"Butter" | ||||
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Single by BTS | ||||
B-side | "Permission to Dance" | |||
Released | May 21, 2021 | |||
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Length | 2:44 | |||
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Songwriter(s) |
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BTS singles chronology | ||||
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Alternative cover | ||||
Music video | ||||
"Butter" on YouTube | ||||
Megan Thee Stallion singles chronology | ||||
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Visualizer | ||||
"Butter (feat. Megan Thee Stallion)" on YouTube | ||||
Audio sample | ||||
"Butter" is a song recorded by South Korean boy band BTS. It was released as a digital single on May 21,2021,through Big Hit Music and Sony Music Entertainment,as the band's second English-language single. A disco-pop,dance-pop,and EDM track,the song was written by Jenna Andrews,RM,Alex Bilowitz,Sebastian Garcia,Robert Grimaldi,Stephen Kirk,and Ron Perry,with production handled by the last three.
Upon release,"Butter" received positive reviews from music critics,with praise towards its catchiness. It was a commercial success,topping charts in Hungary,India,Japan,Malaysia,Mexico,Singapore,South Korea,the United States and Vietnam,as well as Billboard 's Global 200 chart. The song also reached the top 10 in over 30 other countries worldwide. A remix featuring American rapper Megan Thee Stallion was also released on August 27,2021,which peaked at number three on the Global 200.
Speaking on how "Butter" came about, Variety quoted RM in an interview with Apple Music as saying that "[the band] never expected to release another single,but the virus is getting longer and longer so we thought we need another summer song. We thought we needed another summer number,and 'Butter' was perfectly fit for that. And now we're here". [1] J-Hope described the recording process as "smooth" and the song as "focus[ed] more on showing each of the members' charms compared with 'Dynamite'". [2]
Initial reports about "Butter" called it "a dance pop track brimming with the smooth yet charismatic charm of BTS". [3] [4] Rolling Stone described it as "a pure,swaggering dance-pop celebration in the retro vein of Bruno Mars,with layers of Jam and Lewis-style synths",and RM told the outlet that the song "[is] very energetic" and "very summery". [5] [6] Forbes called it an "infectious disco-pop track" similar to "Dynamite",with a "pulsating,bass-heavy beat and delectable chorus". [7] Following its release,"Butter" was categorized as a 1980s [8] and 1990s-influenced [9] dance-pop [10] and EDM [11] song with elements of pop rap. [11] [12] The song is in 4
4 common time in the key of A-flat major with a tempo of 110 beats per minute. BTS' vocal range span from A♭3 to E♭5. [13]
At a press conference held on the day of the song's release,RM revealed that while the band wanted to participate in the writing of their next single,they believed "Butter" already sounded "pretty good" and "pretty complete" when they received it,so they chose it out of "many,many songs" that had been sent to them for consideration. He further explained however,that he "changed or added to about half of the song's original rap sections" because "some of the parts like the rap were not fully compatible with our style",and despite there still being "some gaps" in his fluency with English "it came together really quickly since there weren't that many rap sections in the song". Suga also tried writing for the song,as he had actively been studying English during the year prior,but the language barrier was still a problem,so his suggestions were "immediately dropped. No questions,no consideration —just immediately binned". [14] Lyrically,like "Dynamite","Butter" has "no heavy message"; [5] Jimin noted that there was no profound meaning behind the track and that the goal was for it to be "easy to listen to". [15]
A video teaser released on May 18 offered the first preview of the song's lyrics;the line "Get it! Let it roll!" was briefly heard at the end of the clip. [16] Korean news media later reported that the lyrics to "Butter" "cutely confess a sweet,romantic love",and had "BTS' smooth-like-butter unrivalled charms melted into the song". [17] [18]
On April 5,2021,days after the release of their Japanese single "Film Out",it was revealed that BTS would release a new song in May. [19] However,Big Hit Music announced that "we will reveal our artists' plans after they are finalized". [20] On April 26,the single's title and release date were announced in an hour-long YouTube live stream of an animated stick of butter melting. The video featured a countdown with kitchen sounds in the background,and the text "Butter" and "May 21,2021" appeared at the end of the stream. [21] The livestream amassed over 12.8 million views. [22] Concept photos and video teasers for the song,set to be BTS' second English-language single, [3] [4] were shared through the band's official social media in the weeks following. [23] They held a global press conference one hour after the single's release. [24]
