performed "Born Singer", a cover of J Cole’s "Born Sinner".
 While being quite similar to Episode II, Episode I had some peculiarities. First, the fans now have
ARMY bombs to cheer the members of BTS. The mascots of the group, the Hip Hop Monsters, can be seen
on the background screen during "Converse High" and "If I ruled the world".
The concert also included a dance battle between Jimin and j-hope, something often associated with
the hip-hop culture.
Songs were more connected with each other. The outro of O!RUL8,2? is followed by SUGA’s part in
the intro of SKOOL LUV AFFAIR, since they have the same music. " 좋아요" (Like) pt.1 is partially performed
by the vocal line and then turns into " 좋아요 " (Like) pt.2, which is performed by the whole group with a
never seen choreography. Lastly, j-hope raps his part in "BTS Cypher PT.1" and then the rap line pursues with
"BTS Cypher Pt. 2: Triptych". This effect of connecting two songs was used once during The Red Bullet
though. Thanks to their similar lyrics, j-hope rapped his lyrics from " 호르몬 전쟁" (War of Hormone) on the
beat of "BTS Cypher Pt. 2: Triptych", to connect the "BTS Cypher PT.3 : KILLER" performance with the " 호르몬
전쟁" (War of Hormone) performance.
BTS Begins gave a preview of the next album, 화양연화 pt.1, one month before its release. The songs
that were revealed are "Converse High" and " 흥 탄 소 년 단 " (Boyz with Fun). Both had choreographies, with
moves focused on the legs and feet for the first one, to fit the shoe theme.
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 Special performances
2013/2014 2014/2015

2013 Melon Music Awards 2014 Mnet Asian Music Awards 산남

No More Dream 자 (Boy In Luv) (red carpet)
진격의 방탄+반갑습니다(배치기&방탄소년단) Fight of the Century (Block B - BTS)
(Dance, j-hope, Jimin)
[Rise of Bangtan+Nice to Meet You (BaeChiGi & Tough Cookie (Zico)
BTS)] RM (Rap Monster)
Danger (BTS)
2013 SBS Gayo Daejeon HER (Block B)
Intro + No More Dream Let's Get It Started (Block B, BTS)

2013 MBC Gayo Daejejeon 2014 KBS Song Festival

학원별곡 (Intro)
전사의 후예 Danger
SoYou & Rap Monster, Sandeul, CNU, P.O, Kyung -
No More Dream Collaboration
Special Stage Power Performance (BTS, VIXX, 2PM)
28th Golden Disc Awards It’s Tricky (Run D.M.C) (BTS)
(Intro) U Can’t Touch This (MC Hammer) (VIXX)
No More Dream Wild Wild West (Will Smith) (2PM)
Happy (Pharell Williams) (2PM & VIXX & BTS)
23rd Seoul Music Awards
(신인상공연, performance by the winners of the 2014 MBC Gayo Daejejeon
Rookie Award) (Intro)
N.O Danger
BTS & Boyfriend – We Are the Future, dance break
(Concept Trailer) No More Dream (Deuce)
3rd Gaon Charts Awards 24th Seoul Music Awards
No More Dream (intro)
산남자 (Boy In Luv)

4th Gaon Charts Awards

What Am I To You (올해의 발견 [월드루키상],
discovery of the year, world rookie of the year)
Danger
 BTS attended several awards ceremonies and year-end TV shows. These were the occasion to
do special performances of the songs they released in the same year. As they were still rookies,
their first performances were short and often included collaborations with other artists. Despite
these difficulties, the team still managed to pay homage to hip-hop.

