On their second full-length album, BTS pushed themselves into unfamiliar territory with a level of ambition that marked a turning point in their career. Following the emotional momentum of releases like “I NEED U,” “RUN,” and “Save ME,” the group stepped into WINGS not as a continuation, but as a leap toward something riskier and more expansive.

Released on 10 October 2016, WINGS arrived as BTS’ first full-length album since DARK&WILD, following the conclusion of The Most Beautiful Moment in Life series. Spanning 15 tracks and just over 50 minutes, the album unfolds across a wide range of sonic and emotional landscapes, laying early groundwork for both BTS’ identity as a group and the individual voices that would later define them as soloists.

It’s a concept album at its core, dealing with the instance when innocence first encounters temptation as well as the unstoppable growth that comes from a moment like this. Imagery of wings serves to show the act of growing and leaving the nest of where you came from. The harder temptations like physical attraction, lust, and greed are to resist, the more appealing they become. These subjects are covered to a varying degree on each track on WINGS. Some opt to lean into where the two converge, while others fall more purposefully into either temptation or growth, leaving no thematic stone unturned.

The album concept is heavily inspired by Herman Hesse’s coming-of-age novel Demian from 1919. In the novel, a young boy’s life is radically changed after spending much of his adolescence living between two worlds: that which is imagined and that which is real. By encountering various guides and mentors as he grows up, the boy embarks on a journey of self-discovery that ultimately allows him to forge his own path through life. 

The inspiration that BTS took from this 20th century novel is most clearly seen in the music video for the album’s title track, “Blood Sweat & Tears,” as well as the track’s lyrics. With narration by RM throughout and a decorative mansion setting, scenes like that of SUGA blindfolding an apple-holding Jimin interpret the biblical reimaginings that Hesse featured in his novel. The shot of Jin staring at a painting in awe is their own version of Hesse’s depiction of initial temptation. Rather than using the direct image of a young boy being metaphorically awoken by a beautiful woman, Jin is awoken by art and the possibility of that art becoming his whole world.

When SUGA opens the track’s first verse with “My blood, sweat, and tears / My body, mind, and soul / I know well they're all yours / This is a spell that will punish me,” there’s a sense of acknowledgement paired with acceptance. Even though they know what they’re doing is wrong or frightening, they’ve already accepted the fallout that is to come. SUGA’s separate rap verse furthers this notion by stating, “The grail was poisoned but I drank it anyway.” By combining moombahton, tropical house, and classic dance-pop sounds with the inward-looking lyrics, BTS created a title track that sonically brightens its more serious subject matter, something K-pop is great at doing. 

Prior to “Blood Sweat & Tears,” listeners are first brought into the world of WINGS with the immersive “Intro: Boy Meets Evil.” Co-written, co-produced, and performed entirely by j-hope, this introductory track lays out the album’s concept within every lyric. The rapper’s emotive tone makes lines like “The light of my future is dimming / Because of my childish love, I lost my way on a path of dream” hit even harder than they already do just from reading them. He compares the love he feels to that of the devil and, as the track ends with a repetition of “It’s too sweet” and “It’s too evil,” listeners can’t help but feel the symbolic devils and angels on their shoulders.

Seven of the 15 tracks on WINGS are solo tracks, each of which takes on an entirely different sound for each individual member. Jungkook opens this section of the album with “Begin.” As the youngest member of the group, Jungkook debuted in BTS when he was just 15 years old. Anyone that young is likely to feel overwhelmed by a move to a major city with people they’ve only known for a little while. To move to Seoul while still in school with the goal of pursuing his dream of being a singer, Jungkook couldn’t have known the changes his life would continue to face.

“Begin” speaks not only to these life changes but also to the relationship between BTS who were once just a group of strangers with similar goals. “When I was fifteen years old, I had nothing / The world was too big and I was small / Now I can't even imagine / How empty and scentless I used to be,” he sings in the opening verse. The entire track speaks to an immense amount of growth. From beginning as a young trainee to being made again by those around him, Jungkook’s solo is just the first to touch on growing.