BTS appeared as the first guests on Big Hit's new exclusive Melon Station radio series,BigHit Music Record,on May 21 to introduce "Butter" and participate in a Q&A with fans. [25] The single impacted American contemporary hit radio stations on May 25. [26] On May 27,Big Hit announced the release of a house bass electro-dance remix of the song,"Butter (Hotter Remix)",as a thank-you to fans for their support. The announcement was accompanied by new teaser photos for the remix—seven solo shots and one group—featuring a different concept to the original teasers. The remix and its music video premiered globally on all streaming platforms at midnight on May 28. [27] [28] New remixes succeeded the release of the "Hotter" version in the weeks following.[ citation needed ]
The CD single of "Butter" includes "Permission to Dance",a song written by Ed Sheeran,Johnny McDaid,Steve Mac,and Jenna Andrews and produced by Mac,Stephen Kirk,and Andrews. Released on July 9,it also includes instrumental versions of both songs. [29]
Megan Thee Stallion claimed that her label 1501 Certified Entertainment attempted to block the remix release which featured her. Stallion stated that the label's CEO Carl Crawford did not approve of the track because "it would not be good for her career." Stallion sought help from a Texas court. [30] The remix was ultimately released as planned on August 27. [31]
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
IZM | [32] |
NME | [33] |
Writing for NME ,Rhian Daly praised "Butter" as "a clean and crisp piece of dance pop that's undeniably cool without sacrificing immediacy or memorable hooks" and felt it was a strong,early contender for song of the summer. [10] Tom Breihan of Stereogum described the song as "a full-on retro-disco strutter,a song built for parties. It's a big,slick party song that targets pleasure receptors with mathematical precision" and compared it to Daft Punk's Random Access Memories and works by Bruno Mars. [34] Zach Seemayer of Entertainment Tonight felt that the song's hook,with its "truly catchy beat" and "fun" opening lyrics,"has the hallmarks of a real hit with legitimate song-of-the-summer potential". [35] Rolling Stone's Althea Legaspi called "Butter" a "feel-good,flirty dance track". [36] Consequence 's Mary Siroky named "Butter" the song of the summer and "a synth-drenched,swaggering track sitting comfortably on an addictive bassline". [8] Esquire 's Dave Holmes called the song "irresistible",saying that it "percolates with the joy we've deferred since last March". [37] It was named Billboard 's number one Song of the Summer. [38] The song was the seventh most searched song of the year for 2021 on Google. [39] For the Megan Thee Stallion remix,Natasha Mulenga,writing for Teen Vogue ,described the remix as "ear-melting" and that "Megan gave so much charisma to the song". [40]
Publication | List | Rank | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
Billboard | 25 Best K-Pop Songs of 2021 | 6 | [41] |
Consequence | Top 50 Songs of 2021 | 1 | [42] |
The Guardian | The 20 best songs of 2021 | 11 | [43] |
Insider | The best K-pop songs of 2021 | 8 | [44] |
Los Angeles Times | The 100 best songs of 2021 | 59 | [45] |
Music Y | Top 10 Songs of 2021 | 2 | [46] |
NME | The 50 best songs of 2021 | 10 | [47] |
Rolling Stone | The 50 Best Songs of 2021 | 16 | [48] |
Uproxx | The Best Songs of 2021 | Placed | [49] |
The music video for "Butter" was preceded by a 23-second long video teaser published to Hybe Labels's official YouTube channel on May 18. [16] The short monochromatic clip showed BTS dressed in "disco-inspired" suits "with shoulder pads,glitter,and satin galore", [51] standing motionless in a line, [16] while "a groovy percussion ensemble played in the background". [52] The sound then "switched to a delightful Eighties-inspired,synth-bass fusion". [52] The band matched the beat of the "throbbing,bass-heavy dance groove" [16] with synchronized head tilts. [52] The clip ended with a shot of a stack of syrup-covered pancakes with a square of butter on top. [16] [52] Billboard described the teaser's "funky beat" as "reminiscent of Queen's 'Another One Bites the Dust'". [53] Rolling Stone India also noted the teaser's "strong sonic correlation" to the Queen song. [52] The video teaser accumulated over 26 million views in its first 24 hours [54] and surpassed 35 million views shortly afterwards. [2]
Fifteen minutes prior to the music video's premiere,BTS appeared in a special countdown stream on the Hybe YouTube channel to discuss the song while making buttered sandwiches [50] —it was simultaneously released with the single at midnight EST. [21] The visual opens with a shot of vocalist Jungkook dancing into frame as he sings the introductory lines of the song. Interspersed are "striking black and white shots" of the band dressed in "slick suits" dancing together to a "strong percussion ensemble"—first heard in the May 18 teaser—and standing in a lineup while holding mugshot placards with their names on it. [50] [7] [35] The video then "transitions into [a] rich and vibrant color palette" [35] as the band perform "power-packed","nimble dance moves" in several "dazzling locations with soft,full-color lighting...against an array of flamboyant backdrops" such as a gymnasium (while wearing "summery gymwear"), [55] a mock press conference,an elevator,and "onstage under pulsating lights" in "black-and-yellow tuxedos". [50] [7] [36] [55] The video ends with a shot of J-Hope eating a large piece of butter. [55]
