This post was written by Leslie Day

Welcome to ASK AP529 where YOU get to utilize OUR brain wrinkles to find answers to your most burning BTS questions. Lately, we have many ARMY asking in our comments:

I see there is a We Are Bulletproof Pt.2, where is part 1?

There’s an Airplane Pt.2, where is part 1?

I researched this question a long time ago, but as the release of ARIRANG has brought us so many new ARMYs, I thought it would be fun to do a comprehensive list and explanation of all the BTS songs that are continuations or homages to previous songs—even branching out into the members’ solo tracks.

“We Are Bulletproof (4 BEGINS ruff)” and “We Are Bulletproof Pt.2”

“We Are Bulletproof Pt.2” is on BTS’ first mini-album, 2 Cool 4 Skool, and as I compiled the lyrics for our new blog, I went down a rabbit hole researching the origin of the song. The question of “Where is Pt. 1?” had bugged me from the time I found this track in late 2022 until we were neck deep in research mode at the beginning AP529. I was elated when I found the answer.

The first “part”, “We Are Bulletproof (4 BEGINS ruff)” was actually recorded in 2010, before BTS even debuted!! I’d previously heard clips of the song in videos on social media, but didn’t really know what it was. It was performed by RM, along with two other BigHit trainees, IRON and Supreme Boi. The company’s original concept for BTS was for it to include only rappers who were also songwriters and producers; IRON and Supreme Boi were both a part of the first lineup for the group. However, with the addition of more trainees to the company who brought different talents with them, the vision for BTS began to shift. Eventually it was announced that they would debut as a hiphop Idol group, and with that, both IRON and Supreme Boi decided to leave and pursue other ventures.

IRON decided to continue building a rap career, but he mostly just endured a series of legal troubles after his departure from BigHit. Sadly, he was found unconscious outside his home in 2021, and later passed away in the hospital. No autopsy was performed, nor was a cause of death ever announced.

On a lighter note, Supreme Boi also opted out of debuting as an idol, but stayed on with BigHit and has built a very lucrative career as a writer/producer. He is credited on dozens of BTS and member solo songs, is featured on “Cyper Pt. 3: Killer”, and has also performed with them a few times over the years. He has also worked, written and produced for many other artists as well… most recently with BigHit’s new powerhouse rookie group, CORTIS.

Here is BTS performing the original “We Are Bulletproof”, which was written by RM. Brace yourselves, because the entire Vocal Line also takes part in the rap. This track also lives on BTS’ Soundcloud if you’d like to listen there.

“We Are Bulletproof Pt.2” was a prominent B-side track on their debut album and you can see that the sound is completely different.

We can see that the “Bulletproof” concept was always a part of the original theme behind Bangtan Seonyeondan even if the plan changed from a Hip Hop/Rap trio to a seven member idol group. And with ARMY as their shield, BTS truly is bulletproof.

You can find more information about “We Are Bulletproof Pt.2” on our blog: Week 1 Day 5.

I am going to add that “We are Bulletproof: The Eternal” belongs in this series as well. It’s a B-side track from Map of the Soul: 7, and has a vastly different feel. This song is a fan anthem and seems like it’s a thank you to ARMY. It brings me to tears almost every time I listen to it. Parts 1 & 2 seem to be announcing who they are, proving themselves, and declaring to the haters that their words won’t hurt them. “We Are Bulletproof: The Eternal” is a celebration of their accomplishments and their unity with ARMY who helped them get there. I love this performance from the broadcast of the cancelled MOTS tour, but they decided to stream it online. You can learn more about “We Are Bulletproof: The Eternal” in blog Week 37 Day 4.

Let’s move on to subunit and solo works…

We’ve already talked about the crossover from j-hope’s solo “Airplane” to BTS’ “Airplane Pt.2” but several members also have extensions in their solo work.

Cyphers 1-4

I won’t discuss these at length because they are an obvious progression of storytelling in the Hip-Hop world. It is rare that Cyphers are recorded; they’re usually improvised events with participants taking different verses. But I will give you links to our blog where Quince discusses them with great care and love. Click if you are interested in links to multiple performances, lyrics, and/or explanations of context in the discography.

“Like” and “Like Pt.2”

Frankly, I never wondered about these two until I began research for this article. Of course I knew about both songs, I have touched lyrics on their entire discography. But “I Like It/Like” is on 2 Cool 4 Skool and “I Like It Pt.2” is on their Japanese album Wake Up. I’d never made the connection.

Part one seems to take place after a break up… with BTS singing about someone still (painfully) keeps tabs on their ex. Set to a sweet melody, the chorus talks about how she looks even prettier after they broke up. Translations for “Like” can be found here.

“Like Pt.2”, which is in Japanese, has a faster tempo, different lyrics, and looks back on a past relationship with more nostalgia than bitterness. A Japanese version of “Like” is included on Wake Up, and “Like Pt.2” (Translations here) is the next track on the album. It seems to be more mature both in lyrics and choreography.

