BTS's "Stay" Was Supposed To Be On Jungkook's Mixtape, Here's What Happened

BTS fans are eagerly waiting for Jungkook‘s first mixtape, but one of its songs has already been released: “Stay”.

“Stay”, the seventh track on BTS’s new BE album, features Jungkook, Jin, and RM as a vocal-rap unit. It’s an upbeat dance-pop track influenced by EDM songs from the 1990s and 2010s.

In a new interview with Weverse Magazine, Jungkook revealed that “Stay” was originally meant to be on his mixtape. It was V who changed the course of “Stay’s” future.

“We planned to put a different song on the album,” Jungkook said. “but after V heard it, he said, ‘This song that Jung Kook wrote is really good’, and then the other members all listened, said it was better than the other one, and somehow (laughs) “Stay” made it into the album.”

What was the song “Stay” replaced like? It had the same theme and the same message as “Stay”. RM helped Jungkook to fine-tune the lyrics and organize his thoughts.

The message for the other song was also, “Even though we’re far apart, stay just where you are.” I wrote my song with the same theme so I loved that it was included in BE. At first, I wanted to talk about how we’re always together, using the English word “wherever.”

I wanted to express how we’re always together no matter where we are, but Namjoon heard that and said “Stay” might be better. I liked his suggestion, so I changed it. He really helped me to organize my thoughts, since I’m not always good at writing everything I want to express.

— Jungkook

“Stay” combines heartbreaking lyrics with an optimistic EDM beat that Jungkook hopes ARMY will dance to at BTS’s future concerts.

We imagined we were performing for the fans while we made it, jumping up and down with them. [ . . . ] This album really hit us in a different way, with this situation being what it is. Because the world is struggling with COVID-19, we have to keep our heads up and convey our messages to our fans.

— Jungkook

For more from this interview, find out what Jungkook had to say about his shyness here, how he feels about having his picture taken here, or how he directed “Life Goes On” MV below.