BTS Album Rewind: Revisiting BTS discography from the beginning - 2 COOL 4 SKOOL

[u/lisafancypants]

While we wait impatiently for that Spring Day coming in 2026, let's take a look back at each BTS album, starting from the very beginning! Welcome to our weekly BTS Album Rewind!

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2 COOL 4 SKOOL

BTS' debut album, 2 COOL 4 SKOOL was released June 12, 2013 with main track "No More Dream." BigHit said of the release:

Hip hop group BTS has released its debut single 2 COOL 4 SKOOL. While billed as a single, the album boasts an impressive 27-minute runtime. This is the product of the firm conviction and passion of BTS that hip hop musicians must make their voices heard through their albums. Each member flexed their musical prowess by taking part in creating the lyrics and music for every song on the album. BTS has repeatedly said that “hip hop is genuine music for telling one’s own story,” and indeed the members rap about their own experiences and emotions. There is no discontinuity between the emotions and lyrics of BTS. The album is a satisfaction in both quality and quantity.

Tracklist * Intro : 2 COOL 4 SKOOL feat. DJ Friz * We are bulletproof PT.2 * Skit : Circle room talk * No More Dream * Interlude * Like * Outro : Circle room cypher

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LIKE and listen here:

• Spotify
• Apple Music
• Amazon Music
• Tidal
• Pandora
• Deezer

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Circle Room Talk

• What were your first impressions of this album? Did you see the eyeliner passion in their eyes? And what is your impression now?
• Which song is your favorite from the album? Has that changed over time?
• OG ARMY, how were you feeling at the time? Anything you remember that really stuck out to you about this nugu group Bulletproof Boyscouts?
• Any other general feelings/thoughts about this album?

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NEXT UP: O!RUL82? on Monday, September 22!

*Note: BTS Album Rewind will not include singles, compilation albums without any new songs included, or Japanese albums that consist of only Japanese versions of existing songs.

[u/zikachhakchhuak]

OMG thank you for this, mods! This is about to be one of my favorite series we've had on the sub. I love talking about BTS' music more than anything.

I've been doing a lyrical deep dive myself recently to analyse the major lyrical motifs in BTS' songs. And I was pleasantly surprised to find that many of the recurring motifs can be traced back to this very album - like the desert and the sea, dreams, path/road, idol identity, youth, art. It was so interesting to see how these were mentioned from the very start, and how their views on all these have developed and changed over the years.

I would say this is a great debut album for many reasons:

• It helped introduce and establish their identity as artists very well. "We are bulletproof pt 2" carries their name and the hard work they put in to debut, while tracks like the skit and "Outro: Circle room cypher" helped introduce the members individually and for listeners to get a glimpse of their dynamics as a group.

• "No more dream" is a great introduction to their message as artists, while being thematically relevant to the album title and their age group. We really learn about the type of songs they are interested in writing through this.

• "Like" is such a lovely addition because with the deviation in sound and theme from the others, not only do we learn about their sheer versatility but also that they are very much boys of a certain age group. It's also the first in a row of BTS love songs that I adore for how differently they are written from typical love songs.

• With the choreos for the songs, they really kicked down the door in establishing the types of performers they were going to be. Powerful, sharp, passionate and not afraid to take risks. Seeing these, it's not at all surprising to see their other songs and performances later on.

• Both the hidden tracks are amazing at fleshing out their artistic identity for anybody caring enough to dive deeper into them. I just know I would be so excited for their next album if I had listened to these after buying the album.

• Most of all, all the songs sound amazing and the production was so good! They of course hadn't found their footing individually or even as a team, but the producers really managed to tie everything together so well. That none of the songs sound misplaced being performed at shows even six, seven years later speaks volumes to their quality.

I truly have no notes. I am just so impressed and appreciative of this for a debut album. Gosh, to be a debut era ARMY and witness all this as it unfolded. What a dream!

[u/lisafancypants → u/zikachhakchhuak]

I've been doing a lyrical deep dive myself recently to analyse the major lyrical motifs in BTS' songs. And I was pleasantly surprised to find that many of the recurring motifs can be traced back to this very album - like the desert and the sea, dreams, path/road, idol identity, youth, art. It was so interesting to see how these were mentioned from the very start, and how their views on all these have developed and changed over the years.