The video's choreography "reflect[s] the upbeat,flirtatious vibe of the song",with J-hope saying that the band tried to put "a lot of those emotions" into it. Signature moves include "kissing your hands,[giving] a mischievous look,or brushing our hair back". [14] The video also features a "TikTok-ready,technicolor elevator sequence" in which the individual members freestyle their dance moves,including "putting on imaginary cologne". [55] [14] At one point,the band use their bodies to form the word "ARMY" as a special homage to their fans. [50]
"Butter"'s premiere garnered over 3.9 million peak concurrent viewers on YouTube,surpassing previous record holder "Dynamite"'s over 3 million concurrents attained in August 2020,and set a new all-time record for the biggest music video premiere on the platform. [56] [57] It became the fastest YouTube video to reach 10–100 million views,achieving the former in its first 13 minutes—"Dynamite" did so in 20 minutes [14] —and the latter in 21 hours—three hours faster than "Dynamite". [58] [59] It also became the most viewed YouTube video in the first 24 hours,amassing 108.2 million views—another all-time high on the platform, [56] [60] and set four new Guinness World Records. [61] This gave BTS the top two spots for the biggest YouTube premieres and 24-hour music debuts in the platform's history. [56] [62] "Butter" crossed 200 million views on May 25,surpassing all milestone records up to that point in just four days and one hour,compared to "Dynamite"'s four days and 12 hours. [63] [64] On June 28,it became the longest running #1 debut for a group in Hot 100 history,breaking the 23-year record held by Aerosmith's "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" (1998). [65]
Entertainment Tonight's Zach Seemayer wrote that the music video "takes fans on a spectacular journey in both set design,color schemes and outfits". [35] On November 29,2024,the visual surpassed one billion views,becoming BTS' seventh music video to do so. [66]
A second version of the music video,dubbed the "Hotter Remix",was released on May 26. [67] Dressed in one set of outfits from the original music video,the clip shows the band "at their cheeky best","cutting loose" and "taking turns at being front and center" while making "goofy,fun faces at the camera and with each other". It ends with a dance outtake of Suga. [67] Following this,a second and third remix version,dubbed the "Sweeter Remix" and "Cooler Remix" respectively,were released in the beginning of June. [68]
"Butter" entered South Korea's Gaon Digital Chart at number four and the component Streaming chart at number 35, [69] but debuted at number one on the component Download chart. [70] The single album version of the song,sold nearly 2.5 million physical copies in South Korea in July,becoming one of the best-selling albums in South Korea. [71]
In Japan,"Butter" earned its largest opening-day digital sales in the country,with 27,772 downloads, [72] surpassing its predecessor "Film Out",which sold 23,344 copies on its first day. With only three days of availability in its tracking period dated May 17–23,the single consecutively maintained first place on the daily chart, [73] and debuted atop the Oricon Weekly Digital Singles chart issue dated May 31,2021 with 52,821 downloads,giving the band its second digital number-one of the year after "Film Out". [74] It also topped the Weekly Streaming Chart for the same period with 16.607 million streams,marking the biggest weekly streaming debut in Oricon chart history and making BTS the artist with the most number-ones on the ranking (three,including "Dynamite" and "Film Out"). "Butter" became the band's third song to exceed 10 million streams in a single week,making BTS the artist with the most songs (three,including "Dynamite" and "Film Out") to achieve this in Oricon chart history. [74] On the Billboard Japan Hot 100 chart issue for the same period,the song debuted at number two,but topped the component Streaming and Download charts. [75] [76] On May 28,Billboard Japan reported that "Butter" had accumulated 14.835 million streams just three days into the chart's next tracking period (May 24–30) and surpassed the record set by LiSA's "Homura" of 7.526 million streams in 2020 (October 19–21). "Homura" accrued 18.901 million streams at the end of its full tracking period (October 19–25),in what was then the largest streaming week in Billboard Japan chart history—"Butter" achieved over 75% of that in less than half the time. [77] In July,exactly 72 days after its release,the song was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ) for surpassing 100 million streams,making it the fastest single to achieve the certification in RIAJ history. [78] In August,the single's physical version exceeded sales of 250,000 copies and was certified Platinum by the RIAJ. [79] On September 1,Oricon announced that "Butter" had become the fastest song in the chart's history to achieve 200 million streams,doing so in 15 weeks and breaking the record previously set by "Homura" of 19 weeks. [80]