The 2013 season happened after the releases of 2 COOL 4 SKOOL and O!RUL8,2?. Thus BTS
performed “No More Dream” every time, as well as “ 진 격 의 방 탄 " (Attack Bangtan) at the 2013
Melon Music Awards and “N.O” at the 23rd Seoul Music Awards. They usually had enough time for
an intro and a song. They also collaborated with Baechigi, a hip-hop duo, at the 2013 Melon Music
Awards.
In terms of special choreo, there is the intro of their SBS Gayo Daejeon performance that they
also did at the 28th Golden Disc Awards. This intro is a mix of three songs: the remix of “Classic”
by DJ premier, the remix of Diplo’s “Express Yourself” by Gent & Jawns, and Lethal Bizzle’s "Pow
2011". Besides, they did the choreo of the concept trailer on a remix of “No More Dream” during
the 23rd Seoul Music Awards.
The stage is modest. There’s almost no physical prop so the majority of concept elements
come from the screens in the background. During the 2013 Melon Music Awards performance,
there’s an old warehouse, then a wall of speakers during “ 진 격 의 방 탄 " (Attack Bangtan). The
exception here is the stage at the 23rd Seoul Music Awards, that had a fence with American
signboards hanged to it and graffitis drawn on a sheet of metal. Another thing to note is that
during the concept trailer dance, the members are shot by people wearing uniforms similar to
those of U.S. police officers.
The U.S. influence and the interest for hip-hop can't be missed in these performances. The
stages aim to make it look as if the members are performing in a street in the USA, where hip-hop
was born.
"No More Dream" @23rd Seoul Music Awards

@2014 KBS Song Festival

 "It’s Tricky @2014 KBS Song Festival
The 2014 season followed SKOOL LUV AFFAIR and DARK & WILD, two albums with the
theme of love. Considering the message of DARK & WILD though, the performances have the
theme of fight and war. The 2014 MAMA performance is a battle against Block B, including notably
a dance battle and a rap battle6 that are typical of hip-hop. During "Danger", the background
screen showed chains and ruins like in the comeback trailer “Intro: What Am I to You?”. At the
2014 KBS song festival, Jimin and Jung Kook played characters from a fighting game, reminding
the Super Mario soundtrack in “War of Hormone” and the “pocket monster” in the lyrics of “Intro:
What Am I To You?”. The intro performance for the 2014 MBC Gayo Deajejeon included white
military uniforms and a sub-machine gun incarnated by Jimin, with Krizz Kaliko's "Spaz" and Limp
Bizkit's "Rollin'" as the soundtrack.
BTS performed “Boy In Luv” twice and “Danger” thrice. They had to share the stage several
times: with Block B at the MAMA, with VIXX and 2PM at the 2014 KBS song festival for the
synchronized dance segment, and with Boyfriend at the 2014 MBC Gayo Daejeon during their
taekwondo cover of H.O.T.'s "We Are the Future". The second one, however, allowed them to refer
the U.S. through the hip-hop song by Run D.M.C. “It’s Tricky!”, the outfits, and the plates shown in
the background.
A novelty happened that year. A teaser for the future era was included in the performance at
the 2014 MAMA, namely Jimin’s “Never mind” and “花樣年華” tattoos at the 2014 MAMA.

