The boys are back. BTS — RM, Jin, SUGA, j-hope, Jimin, V, and Jungkook – returned to the spotlight and, arguably, to the top of the music world with their Aug. 21 single, “Dynamite.” After weeks of teasing the new track, the Korean boy band lit the fuse to this banger and it blew up online – thanks to its joyous beat, playful lyrics and it’s colorful music video!
The pastel-infused video needed a wardrobe just as colorful to match, especially given its “Disco” theme. While the boy band starts off in ’90s MTV-era outfits (Kangol hats and unbuttoned dress shirts layered over baggy shirts), the six performers travel back even more decades and stop at the ’70s to change into bell-bottoms and flashy collared shirts. Of course, BTS is also given a chance to show off their expert footwork in their modern 2020 style — check out all the outfits in the video above, or scroll through the screenshots below!
“Dynamite” marks a comeback for the band, who last released Map of the Soul: 7 in February. The septet announced the new single during a July 26 broadcast on VLIVE. During the stream, the group announced that they’re “preparing an album for the second half of the year,” but wanted to release a single “because we wanted to reach our fans as soon as possible. … The song is upbeat and sung in English, just like ‘MIC Drop’ and ‘Waste It On Me.’ We thought that the song sounded perfect as it is in English. We recorded the guide version and felt that the result was something totally new and fresh,” the group said, per Teen Vogue.
“We also needed a breakthrough during these unforeseen times, so we worked on this new song. This is a new challenge for us as well. When we first heard and recorded the song, we were energized and our spirits were lifted up. We can’t wait to share this song with you all and enjoy it together,” the group added. Shortly after the stream, Big Hit Entertainment revealed that the song would be called “Dynamite,” causing the ARMY to explode with excitement. They blew up – with joy – again after the group released teaser images for “Dynamite,” especially over RM’s turquoise hair color.
Weeks before the release of “Dynamite,” the single was “flying off the digital shelves,” according to Forbes. A limited-edition first run of “Dynamite” vinyl and cassettes sold out within an hour. A second pressing also sold out quickly, and more than 500,000 people pre-saved the track on Spotify, which was a record for the band.
Pre-saved songs and albums appear in listeners’ Spotify libraries as soon as they become available, per Forbes, and this reflects stream-to-engagement ratio. Having half a million authentic fans eager to listen to “Dynamite” the moment it is released ensures that the band will have a huge debut on the Billboard Hot 100. BTS will also reportedly premiere on every major U.S. radio chain, a major shift since U.S. pop radio has supposedly underplayed BTS in the past.
BTS will perform the single during the 2020 MTV Video Music Awards. Initially set to be held at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, the producers decided to play it safe and hold the ceremony virtually while featuring performances from various iconic locations throughout the five boroughs. In addition to performing, BTS is nominated for Best Pop, Best K-Pop and Best Choreography at the 2020 MTV VMAs.
The band is expected to release an album in the fourth quarter of 2020 (anytime between October to December.) They’re also planning to perform “BTS MAP OF THE SOUL ON:E,” a socially distant concert that will be broadcast online, per Teen Vogue. They’ll also release In The Soop, a reality television show, up until mid-October, and an alternative music video to “Dynamite” on Aug. 24.