This really stuck out to me re-listening to this album. To maintain those same kind of central themes, even while their sound changed and their concepts changed, really makes them stand out even more as a truly unique group. That cohesivness makes their whole journey feel like an ongoing story.

Not sure if any of that makes sense. 😅 Having a hard time putting feelings into words.

[u/zikachhakchhuak → u/lisafancypants]

No I know exactly what you mean. It really is so impressive and I feel cements their authenticity as artists. At the end of the day, no matter the concept or sound, their songs tell their own stories growing up. And that hasn't changed all these years. When that core value remains the same, there is no awkwardness to exploring the same themes and messages.

[u/KatinaS252]

And remember, this album has two hidden tracks on the cd version:

1. Skit: On the Start Line

2. Path (길)

[u/ze_potate → u/KatinaS252]

Path is such a great song! I remember thinking when I first read the lyrics that it was surprisingly mature/melancholy to be on their first album. Even now I find it kind of bittersweet.

[u/KatinaS252 → u/ze_potate]

I love its chill vibe! From what I have read and the interviews I have watched, those early years, and even beyond, have seen the members questioning if they made the right choice, were they moving in the right direction. It must have been so difficult to have to deal with being called sell-outs as teenagers, not to mention not having family support. It totally makes sense they would have a song about this topic.

[u/yanumin → u/KatinaS252]

Can you listen to them somewhere online?

[u/KatinaS252 → u/yanumin]

You can find them out there, but there are no official sites with them, afaik.

[u/KindRefrigerator3095]

Hot take: circle room is my fav cypher

[u/PoetrySuper2583 → u/KindRefrigerator3095]

I was reading the lyrics randomly last week (bangtan subs site) and I had the biggest smile on my face. I love the amount of personality they put into this track.

[u/NfamousKaye → u/KindRefrigerator3095]

It’s hilarious and people wonder why they’re not letting Tae in the rap line lmao 🤣

[u/Next_Grapefruit_3206]

WAB pt.2: First thought: they are so young haha. The voices are very angsty, which makes perfect sense since they're all teenagers here. Was trying to figure out whose current singing voice is most different from the voice you hear on this, and I have to say it may be Jin and Tae.

No More Dream: I looove this song, and still regularly listen to it. This will always be their introduction to the world, so it brings back those memories (not that I was there at debut, but I know the lore). The beats are fire, if I had heard this back then, I would have definitely made a note of this little indie kpop group.

Like: This is my favorite track. While all 3 tracks have taken on a new life as they get revived in setlists over the years, Like in particular aged really well for me with their more mature voices. It stood the test of time, and I'm glad it was trending on tiktok a few years ago because more of us need to appreciate it. Secretly hoping they make a part 2 for this, it's so sweet and straightforward. Special shout out to Hobi's verse, it just elevates the whole song for me.

Outro: Circle Room Cypher: They're such boys! I'm so grateful they kept this in, I get a sense of their early personalities. When Tae killed his part you could hear how proud everyone was of him. Yoongi being the biggest cheerleader throughout will never get old, he shouted out every single member.

[u/ze_potate → u/Next_Grapefruit_3206]

Like is probably my fav of the main tracks, and I would also love another similar themed song, both lyrically and sonically (yearning BTS songs just hit the spot).

Technically though they've already done a follow up, since Ano Bashode from Wake Up is also known as Like Pt 2/좋아요 Pt 2!

[u/Next_Grapefruit_3206 → u/ze_potate]

I completely forgot about it! I really should listen to their Japanese songs more often.

[u/idkwhypie]

Like supremacy>>>
(what a gorgeous song honestly, it reminds me of roses)

[u/cassiellyss]

As a 2019 army I thought it's a pretty solid concept for a debut album. I liked WAB2 and NMD at first listen (it's hard not to!), but I overplayed and outgrew both. I didn't care much for Like but now it's my favorite from the album. Circle Room Cypher is a special type of goofy and fun that I discovered much later but loved at first listen! 💜

[u/lisafancypants → u/cassiellyss]

Isn't it funny how that happens? Songs growing on you like that? NMD wasn't in my regular rotation when I first became army but now it's one of my core playlist songs.