6 Rap Monster’s rap verse was new, he posted the lyrics on Twitteer.
Hip-hop and American culture
 Album
structure References in
the music References
in lyrics
References in MVs and concepts
Being Hip-Hop
 The choice of starting BTS’ discography with the school trilogy could reminds of Kanye’s
West College trilogy - made of The College Dropout, Late Registration, and Graduation. Indeed,
both series are the first albums released by their artist, and both include lyrics about the artists’
personal life but also about the problems faced by their generation. Also, just like BTS brought
socially conscious music in the heavily commercial K-pop world, Kanye West linked the socially
conscious underground hip-hop with the commercial popular hip-hop. The two projects were
planned by their artists since the beginning and both evolved with the situation, BTS added the
sequel Dark & Wild while Kanye West changed what was supposed to be the fourth album of a
quadrilogy into 808s & Heartbreak, an album influenced by the heavy changes that happened in
his private life at that time.
All the albums are structured. There are an intro and an outro, as well as sometimes an
interlude. Such tracks can be found in several genres of music but it is something that was heavily
used in 90s hip-hop albums, such as Dr. Dre’s The Chronic.
The intro is used in the comeback trailer video and the member doing it, Rap Monster, is the
guide in this era. The lyrics of those different songs do talk about the main theme of the album
and thus introduce the listener to the era. While “Intro: Skool Luv Affair” is about defining love,
“Intro: What Am I to You?” is tainted by the doubts of the Boy whose love is not returned.
The interludes are in the middle of the tracklist. The first one is in 2 COOL 4 SKOOL and has
no lyrics, only music. The second one is in DARK & WILD, it consists of Jung Kook repeating “What
are you doing?”, the name of the interlude. This interlude makes the separation between the “dark”
part and the “wild” part.
Albums end with an outro, excepted 2 COOL 4 SKOOL that has two hidden tracks afterward.
The outros can conclude the era or open the path towards the new one. For example, O!RUL8,2?’s
outro, “Outro: Luv in Skool”, is sampled in SUGA’s verse at the beginning of "Intro: Skool Luv
Affair", which is the next song in BTS’ discography. This way, the two albums connect directly.
The intros, interludes, and outros structure the albums. Once this frame is set up, BTS can
clearly and efficiently embroider their message on it with the other songs. It makes the whole
album worth listening, so the fans can understand the full story. The first songs are about the
theme of the album while the last ones explore other subjects. Thus the love songs " 좋아요" (Like)
and "Coffee" are in the second half of 2 COOL SKOOL and O!RUL8,2?. Same for "BTS Cypher Pt. 2:
Triptych" and " 등 골 브 레 이 커 " (Spine Breaker) in SKOOL LUV AFFAIR since their harsh message
clash with the romance theme. And then there are the dark half and the wild half in DARK &
WILD.
The school trilogy also includes two other types of tracks that are typical of hip-hop: skits
and cyphers. The skits are little comedic plays that usually serve to fill time. In BTS’ albums, they
rather give a glimpse of the members’ thoughts and lives. Autobiographic elements can thus be
found in them. Cyphers are initially improvised performances where rappers compete against each
other and tell their story. The BTS cyphers are a bit different since they are written in advance and
the members aren’t competing against each other. But they still use them to explain their stories
and settle accounts with haters. Another song confronting haters is "We On". BTS' early
discography was oriented towards fighting their haters and protecting their fans.

The music genres used also have hip-hop influences. “No More Dream” aimed to “revive the
gangster rap hot in the 90s with the emotion of 2013″. RM cited Dr. Dre’s “Deep Cover” as an
example. “N.O” is “exciting trap music”, the same genre to which belongs "We are bulletproof PT.2",
and “상남자" (Boy In Luv) has "old school hip-hop’s strong beat and rock sound”.
Another element typical to hip-hop music, even though it’s not exclusive to it, is the
sampling. BTS used samples at different levels. “Coffee” is a reinterpretation of “ 커 피를 마 시 고 "
(Drinking Coffee) by Urban Zakapa. “Born Singer”, a song released on Youtube and performed
during BTS Begins, is based on “Born Sinner” by J.Cole. The lyrics tell the story of the members and
their relation to music - something that relates to the authentic feeling of hip-hop. The beginning
of “Intro : 2 COOL 4 SKOOL feat. DJ Friz” is a sample of Epik High’s “GO”, from their 2003 album,
Map of the Human Soul. “War of Hormone” uses a sound effect from Super Mario at the
beginning. The special intro for the 2013 SBS Gayo Daejeon and the 28th Golden Disc Awards
combines the remix of “Classic” by DJ premier, the remix of Diplo’s “Express Yourself” by Gent &
Jawns, and Lethal Bizzle’s "Pow 2011". Those samples are a way to pay homage to their role
models while creating their own music.

The lyrics are the part of the creative process BTS participates in the most. These references
are thus the most personal ones for the members. In “ 길” (Road/Path) and “힙합성애자" (Hip Hop
Phile), the rap line tells their story and how they discovered hip-hop. It's the occasion to name-
drop their role models:
• American rappers: Eminem, Jay-Z, Nas, Gang Starr, Black Star, Eric B, Rakim, Pete Rock,
CL Smooth, The Notorious B.I.G., Tupac, Mac Miller, Kanye West, Kendrick Lamar, A$AP Rocky
• Korean rappers: Garion, Epik High, Dynamic Duo, Verbal Jint
 • Debut albums: Nas’ Illmatic, Snoop Dogg’s Doggystyle, Pharell Williams’ In My Mind,
KRS-One’s KRS-One, The Notorious B.I.G.’s Ready To Die, Dr. Dre’s The Chronic, J.Cole’s
Cole World
Epik High’s “Fly” is mentioned in “Skit: Circle Room Talk”. The white shirt and red necktie
SUGA talked about are a reference to the MV and the album cover for “Fly”.
BTS talks about their life, they make political statements through " 등 골 브 레 이 커 " (Spine
Breaker) or "핸드폰 좀 꺼줄래" (Could you turn off your cell phone), and they express their anger
against haters through they lyrics, all themes typical of underground hip-hop.