BTS have a history of showing their changing attitudes about love and relationships as they mature and get older. One of the reasons BTS is so appealing to me, and to many ARMY, is the emotional progression they show in their music. “Boy in Luv” to “Boy with Luv” and “21st Century Girl” are another progression of songs that show their changing attitudes towards women. But that might be a deeper topic for another blog…

Quince discusses “Like Pt.2” in Week 7 Day 2 of the blog under the fun fact.

“Airplane” and “Airplane Pt.2”

I began to question these two songs right after I became ARMY in spring of 2022 and I found the MAMA performance of "Airplane Pt.2". You know the one—with JK in a white suit, walking down the “runway” to the thrust stage while doing devastating mini-body rolls? As I sat in stunned disbelief, I idly wondered where the part one of this song was. But I didn’t dive into it because then the rest of the performance started and I was too busy dissecting the song on its own terms.

Now, I was never a rap girlie. And don’t come for me, but when I first found BTS, the rap portions of the songs were not my favorite. I merely tolerated them to get to the chorus. I’m not that person anymore and finding "Airplane", by j-hope (Hobi) is the catalyst that changed it all for me.

Picture it: Summer 2022 and j-hope had just announced his solo album Jack in the Box. Well, I had never listened to any of his solo work other than randomly seeing the “Chicken Noodle Soup” M/V. Then we got the news that he would be headlining Lollapalooza in Chicago, and I was determined to learn all his solo songs so I could sing along with the broadcast version. I was home visiting my mom after an aborted trip to Spain because my father had passed away. (This detail is important because I associate emotional periods in my life with music, and Hobi’s music was part of my healing and makes it that much more poignant for me.) I commandeered my mom’s Spotify as we drove for hours making arrangements, listening to Hope World. It was in this setting that I found it: “Airplane”.

“MOM! THIS IS THE PART ONE!!” I cried out, half laughing amidst our shared grief. Of course I had to explain and play “Airplane Pt.2” and then go back to "Airplane". And that’s when I heard it: the repeating theme. I marveled that Hobi’s verse in “Airplane Pt.2” was taken from "Airplane". Suddenly, what I had previously “merely tolerated” (the rap) became my favorite part of the song.

“Airplane” on Hope World is slower in tempo and sounds more serious than the latin-pop backing of “Airplane Pt.2”. It actually fit my mood better than the song I had grown to love while watching the MV on repeat over the previous few months as I became ARMY.

The part that struck me the most were some of the lines found in both tracks,

Love the airplane mode,
turn off all the concerns
No matter what anyone says
I'll just continue to keep the
First and look at the night sky
as it fits my place right now.

My mom and I were on a different continent when we found out my dad had passed. We had to figure out how to get back from a country where we did not speak that language and the long flight home was numbing. We were in airplane mode, both figuratively and literally. Cut off from all communication while others lovingly handled details that we couldn’t. And honestly, I think that was best for both of us. When I found this, and my mom let me blather on about the details I’d discovered, it gave us both something to focus on other than the grief of the void that now filled our lives. The darkness was still there, but Hobi had provided a bright distraction until we were ready to address it again. He really was my sunshine during that time.

Quince discusses this more in Week 57 of our blog so I will direct you there, and there is a short video linked there that lines up the repeated theme in the two songs.

“Change” and “Change Pt.2”

While all the songs I have discussed so far tend to have a positive evolution, this set does not. “Change”, a 2017 single released in collaboration with American rapper and singer Wale, talks about how we need things to change for the better. While both tracks discuss the inevitability of change whether or not we want it, “Change” with Wale is more of a political commentary focusing on the topics of racism, problems with education, and divisions in political systems in both the US and South Korea. It’s a positive message about being a force for change. Written in a traditional hip hop style, the verses bounce back and forth between Wale and RM with the chorus saying, “The World is gonna change” and “pray for betta days”.

Conversely, “Change Pt.2” is an experimental track with personal and introspective lyrics. “Fuck my interviews from years ago. I’m whole different not that anymore.” RM recorded the song while he was drunk, and you can tell. It leaves the listener feeling raw and exposed. I LOVE this track. It was instantly my favorite on Indigo and it shows how much RM just loves taking chances with his sound.

“Things change, people change, everything change”. And not always for the better. RM called Indigo a “record of his twenties” and the album is just brilliant. I think this is his most experimental track on that album and a huge juxtaposition to the earlier release with Wale.

Here is his Dia Beacon performance of the track, but the recording on the album (where he’s drunk) is still my favorite.

Find more about “Change” in Week 45 Day 1 of our blog and “Change Pt.2” in Week 46 Day 4.

“People” and “People Pt.2”

I approached Agust D’s (the solo stage name for SUGA of BTS or Min Yoongi) discography in the same way I learned j-hope’s. However, I had many regrets about not attending “Hobipalooza”, so when Agust D’s “D-Day” Tour was announced, I knew I was going. Period. I bought plane tickets and reserved a hotel room as soon as the announcement dropped. Before I had concert tickets.

