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A breakdown of Attack on Bangtan and why it's one of my favorite songs by @BTS_twt
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warning...this is going to be a longass thread with replies at the end because 25 posts ain't enough]
[
warning...this is going to be a longass thread with replies at the end because 25 posts ain't enough]
Here is the song link for Attack on Bangtan, which is Track 8 from BTS’s second album O!RUL8,2? https://open.spotify.com/track/2BNuFV7ROaRHu2j3N6k729?si=AlATFYQKSUSFk0RnAipNxw
Here are a few translations for Attack on Bangtan:
Genius: https://genius.com/Genius-english-translations-bts-attack-on-bangtan-the-rise-of-bangtan-english-translation-lyrics
Doolset: https://doolsetbangtan.wordpress.com/2019/05/09/attack-on-bangtan/
Genius: https://genius.com/Genius-english-translations-bts-attack-on-bangtan-the-rise-of-bangtan-english-translation-lyrics Doolset: https://doolsetbangtan.wordpress.com/2019/05/09/attack-on-bangtan/
The intro to this song starts with Suga asking a rhetorical question in a goofy voice, which gets us thinking what would happen if BTS gets more popular and achieves success. Obviously, this is prophetic question that we all know the answer to now.
Each shout of Bang! Tan! So! Nyeon! Dan! is emphasized with explanation points in their choreography (jumps/punches) and aurally (every beat is backed by an ascending high-pitched synth chord that trails a tiny bit behind the beat).
These little punches really raise the energy, intensity and playfulness right from the start.
Regarding Doolset’s reference to Starcraft, here is the cartoon the meme was originally based on:
Regarding Doolset’s reference to Starcraft, here is the cartoon the meme was originally based on:
The intro is followed by an infectious hook that’s seriously empowering and encourages us with a rallying cry…if BTS can advance and rise up, so can ARMY. BTS and ARMY are a team - let’s follow in their footsteps and be brave.
I also love how goofy “Advance” and “Aren’t I brave” sounds. Suga's voice shows their crackhead nature but the lyrics show their serious side because BTS was and still is deadly serious about advancing.
The auditory literacy of this whole song is so insane…you don’t have to understand Korean to get pumped up.
In RM’s verse, our president is flexing his confidence in his skills as a rapper and a songwriter. While people saw BTS as “nobodies with nothings”, these nobodies were still making an impact despite their status as a rookie group that just debuted from a small company.
I also love the way Joonie’s cadence in the last line almost sounds like some forward and backward baby scratches on vinyl.
There are a few fun beats in the choreo that reinforce the lyrics, like at 0:30 where backup dancers are on the ground kicking/sweeping the floor for “sweeping away” and at 0:39 where the backup dancers wave their arms dismissively for “nobodies with nothing”
Here's the YT link for their dance practice if you want to check it out:
J-Hope jumps in on a verse centered around analogies from sports and comics. Throwing his “hat into the ring, advancing to the pop scene” Hobi refers to how BTS had just debuted 3 months prior to O!RUL8,2?’s release. BTS really burst onto the kpop scene with a bang.
"I do my stage however I feels like" - I'm so glad BTS are artists for a company like BigHit as opposed to their contemporaries at the Big 3 companies. BTS also don’t have to follow rules dictated by others…they will still win the cheers of their fans doing things their way.
Again, there are a few fun beats in the choreo that reinforce the lyrics. When Hobi “looks at his first bat” and hits a home run in the lyrics, the choreography around 0:44 is so adorable!
RM pitches a fake ball to Hobi, who hits it outta of the park while everyone else freezes and points at how far the “ball” went. The backing track even has the pop of a baseball being hit followed by the cheers of a crowd.
Even with their “first bat” (2 Cool 4 Skool), BTS achieved success (look at all of their achievements in 2013). BTS will meet or exceed whatever goals they set for themselves.
Later when J-Hope raps about shooting a basketball, his choreo at 0:53 looks like his dribbling and spinning around the opposing defense. While haters and industry gatekeepers might try to block BTS, but they will swerve around any obstacles in their way.
