WEEK 70 | I Want to Stay in Your Sky.

Monday Muster

05-13-2025

Written By Quince

May 12-18, 2025

Chrysalis.

When a caterpillar is finished growing, and has shed its last skin, it forms a chrysalis—a hard, protective outer layer—around itself in preparation for its transformation into a butterfly. In a metaphorical, or psychological sense, the “chrysalis stage” is when we realize our life is shifting… we’re growing, and maybe the old way of doing things isn’t working for us anymore. It’s a process of leaving our old self behind and moving forward toward a new “form”—for caterpillars it’s literally “growing up”. For us it’s more internal, but still a form of growth.

When BTS debuted, Jung Kook was 15. As the first few years of their career passed, he shed his skin over and over again, just like a caterpillar. 2017 was a year of monumental change for both BTS and their maknae. The group started making big waves internationally, growing their global influence, and fanbase. And though Jung Kook had come of age at 19, when he hit his 20th birthday in 2017, he finally became a fully-fledged adult in South Korea.

Over the next few years, Jung Kook would emerge more and more from his very own chrysalis. There were obvious physical changes—a sharpening jawline, growing muscles and a narrower waist, and eventually a myriad of very intriguing piercings and tattoos. (A moment of silence for his gone but not forgotten eyebrow piercing. RIP.) JK seemed intent upon experimenting and expressing himself through his appearance, in an almost devil-may-care manner. It felt like rebellion, but the most polite kind possible.

Aside from his appearance, Jung Kook was growing inside as well. Though he claims to not be very introspective, JK can be very sentimental. As his hyungs kept encouraging him to try his hand at songwriting, he inevitably turned to the biggest source of inspiration he had in his life—ARMY. When his pen hit paper, it was most often the fans he wrote about, like 2020’s “Still With You”, but sometimes he would reflect on his journey, who he was becoming, and who he had left behind.

The baby of BTS wasn’t a baby any longer…

Despite Jung Kook’s obvious maturation, some fans found it hard to let go of his boyhood image—something he found (and still finds to this day) incredibly frustrating. Songs like “My Time” and the (still as yet) unreleased “Decalcomania” explore the themes of longing to be truly known despite the trappings of fame.

This week we’ll follow Jung Kook as he leaves boyhood behind and discovers the kind of adult he wants to be. With his members always there guiding him, he navigates what it means to become your own person while still understanding and respecting the love of the people who raised you up in the first place.

Playlists & Lyrics

JUNG KOOK: SINGLES AND COLLABS LYRIC TRANSLATION

ARMY PROJECT 529 WEEK 70 VIDEO PLAYLIST

Skip to Content: Day One | Day Two | Day Three | Day Four | Day Five

DAY ONE:

Depending on when you became ARMY, one of your first impressions of Jung Kook might have been seeing him strapped to a drone, soaring high above a screaming stadium audience and singing about how when he’s with us, he’s in “utopia”.

“Euphoria”, the intro track on BTS’ 2018 album LOVE YOURSELF 結 'Answer', might very well be Jung Kook’s signature solo track within the group. We covered it in depth in Week 31 of the blog, but it was a big turning point for the young singer. He celebrated his 21st birthday shortly after the album’s release, and the themes of “Euphoria” struck JK deeply.

He was struggling keenly at the time with feeling lost in his transition from adolescence to adulthood. What was his place now in BTS? Would ARMY accept him exploring more adult themes and visuals?

“Euphoria” embodies his worries. The song sounds delicate and innocent, but progresses to a swell that legitimately feels like the first time you really fall in love as a young adult. The performances also showed a new depth of maturity in Jung Kook as he poured his heart out on stage (and over ARMY’s heads) at each concert stop on the “Love Yourself” tour.

"EUPHORIA": THEME OF LOVE YOURSELF: ANSWER

"EUPHORIA" STAGE MIX | STAGE COMPILATION

Fun Fact:

Let’s spend some time with 3J…

Even though BTS doesn’t make a big deal about member “positions” in their group any longer, they did debut with an “official” dance line. Originally it was j-hope, Jimin, and Jung Kook—the strongest dancers in the group. (V was added to the dance line in 2018 after his solo performance of “Singularity”, but for now we’re just going to be talking about the original three.)

