#8YearsToInfinityWithBTS: A look at BTS’ journey as artists through iconic title tracks
BTS is a group that’s known for breaking records and making history. From releasing inspiring songs to gracing magazine covers and endorsing well-known brands, there’s no doubt they are one of the biggest names in music today.
The seven-member group has been in the industry for eight years. Even so, their passion for music remains high. They are determined to make their voices known through their unique sound and identity.
As we celebrate eight years of BTS, let us take a trip down memory lane through their title tracks.
No More Dream
In 2010, HYPE Corporation founder and CEO Bang Sihyuk assembled a group of teenagers which he referred to as “Bulletproof Boy Scouts.” The first member who joined was RM, the group’s leader and main rapper.
Eventually, BTS debuted on June 13, 2013, with the track No More Dream. The group was originally planned to be a hip-hop-focused group with their songs heavily based on rap.
The song was written by RM, Suga, and J-Hope which talked about the difficulties of growing up in South Korea.
Boy In Luv
Between BTS’ initial formation and debut, Sihyuk decided that the group would be “heroes who can lend [the youth] a shoulder to lean on, even without speaking a single word.”
Boy In Luv is a title track that talks about love through the innocence of the youth. The song is heavily inspired by hip-hop, but it dives into the group’s romantic side.
I Need U
I Need U is the BTS’ interpretation of the “anxiousness and beauty of youth.” This also marks the shift from the group’s initial aggressive image to more diverse styles.
This title track is the start of BTS’ breakthrough, where they got achieved their first music show win on SBS MTV's The Show. It was an emotional moment for the group after years of hardships.
Spring Day
Despite the success of their 2016 album “The Most Beautiful Moment in Life: Young Forever,” it was Spring Day that propelled BTS to widespread recognition in South Korea and worldwide.
The emotional track talks about nostalgia in a positive light, describing how the absence of a friend can be the start of something new. It’s a comforting song for listeners that earned critical acclaim, and rightfully so.
Fake Love
After the release of Fake Love BTS reached new heights in their career. Their songs climbed to the Billboard Hot 100 and they performed on international stages for the first time.
Fake Love is a callback to BTS’ early days in the industry with its aggressive and dark sound. This track, which talked about the despair of love and loss, showed their maturity as K-pop artists.
Idol
Idol is a track that’s unexpected for BTS since it featured elements of the Korean music genre Pansori and gqom, a form of dance music that originated in South Africa.
This track is a continuation of the group’s domestic and international recognition since it inspired the “Idol Challenge” in 2018. It also includes an alternative digital release that featured rapper Nicki Minaj.
Boy With Luv
Boy With Luv is parallel to BTS' track Boy In Luv, which was released in 2014. What makes this song different, though, is that it talks about self-love as one of the strongest forces that someone can have. Fun fact: this bubblegum pop-inspired track featured Halsey.
ON
Despite its powerful sound and lyrics, ON is BTS’s reflection of their time together as a group. Jungkook said in a 2020 MTV interview that the track is a spinoff of their song “N.O.” which described their determination to “bring the pain”
One of the best moments of this track was BTS’s breathtaking performance at the Grand Central Terminal in New York City. It also includes an alternative digital release that featured Sia.
Dynamite
BTS broke the internet with the release of their first English-language single Dynamite. While it’s not the first time for a K-pop act to release an English song, it was the first to debut as number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.
The disco-inspired track was intended to comfort listeners since it was released during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Life Goes On
Life Goes On is the title track of BTS’ fifth Korean album “BE,” a labor of love when their “Map of the Soul Tour” was postponed. This song is meant to comfort fans during the pandemic, assuring them that “life goes on” despite tough times.
JHope shared in a 2020 Weverse interview that the track talks about the stories they wanted to tell during the pandemic, saying that the group “can’t give up.” Personally, this song is our favorite title track from BTS.
Butter
Butter is the culmination of BTS as South Korea’s pride and one of the greatest boy groups of all time. The disco-inspired track is described as a “fun BTS summer song” which showed off their smooth vocals and charismatic side.