Hip-hop is also present in the visual aspect. Both photo concepts for 2 COOL 4 SKOOL and
O!RUL8,2? are inspired by gangsta rap but with the influence of 2013 fashion.
In the MVs, little nods to hip-hop culture can be seen. In "No More Dream" MV, posters can
be seen on the yellow bus. One shows the cover of It’s Bigger Than Hip Hop, a book about the
social and political issues faced in the hip-hop field, another is an advertisement for Hip Hop
Versus War, a festival against violence, and the last one shows the logo of The Temple Of Hip Hop,
a non-violent organization defending the hip-hop culture. In the comeback trailer for O!RUL8,2?,
several elements associated with hip-hop, sneakers, a radio, mics, and snapbacks, assemble with the
BTS logo to form a Bangtan-style hip-hop temple. In “ 상 남 자 " (Boy in Luv) MV, the cover of Mos
Def’s The New Danger is in one of the toilet cubicles. Posters of The Hip Hop Re:Education
Project, an album made by young people from New York, and of Rhythm & Poetry, a
documentary about hip-hop in Australia, are in the hallway. In the Japanese version of the same
song, “Can i kick it”, the title of a song by A Tribe Called Quest, is written on a shelf and “You think
big, you get big in”, lyrics from "Think Big" by Pudgee tha Phat Bastard featuring The Notorious
B.I.G. & Lord Tariq, is on the blackboard. In "Danger", the album Life is Good from Nas can be
seen next to Rap Monster.
Something close to hip-hop culture is urban culture. The posters from SNEEZE magazine, the
graffiti, notably the ones from the JnJ crew that could be seen in “No More Dream”, and the
skating all belong to it.
Despite the dystopian aesthetic, there are also clear influences from the U.S., such as all the
streetwear outfits, the street in "No More Dream" MV and its yellow bus or Gyeonggi English
village in "호르몬 전쟁" (War of Hormone) MV. The numerous license plates and signboards in " 호
르몬 전쟁" (War of Hormone) MV and some of the special performances can be taken into account
too.
 "No More Dream" MV

O!RUL8,2? Comeback trailer

"상남자" (Boy In Luv) MV

"Danger" MV
 Doing hip-hop without searching to understand the culture, just by imitating what’s been
done, is usually very badly perceived and seen as cultural appropriation. Hip-hop centers around
the idea of authenticity, someone should be sincere about their story and passion instead of
copying others.
For several decades now, a branch of hip-hop has developed in Korea. In summary, hip-hop
was slowly imported after the war. At first, it was dancers then rappers slowly appeared. Two
names completely changed the game in the 90s and can be considered as the founders of K-hip-
hop: Drunken Tiger and Seo Taiji & Boys. Those two groups helped the development of Korean
hip-hop, which later evolved into the current K-pop trend under the influence of Seo Taiji & Boys.
The members of BTS grew up watching those two groups - as well as all the acts they
mentioned in their songs. Hip-hop was something normal for BTS, a part of their own culture.
Concerning Rap Monster and SUGA, it has actually been a full part of their teenagehood since they
entered the underground rap scene7. Same for j-hope with the dance scene. That is why they were
able to confidently debut with the idea that BTS “will do the most authentic hip-hop music” in
comparison to other idol groups.
As they were still at an early stage in their musical development, they took inspiration from
what had been done to the point that through its structure and its music, the whole 2 COOL 4
SKOOL single could be considered as a 90s hip-hop release. BTS also paid tribute to the U.S.
through the obvious American aesthetic. However if they had stopped here, it would have just
been a copy of American hip-hop. BTS added their own identity through their Korean lyrics and
their goal of protecting the youth of prejudice and denouncing the unfairness of society.
While mistakes such as the caricatural depiction of the U.S. in American Hustle Life couldn’t
be avoided, the members have always been sincere in their admiration for both American and
Korean hip-hop. Through trials and errors, BTS developed their own identity and style, even
exploring other types of music in their following releases.