They dubbed themselves “3J” and they were the members you were most likely to see front and center during heavy choreography moments, ensuring the audience’s attention was mostly focused on them. There have been a few 3J unit performances and special choreographies over the years, so we’ve collected them all—including practices and Bangtan Bombs—here for you here to enjoy.

Jump to Comments

DAY TWO:

One of mine and Katie’s favorite pastimes is to slide into each other’s DMs with our random and ever-growing lists of songs or artists we want BTS to cover. And I’m not exaggerating when I say that probably seven times out of ten, it’s one of us saying “Dude, JK would totally kill a cover of this”, or “Wouldn’t it be amazing to hear JK and (insert other member) sing this together?”

The truth of the matter is that Jung Kook has such an incredibly pleasing voice to listen to. It’s easy to imagine his vocal tones on other artists’ songs. And part of the reason for that is that he has already given us so many dang covers over the years. Remember that promise he made to himself back at the beginning of BTS, when he found out he was to be the main vocalist? That promise was that he would no longer “practice” singing—rather, he would just sing all the time, whenever and wherever he could. Any hour of any day would be his training time.

And that included times when he went LIVE on VLive (and later Weverse) to hang out with ARMY. Jung Kook’s solo LIVEs more often than not turned into karaoke sessions, during which he’d sing both songs he liked, and songs suggested by fans in the chat. He also continued recording covers over the years as well, uploading them on SoundCloud and/or YouTube. We are very lucky to have so many from him.

Unfortunately, Jung Kook isn’t always as confident with his own songs, or rather, his own songwriting abilities. On September 1, 2019, his 22nd birthday, JK released a snippet of a demo song on Twitter (X) called “Decalcomania”. We only have one minute and 18 seconds, but it’s raw, haunting, and beautiful.

When I see you smile in the screen, you’re good at everything
You’re just perfect, it feels like I’ve never been you.
Do you even see me? Do you know who I am?
Or how do I look now, you don’t like me like that.

The term “decalcomania” is one used in art and design, and it has several meanings, but most of them involve the transfer of an image from one thing to another. Koreans, in particular, use decalcomania to describe people who look alike—mirror images. The lyrics show how afraid he was of growing into adulthood. It seems like he is talking both to himself, and also his fans. He worried constantly that ARMY would no longer love him or be able to relate to him—that they would only see him just as tiny “Jungkookie” forever.

While we held out hope for many years that JK might one day finally decide to complete and release “Decalcomania” in full, he’s since told us that he has deleted all the files that contained any bit of the song. It seems that writing and recording just that little bit was enough for him to work through his feelings, and he didn’t want to explore it any further.

Sigh. Look… I’m not mad, Jung Kook. I’m just disappointed.

BANGTAN BOMB: JK'S HEART (FOR ARMY♥)

Bangtan Bubble: Do you ever feel like you don’t know yourself anymore?

Let us know your answer in the comments below or on social media (include #BangtanBubble)!

Jump to Comments

DAY THREE:

Despite his determination to avoid his “feels” after “Decalcomania”, Jung Kook kept swinging for the fences the following year on 2020’s Map of the Soul: 7 and his solo track, “My Time”, which he co wrote.

It’s a song, once again, about becoming an adult. When we’re kids, we think that everything is going to be amazing when we grow up. And if you add in fame on top of that? Wow. But “My Time” shows a different perspective. It’s the story of Jung Kook’s emotional journey from the time he was a trainee, all the way up until the song’s release. The lyrics use the metaphors of time and jet-setting to describe the craziness of his adolescent years, and how now that he’s an adult, he doesn’t quite know how he got here.

Unlike “Euphoria”, and even “Decalcomania” however, “My Time” isn’t sweet or unsure. It’s matter-of-fact and declarative. It’s Jung Kook saying that although this journey into adulthood hasn’t been easy, he knows he’s getting to his time… he’s coming into his own.

The performances… well, we covered them and the song more in depth during Week 35, but we all remember them from the “MOTS ON:E” online concert, right? The outfits, the choreography, the… thighs. One thing is for sure, with “My Time”, Jung Kook was no longer just telling ARMY he was an adult. He was showing us as well.

