BTS’ biggest hit yet, “Dynamite”

BTS, which roughly translates to “Bulletproof Boy-scouts” in Korean, and officially stands for “Beyond The Scene” in English, is a big name in K-pop – and in recent years, the music industry in general. The 7-member group has a long standing history of spreading positive messages and sharing stories of youth through their music. 

Most recently released, their hit single, “Dynamite”, has been incredibly successful for the group. The song is also their first all-English single. The goal of “Dynamite” was “a breakthrough to help us overcome emptiness”, according to an interview with Variety. BTS stated that they had a lot of fun filming the music video and recording the song, aiming to share the energy with their fans through such difficult times. Clearly, the energy was received well as the music video hit 101.1 million views within the first 24 hours of its release. 

The band has been a constant presence in terms of being nominated at notable Korean award shows, such as MAMA (Mnet Asian Music Awards) and GDA (Golden Disc Awards). They are no strangers to sweeping awards in their home ground, but “Dynamite” has earned them wins at Western award shows as well, such as People’s Choice and MTV Europe. They also debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. While there is something to be said about the Western music industry only giving BTS such attention after they released an all-English single, it’s definitely exciting to see Asian artists on the rise.

While they usually write their own songs, BTS worked with David Stewart and Jessica Agombar for “Dynamite”, who are known as “the veteran American songwriting duo”. The genre of this song is disco and pop. The songwriters wanted the lyrics to induce happiness amongst listeners and give off upbeat and joyous vibes.

BTS have expressed their excitement over the successes of the song, but above all they’ve stated that what makes them happiest is the fact that “Dynamite” brings positivity to so many people. “Dynamite’s energy is very contagious!” Janani Saravanan Krishnaveni, an avid fan of BTS, states. “The joyful music lifts your mood up and makes you dance to it!” 

Taking over the world one song at a time, BTS are definitely a positive force to be reckoned with.

If you would like to learn more about BTS, or K-Pop itself, feel free to join R.H. King’s very own K-pop club. The “Dynamite” music video can be found on YouTube, while their new album, BE, will be released on streaming platforms on November 20th.