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BTS’ ‘Dynamite’ good reason to dust off music lovers’ locked-down dancing shoes
With the well-timed release of “Dynamite”, BTS’ first song fully recorded in English is a much-appreciated burst of positivity that owes a big chunk of its charm to the funk, soul and ’70s disco sound it revisits.
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Jimin, Jungkook, RM, J-Hope, V, Jin, and SUGA of the K-pop boy band BTS visit the 'Today' Show at Rockefeller Plaza on February 21, 2020 in New York City. (AFP/Dia Dipasupil )
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ith the well-timed release of “Dynamite”, BTS’ first song fully recorded in English is a much-appreciated burst of positivity that owes a big chunk of its charm to the funk, soul and ’70s disco sound it revisits. It is enhanced even further by the trailblazing K-pop septet’s multigenerational appeal.
All in all, the song, said to be a cut from their upcoming album, is good enough reason for members of their global Army to finally dust off their locked-down dancing shoes.
Jungkook, V, Jimin, Jin, Suga, J-Hope and RM limber up to channel the feel-good swagger of Michael Jackson, Justin Timberlake and Bruno Mars all rolled into one glorious perk-me-up musical package, framed by an upbeat progression and a funky bassline that is guaranteed to chase your blues away.
You can relish the single’s overall allure even more by way of its pastel-colored music video, which finds Jungkook and his buddies letting their hair down as they “bring the fire and set the night alight.” It is an earworm that is hard to resist.
Read also: BTS challenges themselves once again with ‘Dynamite’
Inspiring fan reception
Fan reception has been more than inspiring, so far. On Billboard, “Dynamite” became the group’s highest debut on the Pop Songs Radio Airplay chart. But the boys’ feat is even more astounding on YouTube, where the song’s splashy release (on Aug. 20) became the biggest music video premiere of all time, racking up more than 10 million views after only 20 minutes. As we write this, it has been viewed approximately 207 million times!
If the execution and tone seem to take a more in-your-face approach, a departure from the slick and dark emotional themes exuded by the Map of the Soul lineup, the intention is clear and unapologetic: The guys of BTS want their music to boost people’s spirits during these trying times—and nobody’s complaining.
Read also: BTS to release all-English song ‘Dynamite’
'Destined'
While it was never their intention to sing in English, they acknowledge that times have changed since COVID-19 began rearing its ugly, deadly head early this year.
RM, in fact, thinks that BTS was “destined” to record the song. “Who would ever think of this pandemic?” he told USA Today in an interview last Friday. “No meeting, no karaoke, no concerts? Even no walking in the park. We never expected this song would come fully in English. It just came to us.”
BTS doesn’t just consider “Dynamite” a breakthrough of sorts (learning English was more interesting than hard, noted Jungkook), but it’s a new song whose message and melody lifted their spirits up.
With so much doom and gloom around us, the track, realized in the same groovesome vein as other summer-themed songs like Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars’ “Uptown Funk”, Justin Timberlake’s “Can’t Stop the Feeling”, Michael Jackson and Justin’s “Love Never Felt So Good”, Taylor Swift’s “Shake It Off”, Pharrell Williams’ “Happy”, Beyonce’s “Love on Top” and Charlie Puth’s “How Long”, comes just when we all need to take a breather and dance our woes and fears away.
This article appeared on the Philippine Daily Inquirer newspaper website, which is a member of Asia News Network and a media partner of The Jakarta Post