COOL.

"MY TIME" | STAGE MIX

"PERHAPS THAT WAS LOVE" (CHOI YONG JUNG COVER) | LYRICS (2:12)
BANGTAN BOMB: BOXING WITH A SQUEAKY HAMMER (1:13)
BANGTAN BOMB: LET'S PLAY HOPSCOTCH (1:58)
BANGTAN BOMB: WHO'S THIS UNEXPECTED GUEST? (1:55)
"MY TIME" | COLOR CODED LYRICS (3:54)
"MY TIME" PERFORMANCE | ON:E, DAY 1 (4:01)
"MY TIME" PERFORMANCE | ON:E, DAY 2 (4:01)
BONUS: JUNG KOOK "MY TIME" SHOOT AND REHEARSAL, FEAT MEMBER REACTIONS | MOTS ON:E PRACTICE MAKING FILM (3:25)
"MY TIME" | STAGE MIX (4:59 - as shown)
BANGTAN BOMB: BTS DOES IMPRESSIONS (1:18)
BANGTAN BOMB: PLAYING WITH A MEGAPHONE (1:34)
"WHO" (FEAT BTS) LAUV | OFFICIAL VISUALIZER (3:01)
"WHO" (FEAT BTS) LAUV | COLOR CODED LYRICS (3:01)
BANGTAN BOMB: SPELLING WITH WATER BOTTLES (1:36)
BANGTAN BOMB: JUNG KOOK'S ART CLASS (5:39 - as shown)
BANGTAN BOMB: BTS DONUT TIME (2:03)
"NEVER NOT" (LAUV COVER) | OFFICIAL VIDEO (1:37)
"NEVER NOT" (LAUV COVER) | LYRICS (1:42)
JUNG KOOK AND V SING "NEVER NOT" BY LAUV | WE-LIVE CLIP (3:03 - as shown)
BONUS: JUNG KOOK IMITATING THE MAN SAYING RRRRRAP MONSTER, PT 1 | COMPILATION (1:11)
BONUS: JUNG KOOK IMITATING THE MAN SAYING RRRRRAP MONSTER, PT 2 | COMPILATION (1:15)
BONUS: BANGTAN BOMB: HOW MUCH ICE CREAM DID JUNG KOOK EAT? (3:07)
BONUS: BANGTAN BOMB: JIJINJUNG ICE CREAM SWIRL (6:06)
BONUS: BANGTAN BOMB: JK THE ACTING PRO (3:44)
BONUS: BANGTAN BOMB: WHAT'S WRITTEN ON JIN AND JUNG KOOK'S STUFF? (3:46)

JUNG KOOK AND V SING "NEVER NOT" BY LAUV | WE-LIVE CLIP

“Left And Right (feat. Jung Kook)” Official M/V

BANGTAN BOMB: Jung Kook’s Art Class

Fun Fact

JK’s Campaign Pans Out.

Remember last week when I mentioned how Jung Kook embarked on a prolonged quest to get one of his favorite artists to notice him? That artist was Charlie Puth, and JK had been a fan of his for a long time, covering his songs here and there.

When BTS started gaining notice and popularity in the West, most notably the United States in 2017 and 2018, many interviewers asked the same questions over and over again—including “What artist do you most want to collaborate with?” Jung Kook almost always, and with a singular glint in his eye, would answer: “Charlie Puth! Charlie Puth!” This went on for… awhile.

Then, in 2018, Charlie performed a special stage of his hit song “We Don’t Talk Anymore” (which JK had coincidentally recorded a cover of with Jimin) at the MBC Plus X Genie Music Awards in Incheon, South Korea. To everyone’s shock, he was joined onstage by a special guest—BTS’ Jeon Jung Kook! They brought the house down and everyone was clamoring for a collab after that night.

But nothing happened for years. Fast forward to 2022, and Charlie Puth randomly tweeting that he had a dream that BTS had featured on his song “Left and Right” (a hit from 2016) with him and fans immediately perked their ears up at this. Later that same day, Jung Kook posted on Instagram a cover of Puth’s “That’s Hilarious”, saying it was his current favorite song. At that point, ARMY knew something was up.