BTS will eventually be rewarded for their efforts as Tiger JK from Drunken Tiger and Seo Taiji
have acknowledged them through RM featuring on Drunken Tiger’s "Timeless" and BTS
participating in Seo Taiji’s 25th birthday concert. SUGA’s collaborations with Dynamic Duo and Epik
High can be added. Garion also revealed in an interview they loved BTS and they were thankful
that their song “Mutu” inspired RM to start rapping. On the American side, they were also
acknowledged by Pharell Williams, Drake, and Lil Nas X who invited the group for a performance of
"Old Town Road" that also featured Nas.

7 See baepsayed's complete posts about the pre-debut of RM and Suga for more details
The colors
Global hue
Red
 The school trilogy has a mostly dark palette.
Almost everything is black in 2 COOL 4 SKOOL, the album, the hairs, the outfits, and the
MVs filmed in dark sets. One notable exception is the golden accessories.
The link between 2 COOL 4 SKOOL and O!RUL8,2? is made through the trailers starting with
black backgrounds and the uniforms of the same color. But it is white that dominates in O!RUL8,2?.
Through 2 COOL 4 SKOOL and their black uniforms, the members are associated with the black
color while the outside world introduced in O!RUL8,2? is white. They rebel against this world in
“N.O” MV and win. However, they don’t turn the world to black, they rather put on white hip-hop
outfits and gold accessories, like a white version of their 2 COOL 4 SKOOL selves. Where the black
uniform seems to represent the world trying to force its ideas on BTS, the white outfit could be the
members accepting the outside world without losing their soul, namely hip-hop.
The bright white world is now becoming familiar, there is still a blinding lighting but new
colors with a subtle greyish-green filter start appearing in SKOOL LUV AFFAIR. The green
references the chalkboard.
DARK & WILD brings back dark colors in "Danger" MV and a red color filter with "호르몬 전
쟁" (War of Hormone) MV.
As for The Red Bullet and BTS Begins, their VCRs follow the aesthetic of a world with dull or
black colors.
The colors have a narrative of their own. The seven boys born in the dark are first blinded by
the bright outside world. But as they conquer it, they discover all the existing hues, which sadly
also includes the dark ones.
 In addition to these global tones, one color stands out. Red is the color with the heaviest
meaning in the MVs of the school trilogy. It can almost always be connected to the main theme of
the albums.
The lyrics from “We are bulletproof PT.2″ and the letters from the comeback trailer for O!
RUL8,2? are the first occurrence of red: "we are bulletproof", "bang", "look – profile", "nuttin" and
"D E I OF L MC G J M AK N B". The lyrics from “We are bulletproof PT.2″ present BTS concept: they
are bulletproof and they want to be acknowledged despite being unknown at the moment.
Protecting youth by being bulletproof and getting recognition is the members' dream, namely the
theme of 2 COOL 4 SKOOL.

One of the most iconic red elements appears for the first time in “N.O” MV. It is the red pills
that aim to make the members emotionless and obedient. The pills can be associated with the red
mark on the teacher's face, implying he sees how society wants him to see and to the mathematics
lessons written in red, implying only what the society wants is taught. The lighting also follows the
plot of the MV. In the beginning, the scene is light with a strong red since the members are under
the pill’s influence and eventually it becomes white. The pills are in BTS Begins too. They are
owned by Jin who plays the role of a spy for the tyrannic director. The red color in those cases
symbolizes the authority BTS has to confront. At first obeying it, they eventually fight against it, win
and gain the right to think on their own and be themselves.
But to fight, the members need a weapon. The Live Trilogy Episode II is called The Red
Bullet. In both the teaser and the posters, BTS is seen avoiding red bullets, since they are
bulletproof. On the opposite, they pick up the bullets and shoot them at their tyrannical teacher in
the VCRs. The red bullets have turned into the direct opposite of the red pills: they represent the
power coming from the members, gained by avoiding the bullets of hate shot at them.