According to Mediabase,"Butter" was added to all 180 Top 40 radio stations in the United States and received 2,217 spins its first week. It was the first song by an international artist to become the most-added track at radio in its opening week,and BTS are the first group to achieve this feat. "Dynamite" was previously the band's most-added single at radio with 171 stations putting it into rotation in its debut week. [81] With only three days of availability,the single entered Billboard 's Pop Airplay chart at number 26,making it the highest debut of the week and the second-highest of the year,behind only Ed Sheeran's "Afterglow",which entered at number 23 in January. It was the band's seventh entry on the airplay chart and a new career best. [82]
"Butter" debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart issue dated June 5,2021,giving BTS its fourth number-one in under nine months. The band became the fastest act to achieve four number-ones since Justin Timberlake in 2006–2007,the first group since the Jackson 5 in 1970,and the only group to debut three songs in the lead. The song accumulated 32.2 million streams,sold 242,800 downloads,and 18.1 million radio airplay audience in its first week. This marked BTS' seventh number-one on the Digital Song Sales chart and the largest sales week since "Dynamite" sold 300,000 copies on the September 5,2020 issue. Billboard noted that the sales for "Butter" were aided by its original and instrumental versions discounted to 69 cents in its first week. The song also debuted at number four on the Streaming Songs chart, [83] and entered the Rolling Stone 100 at number two,marking the second-highest debut of 2021 behind only Olivia Rodrigo's "Drivers License",and the highest song sales debut of the year. [84] "Butter" remained atop the Hot 100 and Digital Songs charts for ten non-consecutive weeks. [85] On the chart issue dated July 24,2021,it ranked at number seven while "Permission to Dance" debuted at number one. The following week,it returned to the top of the chart,making BTS the first act to displace itself at number one across two consecutive weeks. [86] As of July 2021,the song has sold over one million copies in the US. [87]
In the United Kingdom,"Butter" became the highest-charting new entry on the Official Charts Company's Singles Chart for the period May 28–June 3,2021,debuting at number three and giving BTS its second top-five entry. The single was also the best-selling new entry on the Downloads Chart,surpassing the number two song by more than 10,000 sales. [88] After an eleven-week chart run between June and August,the song re-entered the Singles chart on September 9 at number 32,following the release of the Megan Thee Stallion remix. [89] [90] The song was certified silver by the British Phonographic Industry (BIP) for moving 200,000 single-equivalent units on August 27,2021. [91] It also topped the Downloads chart in Ireland and debuted at number seven on the Irish Singles Chart,giving BTS its second top-10 entry in the territory. [92] In Germany,"Butter" debuted at number seven on the Top 100 Singles chart,becoming the band's highest-charting song and second top-10 in the country [93] [94] —it peaked at number six in July. [95]
With 11.042 million global first-day streams on Spotify,"Butter" set a new Guinness World Record for the biggest song debut in the platform's history, [61] surpassing Ed Sheeran and Justin Bieber's "I Don't Care",which previously held the record since May 2019 with 10.977 million opening-day streams. [96] It set an additional record for the largest single-day streams of any song ever on the platform,with over 20.9 million unfiltered global streams. [97] "Butter" debuted at number one on the Billboard Global 200 with 289.2 million streams and 249,000 downloads worldwide during the May 21–27,2021,tracking week,marking BTS' fourth number one on the chart after "Dynamite","Savage Love (BTS Remix)",and "Life Goes On". The song also topped the Global Excl. U.S chart with 257.4 million streams and 146,200 downloads in territories outside of the US. [98] Per the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry's (IFPI) global music report for 2021,published in 2022,"Butter" was the fourth best-selling single of the year across all digital formats,with 1.76 billion streams accumulated worldwide. [99]
"But if there is a conversation inside Billboard about what being No. 1 should represent, then it's up to them to change the rules and make streaming weigh more on the ranking. Slamming us or our fans for getting to No. 1 with physical sales and downloads, I don't know if that's right ... It just feels like we're easy targets because we're a boy band, a K-pop act, and we have this high fan loyalty."