Sure enough, a couple months later, in June, Puth dropped an updated version of “Left and Right” featuring Jung Kook. We’ve got it all linked down below for you. Enjoy!

Jump to Comments

DAY FOUR:

"STILL WITH YOU" FANCAM | 2023 GOLDEN LIVE ON STAGE

ARMY the first tattoo on Jung Kook’s hand

When the COVID-19 Pandemic hit, the entire world was rocked to a standstill. We’ve discussed how it affected BTS many times over in this blog. The promotions for their just-released album Map of the Soul: 7 were halted, and their entire supporting world tour was canceled. As the lockdown went on and on, they saw all their plans for the next few years go up in smoke in a matter of weeks.

That year, for FESTA and their 7th (a very special number) anniversary, BTS wanted to release something very special for ARMY, something that would show us how much they loved and missed us. And they chose a song written and performed by Jung Kook.

“Still With You” is a sweet, gorgeous ballad that has a Spanish feel to it. The piano and guitar trip blithely along with Jung Kook’s soft vocals. The lyrics speak of a feeling of extreme longing and a desire to be reunited with someone special.

Laughing together, crying together
These simple emotions, perhaps
they were everything to me
When will it be?
when I see you again
I will look into your eyes
And say, "I missed you"

All of BTS was missing ARMY during this time. Jung Kook, in particular, was missing the in person connection he felt from the time he got to perform for fans onstage. The previous year, Jung Kook had begun to make good on his wish he’d first uttered in 2016 to get tattoos someday. In 2019, around the time of his 22nd birthday, he began to make that happen. And what was the first one you ask?

Oh, it was only the word “ARMY” tattooed across the knuckles of his right hand. No big deal. (tucks hair behind her ear) I’m sure your fave has your name tattooed on their body too, right?

JUNG KOOK SINGS "10,000 HOURS" | 2021 VLIVE CLIP

Fun Fact:

“Look who we are…”

On November 20, 2022 another member of BTS made history for something… again. This time, it was Jung Kook when he became the first Korean to contribute to the soundtrack and also perform during the opening ceremony of the FIFA World Cup, which was being held that year in Qatar.

When Jung Kook was first told he’d been selected, he thought all of BTS was going as well. Later, after it was clarified that it was just him they had asked for, he became incredibly nervous because he’d never traveled and performed somewhere completely by himself before. In his own words he “broke out into a cold sweat.”

Even though he was terrified, he rose to the challenge, determined to do his very best. The song that he was asked to be on was called “Dreamers”. It was produced by the famed Moroccan singer/songwriter/producer RedOne, and featured Qatari artist Fahad Al Kubaisi. It’s an uplifting anthem of hope and never giving up on one's dreams. Just as JK and BTS never gave up on theirs.

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DAY FIVE:

2022 and 2023 were extremely busy years for Jung Kook. In June of 2022 BTS announced that they would soon be taking a break from group activities to work on solo endeavors, and the members all scattered a bit working on various projects here and there.

Jung Kook had a few solo tracks and collaborations released in that time, including another fan song called “My You”, released as a 2022 FESTA gift and a feature on a track with The Kid LAROI and Central Cee in late 2023—a fun R&B song called “Too Much” that is criminally underrated in my opinion.

Another release in 2022 was my favorite song of his ever: “Stay Alive” (which was produced by SUGA) for the BTS webtoon 7Fates: Chakho. The story follows seven friends who get caught up with special powers and are tasked with the burden of having to save the world, and the song sounds just as epic as the plot of the series.

When did things start to go wrong?
I can't remember at all
Hiding myself in a small room, I
whisper
Darkness is my only friend
(Only friend)
My hands that are seeking salvation
Am I strange?
The room that is drenched in blood
Please, somebody save me.

One could argue that the weight of the level of fame BTS has might sometimes feel as oppressive as being tasked with the theoretical responsibility of world salvation. Jung Kook has certainly felt an overwhelming pressure since a very young age to be something great and at times far beyond his years. Many others would have cracked under a weight like that. But he took it on as an honor, and vowed to always strive to meet the expectations placed upon him.