Side note…when Taehyung caught the bat from Hobi, it reminded me of his superior hand-eye coordination….I swear, Tae can catch anything
As Doolset explained in her translation, Kang Baekho is the name of Hanamichi Sakuragi in the Korean translation of the manga. Here is some more information about this anime character: https://slamdunk.fandom.com/wiki/Hanamichi_Sakuragi
Suga shows his love for this comic on Run BTS! Episode 66. Suga first mentions Slam Dunk around 1:34 from this Run BTS! Video when they’re in the comic bookstore: https://www.vlive.tv/video/115790
J-Hope boasts about how his skills as a rapper and dancer are proven on the stage and the mic is just support, just like Kang Baekho’s boasts in his skills as a basketball player and his left hand is just support.
In the pre-chorus, the boys pound chest a few times to concentrate their strength in their solar plexus before pumping the chest. This could be another way BTS is trying to encourage their audience to be braver…take a deep breath before really going for it.
Throughout the pre-chorus, the electric guitar and synths rise up, getting louder and louder…building up the energy to a fever pitch until Taehyung growls the last line of the pre-chorus in a command for us to SCREAM.
Aside from being fun, the chorus also has some fun beats for emphasis. BTS starts doing their high-step march to back up references to their bulletproof name. When they sing the word swallow, the sharp transitions of the maknaes include 3 huge leaps that are clean & impressive.
The high energy locks during “fire fire fire” and “higher higher higher” show exaggerated crisp lines in their shoulders. In my favorite line of the chorus, BTS shakes their fingers at us - chiding manner they sing “If you don’t know us, you should know about us properly”.
During the first sassy lalala’s, Jimin showcases his smooth moves. During the second set of lalala’s, Jimin turns back to the boys and waves them forward to advance towards the audience (like soldiers matching against their enemy).
After they sing about how they’ll “swallow your heart in” (or won over their the audience), Jimin waves his arms during the third set of lalala’s like a conductor. Our Chim Chim is commanding his army to sing while the other boys hold their hands up to their ear to hear army.
JK rap nation rise! I sometimes wonder how JK’s style would’ve evolved as a rapper. He does a great job here.
Maybe rapper JK would sound something like this: https://twitter.com/GUCCIGUKKIE/status/1321907989566115840?s=09
In verse 2, JK calls back to “No More Dream” (the title track from their first album 2 Cool 4 Skool). During the line “step on the back of seniors”, JK literally steps on J-Hope’s back with a cocky salute while the track has a smug "I'm sorry man" sampled in the backing track.
Because of the sassy tone/choreo, I thought this was a fck you to their haters who stanned other kpop groups. BTS will step on the backs of their competition (even if they’re a new/junior group) to rise above them and achieve success…they’re not actually sorry about it, either.
Doolset had another interpretation and commented in her translation that this is a reference to the No More Dream dance break where Jimin stepped on the backs of the members.
The choreography for the last line of the chorus is also a fun visual nod to the idea of kicking down the first block (probably making their debut) as their opponents fall down like dominoes. It really was only a matter of time before BTS dominated the music world.
I love the transition as Suga leaps over the backup dancer (talk about trust) as our lil meow meow roars “yeah, push them down”.
Yoong’s swag is on display as he proclaims his rap banquet as sensuous…causing us to run out of breath (is he wrong?!) while the backup dancers cover their mouths as if they are gasping for air, out of breath.
I also like how the dancer slides across the floor before popping back up when Suga sings “can’t nobody hold me down”…it’s such a visual interpretation of the swaggy way Yoongi sing that phrase.
Possible
ery - Yoongi ends his verse with a smirk and swaggy salute after talking about have a manly-man style on stage. Manly-man is 상남자, which happens to be the korean name of boy in luv (the lead single for their next album Skool Luv Affair which had not been released yet)
ery - Yoongi ends his verse with a smirk and swaggy salute after talking about have a manly-man style on stage. Manly-man is 상남자, which happens to be the korean name of boy in luv (the lead single for their next album Skool Luv Affair which had not been released yet)
After another pre-chorus/chorus, everyone slides out of the way for Jungkook as the energy mellows out to the sound of tinkling chimes and the occasional awkward snare drum lick for a heartfelt bridge with a message fundamental to BTS as artists that still rings true today.