In an article published by Billboard in August 2021, the magazine pointed out that the band's fans have "through above-board means" taken advantage of loopholes in chart tabulations to boost the ranks of singles such as "Butter" in the US and help the song top the Hot 100 for multiple weeks. While the chart performance of singles on the Hot 100 typically depend on streaming and airplay, that of "Butter" was notably driven mostly by sales (the bulk of which came from BTS' webstore, which allows fans to buy multiple copies of a song, unlike iTunes) and by fan-led crowdfunding efforts (including using money collected from fans worldwide on services like PayPal to make purchases that count toward US sales only). [100] However, an article in The Korea Times pushed back against claims of chart manipulation. It opined that fanbases of other artists such as Justin Bieber and Ariana Grande have employed similar promotional measures, that such measures were neither illegal or unethical, and that fans engaging in those measures were merely "intelligent consumers leading global trends". [101]
BTS gave the premiere performance of "Butter" live from South Korea for the 2021 Billboard Music Awards on May 23. [102] Dressed in "slick" black tuxedos, the band sang the song while moving through various elaborate sets—a backstage dressing-room area, a soundstage, and replicas of the BBMAs red carpet and stage—accompanied by "pinpoint choreography" that featured "finely manicured" dance moves and an "explosive routine" during the song's instrumental break. The performance ended with the band "smiling and shining in front of a wall of lights". [103] [104] BTS performed the song later that night on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert , this time appearing in "a grand ballroom, fitted out with glorious chandeliers and art deco features, and raining with gold glitter". [105] The band was the first musical act in the lineup for Good Morning America 's 2021 Summer Concert Series, appearing on the May 29 episode, where they performed the track as part of a two-song set that also included "Dynamite". [106] They performed both songs again on July 1, at Sirius XM Hits 1. [107] In 2022, BTS performed the song at the 64th Grammy Awards on April 3. [108] Rolling Stone ranked it 14th on its list of the "30 Greatest Grammy Performances of All Time". [109]
The televised world premiere performance of the remix with Megan Thee Stallion was initially scheduled for the 2021 American Music Awards. The rapper later withdrew her appearance at the show, citing personal reasons, and BTS performed the original version of the song instead. [110] [111] The following week, she made a surprise appearance during the second night of the band's four-day concert series at SoFi Stadium and performed the remix together with them for the first time. [112]
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|
Credits adapted from Melon and Tidal. [121] [122]
Weekly charts
| Monthly charts
Year-end charts
All-time charts
|
Year | Organization | Award | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
2021 | Guinness World Records | Most viewers for the premiere of a video on YouTube | [231] |
Most viewers for the premiere of a music video on YouTube | |||
Most viewed YouTube music video in 24 hours | |||
Most viewed YouTube music video in 24 hours by a K-pop group | |||
Most streamed track on Spotify in the first 24 hours |
Year | Organization | Award | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
2021 | American Music Awards | Favorite Pop Song | Won | [232] |
Asia Artist Awards | Song of the Year | Won | [233] | |
E! People's Choice Awards | The Music Video of 2021 | Won | [234] | |
The Song of 2021 | Won | |||
Kids' Choice Awards Mexico | Global Hit | Won | [235] | |
Melon Music Awards | Song of the Year | Won | [236] | |
Meus Prêmios Nick | Favorite International Hit | Won | [237] | |
Video of the Year | Won | |||
Mnet Asian Music Awards | Best Dance Performance – Male Group | Won | [238] | |
Song of the Year | Won | |||
Best Music Video | Won | |||
MTV Video Music Awards | Best K-Pop | Won | [239] | |
Song of Summer | Won | |||
Best Choreography | Nominated | |||
Best Editing | Nominated | |||
Best Pop | Nominated | |||