"STAY ALIVE" JUNG KOOK (PROD. SUGA OF BTS) - 7FATES: CHAKHO OST | OFFICIAL M/V

JUNG KOOK SINGING "MY YOU" | 2022 WE-LIVE CLIP

"TOO MUCH" THE KID LAROI, JUNG KOOK & CENTRAL CEE | OFFICIAL M/V

Bangtan Bubble: Have you ever made a bad decision that turned out to actually be good for you?

Let us know your answer in the comments below or on social media (include #BangtanBubble)!

Jump to Comments

FINAL THOUGHTS:

One of my favorite things about Jung Kook is that on one hand he is endlessly practical, rough and tumble, and hates any kind of aegyo (acting cute), but on the other hand he is drawn to sappy love songs, cries over just about anything vaguely sentimental, and loves ARMY so much he got our name tattooed on his knuckles. He is a walking contradiction, and I love that about him.

When we return next week, we continue on with Jung Kook in 2023, and things start to look very “Golden”...

Side Quest

Did you order singing? Well, you got it.

Here is a continued study in sweet smiles, even sweeter singing, and Jung Kook’s quirky sense of humor. Whether he’s alone or with a few of the other members, no one does a livestream quite like Jeon Jung Kook. Despite being a shy introvert, he’s a master at having a conversation with the camera, and when all else fails… he’ll sing.

Here we have collected for you all of JK’s LIVEs from 2018 through 2022, including some infamous ones… who can forget that sweet bunny smile as he tapped his fingers on a bottle of red wine shortly before drinking pretty much all of it and telling us he most certainly wasn’t drunk.

“Night apple is poison apple. It’s okay… because I’m… JAYKAY.”

Yup. Whatever you say Jung Kook.

181017 JK 🐰 | VLIVE

210831 HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME 🥳 | VLIVE

220901 BIRTHDAY KARAOKE | WE-LIVE

180420 BTS LIVE : JK | VLIVE (1:01:16)
180906 BLACK HAIR PRIDE LIVE 😍 | VLIVE (1:01:07)
180928 I'LL BE RIGHT THERE! | VLIVE (11:50)
181017 JK 🐰 | VLIVE (1:09:28 - as shown)
190414 THANK YOU!🐰 | VLIVE (24:55)
190519 I REALLY TRUSTED YOU... - JIN, JIMIN, V, JUNG KOOK | VLIVE (13:40)
190603 I'M A PERSON WITH NO TEARS 😭 | VLIVE (41:52)
190616 A RELAXED DRINK AFTER A HAPPY TIME🍷 | VLIVE (51:05)
2008** JUNG KOOK (+ENG) | YT-LIVE (2:13)
2008** JUNG KOOK (+ENG) | YT-LIVE (8:10)
2008** V & JUNG KOOK (+ENG) | YT-LIVE (7:20)
2009** RM & JUNG KOOK (+ENG) | YT-LIVE (5:27)
201021 JUNG KOOK (+ENG) | YT-LIVE (29:07)
200305 ARMY, WE MISS YOU💜 - JIN, SUGA, JUNG KOOK | VLIVE (6:34)
200505 PRACTICE MAKING CARNATION FOR PARENT'S DAY - V JUNG KOOK | VLIVE (45:15)
200505 AGAIN - V JUNG KOOK | VLIVE (28:12)
200621 TODAY, KIMBAP CHEFS - JIMIN, JUNG KOOK | VLIVE (41:17)
200621 TODAY, I'M THE REAL KIMBAP CHEF - JIMIN, JUNG KOOK | VLIVE (33:19)
200726 HONEY FM (JIJINJUNG'S R.A.D.I.O RADIO) | VLIVE (46:26)
BANGTAN BOMB: JI. JIN. JUNG RADIO BEHIND THE SCENES (5:52)
210227 JK💜 | VLIVE (45:33)
210307 JK💜 | VLIVE (1:18:38)
210729 JUNGKOOKIE ☺️ | VLIVE (1:07:45)
210831 HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME 🥳 | VLIVE (2:30:46 -as shown)
211128 COME ON - JIMIN, V, JUNG KOOK | VLIVE (12:46)
211128 IT'S PART 2 - JIMIN, V, JUNG KOOK | VLIVE (20:02)
211203 JOONIEKKOOKIE - RM, JUNG KOOK | VLIVE (24:15)
220306 JWEJJWANBBOOGGWEO - JIN, J-HOPE, V, JUNG KOOK | WE-LIVE (1:10)
220307 JWEJJWANBBOOGGWEO2 - JIN, J-HOPE, V, JUNG KOOK | WE-LIVE (40:59)
220310 THIS POST WILL DISAPPEAR :) | IG-LIVE (8:27)
220405 I'M TIRED 🐰🐰🐰 | WE-LIVE (1:04:26)
220416 PPYONG ☺️ - J-HOPE, JIMIN, V, JUNG KOOK | WE-LIVE (1:13:45)
220607 LET'S GET IT | WE-LIVE (35:10)
220615 WHAT IS THIS? | WE-LIVE (1:35:32)
220901 26TH BIRTHDAY | WE-LIVE (56:18)
220901 BIRTHDAY KARAOKE | WE-LIVE (5:28 - as shown)
220901 KARAOKE AGAIN | WE-LIVE (35:08)
221015 BTS LIVE AFTER BUSAN CONCERT - J-HOPE, V, JUNG KOOK | WE-LIVE (19:26)
221120 I'M HEREEE | WE-LIVE (12:18)

