Just in case you've been living under a rock, BTS is a Korean boy group and arguably the biggest boy group in history, but AT LEAST one of the biggest.
Since they're Korean, releasing a song in English was a surprise to a lot of fans and we have all been eagerly waiting for the release of their first English single 'Dynamite'. When given a teaser of the music video, fans went berserk, taking in the '70s vibes and optimistic mood.
I, for one, could not wait and counted down the hours until I could witness what I knew would be a masterpiece. So, when the time came, my sister and I sat down in anxiousness and excitement and finally watched.
Right off the bat, I was smiling so big. The first scene features member Jungkook in a bedroom decked out in music posters and instruments. It's basically exactly what I have always wanted my room to look like. His darn near perfect voice is the perfect start to this perfect song.
The light disco instrumental in the back immediately had me bobbing my head and wanting to get up and dance. With the rap line, consisting of RM, Suga, and J-Hope, carrying us perfectly into the next part of the song, we see more pastel colors, dancing, and bright lights. (Which, I'll also add, the lighting in this music video is EXQUISITE.)
As members V, Jin, and Jimin join the ensemble, we see the first sneak peek at the choreography for the song during the chorus, and it's very disco and very vibey. What caught my attention the most visually, though, was the 70s inspired outfits the group was wearing and just how well they fit into the aesthetic of the video.
The song and music video is everything I personally wished for and more. It was as if- BOOM- my mental illnesses withered away (I wish, but this was pretty close). The entire energy of the song is extremely cheerful and is brought to life with lyrics like "moving through the city with a little funk and soul" and "life is sweet as honey."
To me, it makes me feel hopeful and reminds me of the positive side of life, even when the world feels like it's falling apart. Who doesn't want to dance through life, stop to smell the roses and "move through the city with a little funk and soul?" I think we could all use some positivity and a reminder to try and enjoy life, right?
This single couldn't have been released at a better time for me, with it being the beginning of a new school year and really just a time when I need more inspiration; something more to get me out of bed in the morning. It's such a feel-good song that it immediately puts a pep in your step.
Let me explain even further why this release is so impressive, outside of the music itself. As I mentioned, this is BTS' first-ever release of a song entirely in English. The members-only have one fluent English speaker, so you can imagine how difficult it must be to record a song when you are not 100 percent comfortable or fluent in the language.
Well, they all nailed it, seamlessly. They're reaching for achievements that most western artists never even consider. That just goes to show how dedicated they are to their international fan base and the drive that they possess. They truly go above and beyond every chance they get.
This song is also an entirely different style than any song they have released before. They really branched our for this single and, thankfully, they did not disappoint.
When I sat down to watch the music video a few hours ago (eleven at night my time) I quickly noticed that within the first five minutes, the MV had already reached one million likes and around 6 million views. When I tell you BTS fans were looking forward to this song, I mean so. Many. People.
We're counting down and waiting and promoting it hardcore. For some insight, BTS music videos typically reach around 10 million views within twenty to thirty minutes of the release. So, for the video to have so close to that amount within five minutes of the release is a big deal. In the world of BTS, they are often up against themselves.
By that, I mean many records, such as rate of getting likes on an MV, rate to get to 100 million views, and such are often records set by the group and also broken by them. 'Dynamite' took the top spot for the fastest MV to reach 1 million likes. I am confident that isn't the only record this song will break.
There is a lot of potential for this single to make it big in the United States. Not that BTS isn't already hugely famous here, but the western music industry is not often open to or accepting of music in different languages.
So, this is an enormous opportunity for BTS to make history. I guarantee it will be well deserved. As far as promotion for this song goes, the group is actually performing their first stage of this song at the MTV Video Music Awards on August 30th, which will provide much exposure of the song into the western market.
Overall, this song absolutely rocks. It's everything myself and other fans wanted it to be and I'm so excited to see what opportunities this may open for BTS and what direction they go in next.