O!RUL8,2?
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Rap Monster[1] · V · Jung Kook · Jimin · Jin · Suga · J-Hope Concept photo, O!RUL8,2? | |
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| EP by BTS | |
| Released | September 11, 2013 |
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| Recorded | 2013 |
| Genre | Hip hop · R&B |
| Length | 30:36 |
| Language | Korean · English |
| Label | Big Hit Entertainment Loen Entertainment Pony Canyon |
| Producers | Pdogg · "Hitman" Bang · Slow Rabbit · Supreme Boi |
| Singles | "N.O" (September 11, 2013) |
| Charts | No. 4 (Gaon Album Chart) No. 6 (Billboard World Albums) |
| Sales | 319,951 (South Korea) |
O!RUL8,2? (stylized as such; read as "Oh! Are you late, too?") is the first extended play by South Korean boy band BTS. Released on September 11, 2013 through Big Hit Entertainment and distributed by Loen Entertainment, it is the second entry in the group's "School Trilogy" following their debut single album 2 Cool 4 Skool. The EP consists of ten tracks, with "N.O" (an acronym for "No Offense") serving as the lead single. The group later conducted follow-up promotions with "Attack on Bangtan (진격의 방탄)," another track from the album.
Musically, BTS did not fundamentally change their sound compared to 2 Cool 4 Skool, continuing to employ fiery rapping alongside trap beats, brass, and soulful melodies. Lyrically, the EP expanded on the themes of dreams and happiness, expressing frustration with South Korea's demanding education system and a determination to prove themselves despite societal pressure. The album peaked at number four on the Gaon Album Chart and has sold over 319,000 copies in South Korea.
1 Navigation✎
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2 Background and promotion✎
On August 27, 2013, Big Hit Entertainment launched a countdown clock on BTS's official website and uploaded a comeback trailer to YouTube. The trailer featured a monologue by Rap Monster (now RM) as 3D images floated in space before shattering, accompanied by narration about the importance of pursuing one's dreams. Three days later, the tracklist and concept photos were revealed through the group's official Twitter and Facebook accounts, along with details of the physical album package — a CD, 74-page photobook, photocards, and a folded poster.
Big Hit then released a special concept trailer, followed by a teaser revealing "N.O" as the lead single. An audio preview of the full album was released on September 8, and the music video for "N.O" dropped on September 10, one day before the album's release. The video depicted the members in school uniforms, rebelling against their teacher in a dystopian classroom setting. The choreography was created by Son Sung-deuk, and the music video was directed by Zanybros.
3 Release and promotion✎
BTS made their comeback with "N.O" on September 12, 2013 on Mnet's M Countdown. The group promoted across major South Korean music programs including KBS's Music Bank, MBC's Show! Music Core, SBS's Inkigayo, and Arirang TV's Simply K-Pop.
In November 2013, BTS began follow-up promotions with "Attack on Bangtan" on various music programs. In March 2015, BTS held a special two-day concert at Olympic Hall in Seoul titled 2015 BTS Live Trilogy Episode I: BTS Begins, performing songs from both 2 Cool 4 Skool and O!RUL8,2?.
4 Track listing✎
| # | Title | Producer | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Intro: O!RUL8,2?" | Pdogg, "Hitman" Bang, Slow Rabbit, Supreme Boi | 1:11 |
| 2 | "N.O" | Pdogg | 3:30 |
| 3 | "We On" | Pdogg | 3:51 |
| 4 | "Skit: R U Happy Now?" | Pdogg | 2:28 |
| 5 | "If I Ruled the World" | Pdogg | 4:07 |
| 6 | "Coffee" | Pdogg, "Hitman" Bang, Slow Rabbit | 4:20 |
| 7 | "BTS Cypher Pt.1" | Supreme Boi | 2:11 |
| 8 | "진격의 방탄 (Attack on Bangtan)" | Pdogg | 4:07 |
| 9 | "팔도강산 (Satoori Rap)" | Pdogg | 3:25 |
| 10 | "Outro: Luv in Skool" | Pdogg, "Hitman" Bang, Slow Rabbit | 1:26 |
| Total length | 30:36 | ||
5 Commercial performance✎
O!RUL8,2? debuted at number four on the Gaon Weekly Album Chart in the second week of September 2013, a notable improvement over 2 Cool 4 Skool<a class="new" href="/template/'" title="'">'</a>s peak of number five. The album reached number 11 on the Gaon Monthly Chart for September and was ranked the 55th best-selling album in South Korea for 2013. It also reached number six on Billboard's World Albums chart and number 66 on the Swiss Albums chart.
The album demonstrated steady long-tail sales over the following years, a pattern that would become characteristic of BTS's catalog. It appeared on Gaon's year-end album charts every year from 2013 through 2021. As of the most recent available data, cumulative sales in South Korea have reached 319,951 copies.
- RM's stage name at the time of this album was "Rap Monster." He changed it to "RM" in November 2017.
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