CREDITS:

YouTube/Web

BANGTANTV, HYBE LABELS, 7FATES: CHAKHO by HYBE, Anpanmeow, ARMY ARCADE, Army Online, babykook, BANGTAN SUBS, Bangtan's Corner, benny blanco, Bradlizzy, Brilliant, BTS LIVE ARCHIVE, BTS WORLD Official, btspower7, Charlie Puth, Emvmin, FIFA, Genius, Global Citizen, HEADLINER, JAEGUCHI, Jeon Lelu, JoseOchoaTV, k-pop skrr, KBS WORLD TV, kitchiekook, KookieMy, KookTaeMin, KOOKUTV, LAUV, LEMORING, 𝘮𝘰𝘨𝘶, Music box, O D N O L I U B _ B T S, purplelove💜, SBS Entertainment, SBSKPOP X INKIGAYO, serene blossom, SiriusXM, sweetoothsuga, Swiks Domain, Thao, That Good Feeling, The BookGuru, The Kid LAROI, Zach Sang Show Clips, ⟭⟬BTS BORA WORLD⟬⟭, 『INAYA Raven, ☆peggy☆, 비밀해죠TV, 일도아니지, 장방울[ ZZOZZI FANCAM ], 전정국이올시다; Web:

ARMY Project 529 Volunteers

Research Team: Angel (TikTok: Lilangel2828), Leslie Day (TikTok: Leslie Day), Merry (TikTok: merryj67), Sam T (TikTok: samt_26), Shelley (TikTok: shels167), Trudy (TikTok: theeducationmommy), Viv (TikTok: VivEliz); Video Team: Leslie Day (TikTok: Leslie Day), Namz (TikTok: Namz07)

Join us LIVE every Sunday evening at 8pm ET for #the529live, a wrap up of each week's “Monday Muster”, thoughtful discussions, and tons of laughter! And catch us on TikTok each Wednesday night at 9pm ET for #the529tea, when we talk Bangtan news and dish about any TEA that might be happening on Kim Namjoon’s internet.

Sunday’s LIVE is hosted on ARMY Project 529’s YouTube channel: @ARMYProject529 while Wednesday’s LIVE is on our project TikTok: @ARMYProject529.

MondayMusterBangtanBubbleSideQuestJKJungkookJung KookGolden Maknae

Quince

WEEK 70 | I Want to Stay in Your Sky.

Chrysalis.

Playlists & Lyrics

DAY ONE:

Fun Fact:

DAY TWO:

DAY THREE:

Fun Fact

DAY FOUR:

Fun Fact:

DAY FIVE:

FINAL THOUGHTS:

Side Quest

CREDITS:

WEEK 71 | And You Give Me Life…

WEEK 69 | Hello, all…

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