Save Me (BTS song)

Last updated

"Save Me"
Single by BTS
from the album The Most Beautiful Moment In Life: Young Forever and Youth
ReleasedMay 2, 2016
Studio Carrot Express
Genre
Length3:16
Label Big Hit
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) Pdogg
BTS singles chronology
"Fire"
(2016)
"Save Me"
(2016)
"Blood Sweat & Tears"
(2016)
Music video
"Save ME" on YouTube

"Save Me" (stylized as "Save ME") is a song by South Korean boy group BTS from their compilation album The Most Beautiful Moment In Life: Young Forever (2016). The original Korean version was released by Big Hit on May 2, 2016, in South Korea. The Japanese single version was released on September 7, 2016, on their album Youth , [1] under Universal Music Japan and Virgin Music-Def Jam Recordings. The song is widely considered as one of the group’s signature songs. [2]

Contents

Music and lyrics

"Save Me" is a tropical house and electropop track. NME 's Rhian Daly described it as "deceptively bright and bouncy – an aural carnival that masks the pleas for help in the lyrics." [3] The song opens with energetic synth sound that sonically develops towards tropical house sound. [4] [5] The song contains a speedy rhythm and a "frenetic" chorus. [5] Billboard described it as "powerfully subtle". [4] Lyrically, it deals with the theme of salvation. [5] The song was written by Pdogg, Ray Michael Djan Jr, Ashton Foster, Samantha Harper, RM, Suga, and J-Hope with Pdogg serving as the primary producer. [6] Musically, it is in the key of D♭ major and is 140 beats per minute. [7]

Promotion

The music video for "Save Me", released in conjunction with the single was produced and directed by GDW. [8] [9] The music video, which was notably filmed in a one-shot take [10] shows BTS members singing and performing intense choreography against the wind, in the backdrop of low-lying clouds that maximize the atmosphere and convey the emotions of a lyrically sad song. [11] The dance was choreographed by The Quick Style Crew. [12] As of February 2023, the visual has garnered over 700 million views. [13]

BTS decided to promote on music shows only for a week, [14] performing on Mnet, KBS, MBC and SBS as planned to allow for individual activities, performances and overseas schedules, starting with M! Countdown on May 12. [15] The song was promoted at the 2018 MBC Plus X Genie Music Awards performances as well. [16]

Commercial performance

BTS topped Billboard World Digital Songs with "Save Me", the number 1 spot being taken by their other single "Fire". [17] The videos for "Save Me" ranked second on Most Viewed K-Pop Videos in America, Around the World: May 2016 list revealed by Billboard. [18]

Credits and personnel

The Korean credits are adapted from the CD liner notes of The Most Beautiful Moment In Life: Young Forever . [19]

Charts

Chart (2016)Peak
position
Finland Download (Latauslista) [20] 23
Philippines (Philippine Hot 100) [21] 71
South Korea (Gaon) [22] 19
US World Digital Songs ( Billboard ) [23] 2

Certifications and sales

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
South Korea228,170 [24]
United States92,000 [25]
Streaming
Japan (RIAJ) [26] Gold50,000,000

Streaming-only figures based on certification alone.

Release history

RegionRelease dateFormatVersionLabel
VariousMay 2, 2016Korean Big Hit Entertainment
September 7, 2016Japanese

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References

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  15. References:
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  24. Gaon cumulative sales for "Save Me" in South Korea:
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