The vocal line delivers some truly beautiful harmonies as JK steps forward as if he’s entering a stage. He feels our cheers as his arm sweeps around the room as if he’s surrounded by an audience.
JK then rests his hand on his heart while he pleads “please stay forever like that because, even if I die like this, there will be no regret”.
Doesn’t that sound like the BTS of yesterday, today and hopefully tomorrow? I see BTS as the equivalent of elite world-class athletes. The training they endure, the constant work they put into their craft, the way the push themselves to their physical, mental and emotional limits
All so they can make a difference in people's lives through their artistry and so they can live without regrets. https://twitter.com/cestlavie9090/status/1265270924959379457?s=20
I debated sharing clips of just how much BTS pours themselves out for performances, but I didn’t want to trigger anyone. We’ve all seen the clips…BTS are artists and performers at heart…and they will do WHATEVER IT TAKES to give us everything they have.
They desperately miss us and hearing our cheers…feeling our heat…makes them happy. Think back to the lyrics of YF - "standing on the empty, but hot, stage, I get scared of the idle emptiness...gradually, I empty myself…I talk to myself…raise your voice, to reach farther"
"Even if there is no everlasting audience, I will sing. I wish to remain forever as today’s myself “. No matter what, BTS will live with no regrets and they will work hard for as long as they can.
After the bridge, everyone has their arms crossed ready to take on the world. JK steps to the side, freezing while a cymbal crashes & rings out sustained over a long pause before the drop and Jimin belts out a high note and everyone explodes into the last chorus and one last hook
There are many many performances of this popular song, but here is one infamous performance in Japan. While BTS doesn’t do the exact same choreography from their dance practice, it's obvious that they are having the time of their lives.
My favorite part is at the 3:00 mark when JK slides across the stage to deliver a heartfelt bridge before the camera zooms in behind him for a hilarious line of “nico nico nii” by Tae that causes Jimin to explode into laughter on stage.
The nonstop party-like atmosphere and energy of both BTS and the audience is on another level. This clip is such a good example of BTS’s strength as performers…they infect everyone who watches with their passion. They just go so fcking hard…there’s no contest.
As a side note, the reference “nico nico nii” is from Yazawa Nici, a character from the anime Love live anime. Here’s a clip:
Many kpop groups have also quoted this line, but I could care less about them. I did find it funny when other members of BTS quoted this line:
Doolset also wrote in their translation that the title Attack on Bangtan comes from a Japanese manga series, Attack on Titan. The correct translation of its original title, 進撃の巨人, would be Advancing Titan.
The Rise of Bangtan, which is widely used as an alternative title, would therefore actually make more sense. On a side note, there may be a reference to Attack on TItan in the Idol MV: https://www.reddit.com/r/bangtan/comments/9a79nf/is_this_scene_from_idol_is_an_attack_on_titan/
If you made it this far, you’re just as crazy as I am. These are just my opinions and I can definitely be a clown so take it all with a grain of salt. This thread is probably like an attack on you guys with all these posts.
The reason “Attack on Bangtan” is one of my favorite songs is because the lyrics, vocal / rap delivery, music production and choreography also summarize BTS in a nutshell on this track...at least to me.
They were young men obsessed with sports and comics. They are goofy and loveable crackheads. They love to have a good time and are excellent dancers.
But they are also determined to conquer the music world and they will work hard and perform like there is no tomorrow so they have no regrets. This is why BTS isn’t just kpop. BTS is the genre.
I'm also a baby army so if I got anything wrong, feel free to correct me but please don't be a dick about it 
Also, if you're interested in exploring older discography, I have a group chat with other baby armys. DM me if you're interested in joining
Also, if you're interested in exploring older discography, I have a group chat with other baby armys. DM me if you're interested in joining
