On February 20, 2017, BTS released another single from Wings: You Never Walk Alone, “Not Today”. If “Spring Day” was a quiet ache, “Not Today” is the exact opposite. It kicks the door down, throws on combat boots, and dares anyone to try and stop it.
The hip-hop track is resistance, defiance, and hope packed into three minutes and fifty-one seconds of pure adrenaline. Co-written by RM, it’s an anthem for the underdogs — a message to the marginalized, the overlooked, the ones always told they’re not enough. “A day may come when we lose,” RM chants in the song’s intro, “but it is not today. Today we fight.”
The music video was shot in sweeping landscapes straight out of a post-apocalyptic fantasy film (shoutout to the Lord of the Rings films), the video opens with BTS on the run, flanked by shadowy figures in black. We also get shots of the members performing in an empty parking lot, backed by a small army of dancers, moving in sharp, militant unison. The rapid choreography emphasizes the group’s collective power and resilience. And yes, those black-clad figures are ninjas. Because why not?
The figures chasing BTS could represent anything: societal pressure, judgment, fear. And when those same dancers join BTS, the shift feels powerful: it’s a visual metaphor for solidarity. Even when the world turns against you, even when the fight feels overwhelming. As long as you have a strong support system surrounding you, you will never fight alone.
Like their earlier singles “No More Dream” and “N.O.”, “Not Today” carries themes of defying societal expectations. But this time, the message carries a sense of unity and resilience. It’s BTS at their boldest. Unapologetic and determined to push forward, pulling all of us with them:
Throw it up, throw it up
Forget about the fear in your eyes
Break it up, break it up
Break the glass ceiling that cages you
Turn it up (turn it up)
Burn it up (burn it up)
Until the day of victory (fight)
Don’t kneel (don’t kneel), don’t fall down (don’t fall)
That’s not today, oh-oh.
📌 Changelog
- May 10, 2025: Rewrote some sections to improve readability and flow. Also added reference and links to previous singles “No More Dream” and “N.O.” as well as included some of the lyrics for “Not Today.”
- February 21, 2017: Date the original article was published.