But aside from “Daechwita”, I didn't know any Agust D music. So, while painting the interior doors for my house, I played his two albums on repeat. When the track list for D-Day dropped, I noticed “People Pt.2” immediately.

My favorite part of “People” is the line “Mmm mmm mmm, why so serious?”. I drove my husband crazy while repeatedly singing that part out loud as I painted the aforementioned doors. I like Agust D’s introspection on the nature of relationships and I offer this performance as an illustration:

“People Pt.2” generated a lot of discussion about the use of double negatives in the chorus. I read a lot of Reddit posts and commentary on the topic and finally decided it didn’t matter. I love IU’s voice as a smooth counter balance to Agust D’s rap. I also love hearing him sing more. We know he wrote this during the pandemic and it gives us a sense of being lost for those years, no one really knowing anything. And that’s why I think the chorus is kind of clever. The words are confusing, just as the passage of time was. Agust D’s ability to musically express himself, both with lyrics and melody, never ceases to amaze me.

While “People” is an introspective look into oneself, People Pt.2” seems to look outward into relationships with others and battling loneliness. Both tracks are on the mellow side and I enjoy them both immensely.

Quince talks about “People” in Week 54 Day 5 of our blog and “People Pt.2” in Week 56 Day 2 so click there for other links and performances about those tracks.

Agust D’s and RM’s ability to create musical and lyrical themes that recur throughout BTS’ entire discography would take a separate post in and of itself. And we know that his lyrics have affected Jimin who has “Nevermind” “engraved on [his] chest”. And that leads me to my next set.

“Interlude: Set Me Free” and “Set Me Free Pt.2”

These are two songs that cross over the solo discography of two different members. “Interlude: Set Me Free” is a slow ballad performed by Agust D on his second solo album D-2. It’s an airy interlude that acts as a breather from the aggressive tone of the rest of the album. The lyrics discuss themes of self-doubt and the prison of one’s own thoughts.

Set me free, yeah, even though I know it won't turn out however I want to
Set me free, yeah, even though I know it is not what I want, oh no no no

How many of us have had days like this? But we just need to “swim” through it. (Do you see what I did there?)

The melody feels melancholy to me, but it’s comforting at the same time. It is one of my favorite go-tos for many moods. It’s on several of my playlists.

Agust D’s music makes me feel seen and almost normalizes my own “crazy”. This track has no M/V, and he hasn’t (as of yet) performed it on stage. It is now available on streaming platforms, but I’ll embed it here from Soundcloud:

“Set Me Free Pt.2” was a pre-release from Jimin’s Face album. I swear there was a collective gasp around the world as people watched the MV together, but in their own homes when he sang “Fuck all your opps, finally free”.

This was Park Jimin. The “Cutie, sexy, lovely” Jimin who, up to this point, was shocked in a live when the word he used sounded like a curse word, but wasn’t. And then I was told, still bewildered watching this pre-release MV, to “shut the fuck up [he’s] on [his] way.”

The tone, so drastically different from that of his bandmate’s solo song, was a stark declaration that he had set himself free from his mental constraints and from the judgement of others.

It opens with a choir vocalizing chords that are both harmonious and dissonant (which doesn’t even make sense to me, but I love it), becoming louder and louder until it just stops. Then we get a moment of silence followed by a soft, “Hey.”

Fucking brilliant.

Even the line “Trying to go crazy in order not to go crazy” is reminiscent of their lyrics from “Intro: Nevermind” where they sing in the chorus “If you feel like you’re going to crash then accelerate more, you idiot” while we get a peek of Jimin’s “Nevermind” tattoo through an artfully placed hole in his costume.

Both songs discuss the prison of internal and external constraints, of freeing oneself from all of them. Both songs acknowledge the pain of the struggle, as well and the need to face up to and press through it. While Agust D’s track is a soothing, melancholic musing, Jimin’s “Pt. 2” takes the next step and becomes an anthem—a call to action!

For me personally, it symbolizes my fight with alcoholism—how I was finally able to defeat it and the things that had made my life unmanageable. What I find so perfect is that, in both cases, we can apply their messages to whatever struggles we are facing.

Tell me what it means to you in the comments? (Or any of the songs discussed here.)

Find more about “Set Me Free Pt.2” on Week 63 Day 4 of our blog. All the things.

So, there you go. Those are all the tracks with “multiple parts”, though we haven’t scratched the surface of different songs that have recurring themes in them. I think it shows the depth to which these men love music and how authentic they are in the creation of their art.

What’s on your mind? Our best guides start with a spark of curiosity from readers like you. Tell us what you’d like to explore next by submitting your question here.

CREDITS

YouTube/Web: HYBE LABELS, Big Hit Labels, AP529 Blog

Ask AP529 | Episode 14: BTS Tracks with multiple ‘parts’