The next album is SKOOL LUV AFFAIR. The comeback trailer shows lyrics written in red, a
red background, red hearts, and red roses. The lyrics are Rap Monster’s part of the intro, they
describe his definition of love. The hearts, the roses, and the pencils all fit the idea of a school
romance, thus their color.
Whether it’s in “ 상남자" (Boy In Luv), " 하루만" (Just One Day), or the photo concept, each
time at least one red rose appears. Red roses are a symbol of love. There are rosebuds, bloomed
roses, and withered roses, illustrating the different states of love. The girl in the “ 상남자" (Boy In
Luv) MV also has a red uniform. And the two members with red hair, namely Jin and Jung Kook.
are the ones, with Jimin, who confess to the girl.

Concerning DARK & WILD, the association with love is more bitter. In the comeback trailer,
the red items could be gifts for a lover - who doesn’t return the love. At the same time, the word
“Danger” appears in red, warning about the situation. The hobby horses from the beginning are
connected to love because of the lyrics:
"Because I’m always below you, under
stand It’s like I’m carrying you on my
shoulders,"
Rap Monster acknowledges he’s like the girl’s toy, carrying her on his back like a horse. The
nice love from SKOOL LUV AFFAIR has turned into something painful. Gifts are ignored, the rose
has turned into a hobby horse and a red alert is ringing. Coupled with the war references, the
message is clearly displayed. The red sentences in the photobook confirm this idea of painful love.
Then comes "호르몬 전쟁" (War of Hormone). The whole video has a red filter that reveals how the
boy is driven by his hormones. He only thinks about love and sex. Lastly, in the Japanese version of
“Danger”, the lighting once again keeps up with the situation. The red color shows the anger of the
Boy this time.
Red here illustrates the different states of love, be it the good sides or the bad sides of love.

The red color in the school trilogy served as a guide throughout the different themes,
orientating the public’s attention towards the important elements.
The dystopia in the background
 The school trilogy’s aesthetic is completed by a dystopian setting.
In the MVs, the buildings always look deserted, with dirty walls, televisions that don’t receive
any signal, and barely any furniture. The school from "No More Dream" was turned into a skate
park and there were small fires in the street. The police are all-powerful. They raid the street party
with a helicopter, they are present in the classroom in "N.O" MV.
The references to Shepard Fairey in "Danger" MV and 1984 in BTS Live Trilogy Episode I.
BTS Begins make things more explicit. The power of the police is notably confirmed through one
of Fairey’s posters.
The final element of this set is the lyrics that describe the current Korean system. The
authority of the society can be compared to Big Brother’s in Orwell’s novel. Their common goal is
to make people blindly dedicate to their work and erase their critical faculties. In the school trilogy,
this feat is allowed by the use of the red pills.

From all these elements, results a narrative where BTS is the rebel faction trying to protect
people and to overthrow the tyrannic power. After being captured at the end of "No More Dream
MV" and in the concept trailer for O!RUL8,2?, the seven boys are forced to eat a red pill and to
obey their teacher. They start acting like lifeless machines. But the seven boys gained strength
through music and their friendship. That’s what allowed them to become bulletproof and to find
the red bullets to defeat tyranny. As they are bulletproof, they can resist the red pill’s influence and
revolt. The act of rebellion is shown twice, first in "N.O" MV, then in The Red Bullet. Despite their
victory, against the teacher, the global system still exists and it’s thus only the beginning of the
fight. The seven boys have won enough peace to appreciate more joyful things such as love
though. They can not rest for long. They establish their hideout underground and meet with other
people to learn more about the world around them and fight oppression.

A dystopia is a strong narrative. It considers society’s current problems and intensifies them
to show how dangerous the situation can become if nothing is done. The use of a dystopian set
for the school trilogy reinforces the importance of BTS' message.
 Through three albums, a sequel, two concerts, and special performances, the school
trilogy introduced BTS to the world, from their passion for hip-hop to their goal of protecting
youth from oppression. The group explored the three essential themes of dream, happiness, and
love.