On “First Love,” SUGA uses melodic rap to share the story of his own first love: the piano. He personifies the instrument while walking listeners through moments where he pushed away music only to have it come right back to him. The image of his childhood piano starts and ends the song, showing a full circle example of growth where the thing we love most is always with us no matter how far we stray. 

Similarly, j-hope’s “MAMA” brings listeners through his childhood years, showing them how his mother made him into the artist he is today. As he continues to grow, he longs for simpler moments between himself and his mother before their lives were changed so completely, displaying a version of growth that is also allowed to recall memories and be transported back into the past. The growth that RM and Jin experience on “Reflection” and “Awake” are more rooted in the internal.

Both tracks speak to their own struggles with perfectionism, insecurity, and comparison. Where RM reflects on his relationship to fear and self-doubt, Jin shares the thoughts many suffer late at night of comparing himself to the other members, wondering if he’s as talented or worthy of fame. RM embraces his insecurities, stating, “I am all of my joy and anxiety,” but his track still ends with a repetition of “I wish I could love myself.” Meanwhile, Jin actively grows from the beginning of “Awake” to the end, going from saying that he “can't fly like the flower petals over there” to stating that he longs to reach his hand out to the sky and run further than he allowed himself to in the past. 

Jimin’s “Lie” is the only solo track to focus primarily on exploring temptation. While recognizing that he’s caught in an untruthful situation, he also knows that he can’t escape, or that he would rather stay put than cut ties. Similar themes of punishment and sin from “Blood Sweat & Tears” are mentioned over and over in the chorus: “Caught in a lie / Pull me from this hell / I can't be free from this pain / Save me, I am being punished.” He’s being pulled under, but there doesn’t seem to be any signs that he wishes for a gasp of clean air.

V’s “Stigma” is a combination of the two main themes of WINGS. Classified under the neo-soul genre, “Stigma” is hypnotizing from the moment listeners hear his voice. Although its sound suggests a more tempting meaning, the lyrics seem to focus more on the consequences of giving into temptation and the pleading one might do in order to grow from their misguided instincts. The track ends with a plea that grows more desperate as it goes on: “Please let me be punished / Please forgive me for my sins / Please.” If anything, this solo feels the most like its own journey from innocence into the depths of temptation. 

After the solo tracks conclude, the album moves into “Lost” and “BTS Cypher Pt. 4,” two unit tracks that show off the collective talents of BTS’ vocalists and rappers respectively. B-sides like “21st Century Girl” and “Am I Wrong” tackle wider societal topics like unapologetic femininity and growing political tensions, but nothing could’ve brought the album carefully toward its conclusion like “2!3!”

Fan songs are popular in K-pop. They’re an opportunity for groups to speak directly to those listening to them and paying to watch them perform in a language both parties speak fluently: music. As BTS’ first fan official song, “2!3!” sets a high standard. Rather than speak down to fans from a pedestal or sing superficial lyrics at them, BTS opts for complete and total honesty. 

RM opens the track by laying down the foundation for the group’s relationship to ARMY: “Saying that there will only be good things from now on / Saying that you won't get hurt / I can't say that / I can't lie like that.” He can’t find it within himself to act like fans’ lives will be completely worry-free so long as they listen to BTS every second of every day. Instead, he and the rest of the members make sure that ARMY knows that, although they’ll all face hardships at some point, they’ll always be able to turn to their music, content, and concerts for comfort. They encourage fans to find a source of light in their music without relying too heavily on that one outlet. At the same time, the members speak to ARMY about their own growth thanks to the support they’ve been shown since their debut, making “2!3!” a beautiful tribute to the group’s early growth and the love they continue to show for their fans a decade later.

Where DARK&WILD was the first instance of BTS shaping their identity, WINGS was the group proving themselves as more than just your everyday boy band. They allowed individual members to show their own charms on solo tracks, broke off with two unit tracks, and came together on their electrifying title track and diverse group b-sides. When combined with its repackage album, You Never Walk Alone, WINGS sold a combined 1.8 million copies – the group’s highest record sales at that time. For an album all about monumental change and unavoidable growth, BTS embodied those themes in their own music just before their career would reflect the same themes.