MTV Video Music Awards Japan | Best Group Video – International | Won | [240] | |
Variety's Hitmakers | Record of the Year | Won | [241] | |
2022 | Billboard Music Awards | Top Selling Song | Won | [242] |
Top Global 200 (Excl. U.S.) Song | Nominated | [243] | ||
Gaon Chart Music Awards | Album of the Year – 3rd Quarter | Won | [244] | |
Retail Album of the Year | Won | |||
Song of the Year – May | Won | |||
Golden Disc Awards | Digital Song Bonsang | Won | [245] | |
Grammy Awards | Best Pop Duo/Group Performance | Nominated | [246] | |
iHeartRadio Music Awards | Best Music Video | Won | [247] | |
Japan Gold Disc Awards | Best 5 Songs by Download | Won | [248] | |
Best 5 Songs by Streaming | Won | |||
Song of the Year by Download (Asia) | Won | |||
Song of the Year by Streaming (Asia) | Won | |||
Korean Music Awards | Best K-pop Song | Nominated | [249] | |
Song of the Year | Nominated | |||
NME Awards | Best Song in the World | Nominated | [250] | |
2023 | Circle Chart Music Awards | Global Digital Music – December 2021 [a] | Nominated | [251] |
JASRAC Awards | Foreign Work Award [b] | Won | [252] | |
Korea Music Copyright Awards | Song of the Year [c] | Won | [253] |
Program | Date (13 total) | Ref. |
---|---|---|
Show! Music Core | May 29, 2021 | [254] |
June 5, 2021 | [255] | |
June 12, 2021 | [256] | |
June 19, 2021 | [257] | |
June 26, 2021 | [258] | |
Inkigayo | May 30, 2021 | [259] |
June 6, 2021 | [260] | |
June 13, 2021 | [261] | |
Show Champion | June 2, 2021 | [262] |
June 16, 2021 | [263] | |
June 23, 2021 | [264] | |
Music Bank | June 4, 2021 | [265] |
July 16, 2021 | [266] |
Award | Date (2021) | Ref. |
---|---|---|
Weekly Popularity Award | May 31 | [267] |
June 7 | ||
June 14 | ||
June 21 | ||
June 28 |
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Canada (Music Canada) [268] | 3× Platinum | 240,000‡ |
France (SNEP) [269] | Platinum | 200,000‡ |
Italy (FIMI) [270] | Gold | 35,000‡ |
Japan (RIAJ) [271] Physical | Platinum | 250,000^ |
Japan (RIAJ) [272] Downloads | Platinum | 250,000* |
New Zealand (RMNZ) [273] | Gold | 15,000‡ |
Portugal (AFP) [274] | Gold | 5,000‡ |
Spain (PROMUSICAE) [275] | Gold | 20,000‡ |
South Korea (KMCA) [276] Physical | 3× Million | 3,029,436 [277] |
United Kingdom (BPI) [91] | Gold | 400,000‡ |
United States (RIAA) [278] | 2× Platinum | 2,000,000‡ |
Streaming | ||
Japan (RIAJ) [279] | Diamond | 500,000,000† |
South Korea (KMCA) [280] | Platinum | 100,000,000† |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
Region | Date | Format(s) | Version(s) | Label | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Various | May 21, 2021 | Original | Big Hit | [281] | |
Italy | Radio airplay | Sony | [282] | ||
United States | May 24, 2021 | Adult contemporary radio | Columbia | [283] | |
May 25, 2021 | Contemporary hit radio | [26] | |||
Rhythmic radio | [284] | ||||
Various | May 28, 2021 |
| Hotter remix | Big Hit | [27] |
June 4, 2021 |
| [285] | |||
United States | June 18, 2021 | Original | The Orchard | [113] [114] | |
Various | July 9, 2021 | CD single | Big Hit | [29] | |
Japan | July 13, 2021 | Universal Music Japan | [286] | ||
Various | August 27, 2021 |
| Megan Thee Stallion remix | Big Hit | [287] |
December 3, 2021 | Holiday remix | [120] |
BTS, also known as the Bangtan Boys, is a South Korean boy band formed in 2010. The band consists of Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V, and Jungkook, who co-write or co-produce much of their material. Originally a hip hop group, they expanded their musical style to incorporate a wide range of genres, while their lyrics have focused on subjects including mental health, the troubles of school-age youth and coming of age, loss, the journey towards self-love, individualism, and the consequences of fame and recognition. Their discography and adjacent work has also referenced literature, philosophy and psychology, and includes an alternate universe storyline.
Kim Tae-hyung, known professionally as V (뷔), is a South Korean singer, songwriter, and a member of the boy band BTS. Since his debut with the band in 2013, V has performed three solo songs under their name—"Stigma" in 2016, "Singularity" in 2018, and "Inner Child" in 2020—all of which charted on South Korea's Gaon Digital Chart.