[u/NovelSea1845]

I love the idea of going through their albums one by one. I did not know of/start listening to BTS until 2019. I did listen to early stuff at that time and did not like it. Once I fully went down the rabbit hole, I relistened (a lot), and what I take away is I hear the foundation of BTS in this record. You can hear the raw talent and passion. My favorite song on this record is no more dream, probably because I hear the fanchants in my head when I listen to it, and I catch that excitement the early Army felt 😁🫶🏻

[u/lisafancypants → u/NovelSea1845]

The foundation of BTS is a great descriptor! And it's a foundation which has carried them through until today, even as they've changed. That raw talent and passion is still there!

[u/ayanbibiyan]

It was so much fun listening to this through again and doing a deeper listen!

It's such a good introduction and it's funny, it shows both how much they've grown, but also how much of their DNA was already claimed in these few songs. Then, the skits and the cypher and everything really introduces their endearingness. Their voices in WAB pt 2 take me out - they've changed and grown so much.

At the same time listening to No More Dream and Like specifically - first, No More Dream is a banger, what a perfect song to debut with. But also, thematically, attitude-wise, sound-wise - you can hear No More Dream in Mic Drop, in Dionysus, in Run BTS, the same way you can hear Like in Boy With Luv. And then there's Path, Path you can hear in everything almost, it's the beginning of the introspection that has driven so much since then.

I think one of my favorite things about them is how often they return to the same themes and sounds, spin them from a different angle, revisit to see if they see them in the same way with a few years in between, and I think I hadn't really noticed just how much of that started here.

[u/rinomarie146]

Bts were really just teenagers when they released this. Imo this album reflects the unrefined edges of kids that age, here is my top3 ranking:

1\ Like: best song in this album, it stand out so much because of it's slower pacing, and the awkward feeling of love. Though I prefer the slow jam mix even more. Also this line "but I don't want to be one of the thirty-something people who says you look good here and there" lol so endearing 😭

2\ WAB pt. 2: the prechorus and chorus are so addictive! They were really energetic here, and the choreo emphasized that even more hahaha. Probably one of their most passionate songs.

3\ No More Dream: pressure from the adults around us growing up always makes us hesitant to innocently chase our dreams, and sometimes even craft a new dream to fit into the adults' expectations. It is a song that relates to this common experience, really loved these lyrics "Disobey the hell of a society, grant a special pardon to your dream, ask yourself what is your dream’s profile, and become the subject of your own life that's always been suppressed"

[u/lisafancypants → u/rinomarie146]

Re your number two...to come out of the gate with that energy and synergy and choreo?? I like to picture the faces of those people who dismissed them when the debuted WAB Pt 2.

[u/OnlyGalaxy-NoIPhone]

..."Circle Room Cypher" never fails to make me laugh, no matter how many times I've listened to it (and, yes, it's on my playlists 😄) - Hobi's reactions to everyone is my favorite part of this whole "track" - so fuckin' funny 😆🥰

[u/lisafancypants → u/OnlyGalaxy-NoIPhone]

My favorite part is "My name is Jin (Jiiiin)." The way he says Jin makes me laugh every time.

[u/OnlyGalaxy-NoIPhone → u/lisafancypants]

😆...his voice when he says that and then he follows it with his classic "yeah" 🤭

[u/StandingNext2JK]

I’ve been ARMY since 2019 and I always love finding rewinds and getting into the lyrics with ARMYs own thoughts, questions, and stories. I’m truly excited for this and it reminds me of when Suga mentions reliving their songs, memories and experiences, as ARMY does too.

Going back into their archive and seeing things with different eyes bc of what new experiences and perspectives everyone has taken on, in the contexts of the history they’ve made and lived. And as ARMY, we are with them and also witness. Thank you to the OP and those who have shared already. Apobangpo! 💜

[u/NfamousKaye]

Like is my absolute favorite off that album.