From “Rain” to “Don’t Leave Me.”
Over the past decade, BTS has consistently released a new single or album every few months. Despite the fact they’re taking a temporary group hiatus, BTS is still keeping ARMY busy with solo material. Since the septet has built up a lengthy discography over the years, some of their older tracks can sometimes be overlooked. If you’re feeling like taking a trip down memory lane, then here are 12 of BTS’ most underrated songs worth listening to all over again.
I included a few songs from BTS’ first album, Dark & Wild, and their first EP, O!RUL8,2?, both of which the group released during their debut year. I also added tracks that BTS hasn’t released on streaming services — some fans may not even know they exist without having purchased the physical albums. There are also some songs that BTS has rarely performed in concert. So, get ready to dig deeper into BTS’ discography.
“Rain” is one of BTS’ best tracks from Dark & Wild. It features a jazzy piano melody and delicate vocals from the members, backed by the calming sound of rain. All of these elements help give the song a melancholic atmosphere that makes you want to listen to it on a quiet day while lying under the covers. “Gray city, gray buildings, gray roads, gray rain/ Everything in this world is slow,” BTS sings on the track, which is all about self-reflection.
BTS’ ambition is written all over their O!RUL8,2? track “We On.” Throughout the song, the group dismisses their haters and makes a promise to one day make it to the top. “Keyboard warriors, make some more effort/ Yes, look down on me like that/ It’s my hobby to prove you wrong,” Suga raps during the second verse.
“Whalien 52,” which is featured on BTS’ 2015 EP The Most Beautiful Moment In Life, Pt. 2, tackles the theme of loneliness. In the song, the guys sing about a whale that calls at the unusual frequency of 52 hertz. Since there’s no other creature like it, the whale sadly isn’t able to communicate with another of its kind. BTS uses the symbol of the whale to express those moments when we feel as if no one hears us. The track features heart-wrenching lyrics such as, “The world will never know how sad I am/ My hurt is water and oil that can’t mix.”
“Paradise,” a track from BTS’ 2018 album Love Yourself: Tear, is an earworm with incredibly deep meaning. BTS says that although society encourages people to dream big, they think all dreams should be celebrated, even if it’s something small like “buying a laptop” or “just eating and sleeping.” Why? Well, everyone is living their own unique story, so no one’s goals are exactly the same. “Who says a dream must be something grand? Just become anybody,” the group sings.
BTS also reassures fans that it’s okay if they don’t have a dream because their existence is enough. “All the breaths you breathe are already in paradise,” they sing.
“I still orbit you, and nothing’s changed,” RM raps in BTS’ Love Yourself: Tear song “134340.” The track is named after the number assigned to Pluto, which used to be considered the ninth planet of the sun before it was reclassified as a dwarf planet in 2006. Here, BTS appears to use the metaphor of Pluto to express heartbreak and the feeling of being forgotten, singing, “My cold heart is 248 degrees below zero/ It stopped the day you erased me.”
“Sea” is a hidden track that only appears on the physical edition of BTS’ 2018 album Love Yourself: Her, so those who don’t own the record may not be familiar with it. In the lyrics, BTS reminisces about the difficult path that led them toward their success. “The scary desert became the ocean with our blood, sweat, and tears,” Suga raps in the third verse. The five-minute-long track is filled with raw emotions as BTS sings about the hardships they’ve faced throughout their career, making it one of the group’s most vulnerable songs in their discography.
“Path” (also known as “Road”) can sometimes be overlooked since it’s a hidden track that only appears on the physical edition of 2 Cool for 4 Skool. A lot of fans actually became familiar with the song after hearing it in the group’s mobile app, BTS World, for the first time. The track is one of my personal faves because of its mellow beat and introspective lyrics, which are about BTS’ journey toward stardom.
In the song, the guys admit they once felt hesitant about chasing their dreams with an uncertain future, but they were able to take that leap of faith thanks to each other. “I walked into the tunnels that shed no light on my own/ I thought I would be alone,” the guys sing. “As it turns out, there weren’t seven bare feet but we were wearing the shoe named Bangtan.”
In BTS’ 2014 song “Spine Breaker,” the guys address the topic of income inequality and materialism. “The class system of the 21st century is divided into two/ Those who have and those who haven’t,” Suga raps at the start of the track. The group also criticizes young people who take advantage of their parents’ hard work in order to keep up with the latest fashion trends. “You complain that all your friends have it and that they should buy it for you/ Stop being so immature,” they continue. “You won’t freeze just because you don’t have that jacket/ Fill your head with good sense before it’s too late.”
“Second Grade” is the ultimate feel-good song. Not only is the track catchy, but the lyrics are all about that exhilarating feeling of finally achieving your dreams. BTS compares the music industry to school because each year they gain more experience. Like second-graders, they still had a long way to go to becoming “upperclassmen” at the time. Now that BTS is a decade into their career, the lyrics to the song become even more meaningful since they’ve become the group other idols look up to.
“Hip Hop Lover” is another standout track from Dark & Wild because it pays homage to the artists that inspired the group at the beginning of their career. BTS name-drops rappers like Jay-Z, Kendrick Lamar, and Eminem, and thanks them for fueling their love of hip-hop. “They helped me get up when I didn’t know anything,” BTS says during the track.
Just like the title implies, BTS’ 2014 EP Skool Luv Affair is all about coming of age. For example, the group’s ninth track on their record, “Jump,” describes that moment when you become a young adult and start experiencing the hardships that come with growing up. “I wanna go back so I close my eyes and scream but nothing changes, reality is the same,” BTS sings in the first verse.
Although things may be different now, the group tells listeners they can become the hero their childhood selves always wanted to be.
BTS’ Japanese-language song “Don’t Leave Me,” which dropped in 2018 as part of the group’s Face Yourself album, honestly deserves more love. The electronic track perfectly demonstrates the members’ sonic range, from their deep whisper-like vocals during the verses to their powerhouse vocals during the chorus. If it sounds like the guys are pleading at certain points of the song, that’s because the lyrics are about desperately trying to help someone who’s going through a hard time. “I’ll definitely save you, you are not alone,” the group sings.
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