"Spring Day" is a song recorded by South Korean boy band BTS for their 2017 album You Never Walk Alone, a repackage of their second Korean-language studio album, Wings (2016). The song was written by "Hitman" Bang, RM, Suga, Adora, Arlissa Ruppert, Peter Ibsen, and its producer Pdogg. It was released for digital download and streaming on February 13, 2017, as the album's lead single by Big Hit Entertainment. A remix of the song was subsequently released for free via SoundCloud on June 4, 2018. A Japanese version of the song was issued on May 10, 2017, through Universal Music Japan, as a B-side of the single album that included the tracks "Blood Sweat & Tears" and "Not Today", both also in Japanese. The song is an alternative hip hop and pop rock power ballad, which relies on rock instrumentation. The lyrics revolve around the themes of loss, longing, grief, and moving on.
Min Yoon-gi, known professionally by his stage names Suga and Agust D, is a South Korean rapper, songwriter and record producer. He debuted as a member of the South Korean boy band BTS in June 2013 under Big Hit Entertainment. His first solo mixtape, Agust D, was released in 2016 and re-released in 2018 to digital download and streaming platforms, reaching number three on Billboard's World Albums Chart. In 2020, he released his second solo mixtape, D-2; it peaked at number 11 on the US Billboard 200, number seven on the UK Albums Chart, and number two on Australia's ARIA Album Chart.
"Mic Drop" is a song recorded in two languages by South Korean boy band BTS. The Korean version was originally included as a B-side track on the band's fifth extended play, Love Yourself: Her (2017), and later remixed by American producer and DJ Steve Aoki. The remix was released as the second single from the EP on November 24, 2017, by Big Hit Entertainment and features a guest appearance by American rapper Desiigner. It was serviced to US contemporary hit radio on December 5, 2017, as a single in that country. The Japanese-language version of "Mic Drop" was released on December 6, 2017, by Def Jam Recordings and Virgin Music as a triple A-side single album that included "DNA" and a new, original song "Crystal Snow", both also in Japanese. Both the Korean and Japanese versions of the song were written by Supreme Boi, "Hitman" Bang, J-Hope, RM, and Pdogg, with the latter of the five solely handling production. The remix version was also written by the same songwriters, with additional songwriting by Aoki, Desiigner, Tayla Parx, Flowsik, and Shae Jacobs. It was produced by Aoki, with Pdogg providing additional production. A hip hop song, the lyrics celebrate BTS' numerous achievements.
"DNA" is a song recorded in two languages by South Korean boy band BTS. The Korean version was released on September 18, 2017, as the lead single from the band's fifth extended play Love Yourself: Her (2017) by Big Hit Entertainment. The Japanese version of the song was released on December 6, 2017, by Universal Music Japan as a triple A-side single album that included "Mic Drop" and a new, original song "Crystal Snow", both also in Japanese. Both versions were written by "Hitman" Bang, Supreme Boi, KASS, Suga, RM, Pdogg, with the latter of the six solely handling production. A "Pedal 2 LA" remix of the track appears on the band's third compilation album, Love Yourself: Answer (2018). An EDM and pop song, the lyrics talk about fate and love at first sight.
"I Need U" is a song recorded by South Korean boy band BTS as the lead single from their third extended play, The Most Beautiful Moment in Life, Part 1 (2015). The single was released by Big Hit Entertainment on April 29, 2015, in South Korea. It was the first of BTS' career to garner them a win on a South Korean television music show. Two remix versions of the song were subsequently released on the band's first compilation album The Most Beautiful Moment in Life: Young Forever in 2016. By September 2016, the song had sold over 800,000 digital downloads domestically. In December 2019, its music video became BTS' 14th to surpass 200 million views.
Jung Ho-seok, known professionally as J-Hope, is a South Korean rapper, singer-songwriter, dancer, and record producer. He made his debut as a member of South Korean boy band BTS in 2013, under Big Hit Entertainment.
"Fake Love" is a song recorded in Korean and Japanese by South Korean band BTS. It was written by "Hitman" Bang, RM, and Pdogg, with the latter as producer. The Korean version was released through Big Hit Entertainment on May 18, 2018, as the lead single from the band's third album Love Yourself: Tear (2018). Columbia Records serviced the song to US contemporary hit radio on June 12, 2018, as a single in the country. A remix, titled "Rocking Vibe", was released on June 4, 2018, and appears on the band's third compilation album, Love Yourself: Answer (2018). The Japanese version of the song was released for digital download and streaming on October 16, 2018, by Universal Music Japan as a single album that included the remix and "Airplane Pt. 2", both also in Japanese. "Fake Love" is an emo hip hop, grunge, rap-rock and electropop song which relies on rock instrumentals. The lyrics talk about a love that was once believed to be destiny, but turned out to be fake at the end.