As they have now all left school, it is time for BTS to face a new aspect of life in the youth
duology…
 )

-
Bibliography
Interviews with BTS:
130613 – [BTS(방탄소년단) Showcase] No more dream(노 모어 드림)+ We Are Bulletproof PT.2
+ Waiting room interview(인터뷰)
130722 – Cuvism Magazine: English translation by BTS Trans
131015 – 【TenAsia Oct 2013 】: English translation by Kimmy Yang
190401 – IZE magazine: "BTS pledges to 'tell the story of our generation with our lyrics'”

130912 – Wide News Open Studio: English translation by aimee 방탄짱짱

130915 – 1theK: I'M(아이엠): BTS(방탄소년단)_N.O(엔.오)
1311** – 【Hanryu Pia Magazine Nov 2013】: English translation by Kimmy Yang
14**** – 【The Bridges Magazine Interview】: English translation by Kimmy Yang

140214 – Wide News Open Studio: 'Boy in Luv' BTS! J-Hope fainted while filming the music
video of Boy in Luv?
140220 – 1theK: Let's Dance: BTS(방탄소년단) _ Boy In Luv(상남자)
140514 – SKOOL LUV AFFAIR SPECIAL ADDITION, Showcase Making (Disc 2) English
translation by hellomissbrandy
140909 – Pops in Seoul: BTS(방탄소년단) _ Danger - Interview
15**** – 【 最偶像 TOPSTAR 2015】: English translation by Kimmy Yang

140813 – KCONUSA: BTS and Fans Answer What Hallyu Means to Them!

Interviews with Big Hit staff:

130701 – Weiv, "[Idol Maker] Bang Shi-hyuk CEO | A company that has ‘meaning’ as an
enterprise, idols that are 'different’ than idols": English translation by kpop duck
 130730 – Weiv, "[Idol Maker] Performance director Son Sungdeuk and visual creative team
leader Kim Sunghyun": original article in Korean
130910 – [Rookie King BTS Ep 2-2] Hip-hop charisma BTS is back! Behind the scene: official
reupload
140824 – MBN, [M+Concept Anatomy...BTS 2] Kim Sung-hyun, team leader, looking for the
'intersection' between hip-hop, boyhood and formal
140824 – MBN, [M+Concept Anatomy...BTS 3] Expressing the growing process of boys...Hair
& Makeup
141214 – Q&A with Mr. Son: cr. bangtanboys Singapore
170523 – JoongAng Daily, "Big Hit's Pdogg talks about success with bts and their song
making process": English translation by Ctribeat
171205 – No Cut News, "Pdogg, who led BTS ‘NO rote teaching, had them do it on their
own’”: English translation by Wisha

Collaborators:
Kim Taehwan: Naver page
Lumpens: About page
Plan A: BTS showpieces
Studio XXX: Design House interview
Zanybros: Rolling Stones Inda interview

Reviews and commentary:

SUGA's review of 2 COOL 4 SKOOL: English translation by BTS Trans
SUGA’s review of SKOOL LUV AFFAIR: English translation by Army Base Subs
SUGA ’s review of Dark & Wild: English translation by BTS Trans
[MV Commentary] 엠피디&방탄소년단(BTS) - DANGER

Articles:
Korean article about the Hip Hop Monster webcomic: MBN Star
Korean articles about BTS Begins: Star News, Join News
About:
Artime Joe from JnJ Crew
Katie Eary collection
Shepard Fairey

Identification:
Outfits: Bulletproofstyle
Location of the VCRs: Deokutour

Further details:

Interactions between BTS and the K hip-hop scene by @smollyoongs_.

Analysis of “Hip Hop phile” by Elliot Sang, including a part about K hip-hop history
Twitter thread with screenshots of the book Hanguk Hip Hop by Myoungsun Song

Pictures:
BTS official Facebook page
https://twitter.com/BTS_twt/status/349143355101433856
https://twitter.com/BTS_twt/status/347983981544873984
https://twitter.com/BTS_twt/status/342573550961569792
https://twitter.com/bts_bighit/status/352020320238063617
https://twitter.com/bts_bighit/status/352036347831275520
https://twitter.com/bts_bighit/status/352055457193545729
https://music.naver.com/promotion/specialContent.nhn?articleId=4578
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5inzqW7gIaw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFuxR09Vx_c
Credits

Text Brain Cell #1

Design Brain Cell #1

Research Brain Cell #2

Communication

Deadweight LibreOffice Writer

Translation Papago

Proofreading Grammarly

Special thanks to my dream, happiness, and love, BTS