"Idol" is a song recorded by South Korean boy band BTS. It was released on August 24, 2018, by Big Hit Entertainment as the lead single from the band's third compilation album Love Yourself: Answer (2018). An alternative version of the song featuring Nicki Minaj was included as a bonus track on the digital version of the album. The single debuted at number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100, and the two versions combined sold 43,000 downloads in their first week of sale in the US. It is certified platinum by the RIAA.
Kim Seok-jin, known professionally as Jin (진), is a South Korean singer, songwriter, and member of the South Korean boy band BTS. Jin has released three solo tracks with BTS: "Awake" in 2016, "Epiphany" in 2018, and "Moon" in 2020, all of which have charted on South Korea's Gaon Digital Chart. In 2019, Jin released his first independent song, the digital track "Tonight". He made his official debut as a solo artist in October 2022, with the release of the single "The Astronaut".
Park Ji-min, known mononymously as Jimin, is a South Korean singer, songwriter and dancer. In 2013, he made his debut as a member of the South Korean boy band BTS, under the record label Big Hit Entertainment.
South Korean boy band BTS have released 43 singles as lead artist, including five soundtrack appearances; nine singles as a featured artist; two promotional singles; and over 100 other non-single songs. In Japan, according to Oricon and the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ), several of the band's singles are among the most-streamed songs of all time in the country and have set various other streaming and certification records that no other artist or group act in the history of either organization has. In the United States, per Billboard, they have sold over 3.1 million tracks as of 2021, and hold the record for the most number-one singles in the 2020s decade, with six.
"Boy with Luv" is a song recorded by South Korean boy band BTS, featuring American singer Halsey, as the lead single for their sixth extended play Map of the Soul: Persona. It was released on April 12, 2019, by Big Hit Entertainment. The song's music video was the most viewed online music video in 24 hours at the time, garnering over 74.6 million views within its first day of release. The song was certified Platinum by the RIAA in June. "Boy with Luv" held the record for the song with the most music show wins after the 2000s in South Korea with 21 wins, until the record was broken by "Dynamite".
"On" is a song recorded by South Korean boy band BTS. It was released on February 21, 2020, as the second single from the band's fourth Korean-language album Map of the Soul: 7. A version featuring Australian singer Sia was also released and features on the digital and streaming version of the album.
Map of the Soul: 7 – The Journey is the fourth Japanese and eighth overall studio album by South Korean boy band BTS. The band's first full-length Japanese offering in two years since Face Yourself (2018), the album was released on July 14, 2020, through Universal Music Japan and Big Hit Entertainment. The album contains Japanese versions of songs from Love Yourself: Answer (2018), Map of the Soul: Persona (2019), and Map of the Soul: 7 (2020), as well as four new tracks: two instrumentals, "Intro: Calling" and "Outro: The Journey", and two original songs, lead single "Stay Gold", and "Your Eyes Tell" which was written by Jungkook. Previously released 2019 single "Lights" was also included.
"Dynamite" is a song recorded by South Korean boy band BTS, released on August 21, 2020, through Big Hit Entertainment and Sony Music Entertainment. It is the band's first song fully recorded in English. The song was written by David Stewart and Jessica Agombar and produced by Stewart. It has been described as an upbeat disco-pop song with elements of funk, soul, and bubblegum pop, and takes influence from 1970s music—it features snapping handclaps, echoing synths, and celebratory horns.
"Life Goes On" is a song recorded by South Korean boy band BTS and released on November 20, 2020, through Big Hit Entertainment and Columbia Records as the lead single from the group's fifth Korean-language studio album Be, released the same day.
"Permission to Dance" is a song by South Korean boy band BTS. It was released through Big Hit Music and Sony Music on July 9, 2021, as a stand-alone single. The song was also included as part of the CD release of the group's previous single "Butter", and is the band's third English-language single. The song topped the charts in five countries and reached the top ten in ten other territories.
"Yet to Come (The Most Beautiful Moment)" is a song by South Korean boy band BTS, released on June 10, 2022, through Big Hit Music and Universal Music Group, as the lead single from their first anthology album Proof. It is the band's first original Korean-language single since 2020's "Life Goes On". An alternative hip hop track, the song's lyrics are a reflection on the past nine years of the band's career while also looking forward to what the future holds. It was written by Dan Gleyzer, J-Hope, Max, Pdogg, RM, and Suga, with Pdogg serving as producer. The song received generally positive reviews from critics.