'Another one for the hit': BTS drops Butter, and it's smoother than ever

The boys are back! Pop sensation BTS has dropped what would be one of the most-anticipated music releases of the year on Friday with a funky, retro-esque theme.

Butter, the second English language single by the group after the chart-topping Dynamite, is a lively 80s themed pop song that gives tributes to a legendary era in music.

The music video for the song directed by South Korean moviemakers’ company Lumpens shows the boys in mafia-esque outfits grooving sharply to the beat, much to the surprise of the Grammy-nominated septet group’s strong fanbase called ARMY, that pans across the globe. 

However, the groups stayed loyal to the practice of quashing the heteronormative notions in this music video also with the stylists sticking to looks that defy the binary gender norms. With V and Jin bringing back the legendary pearl necklaces, classic earrings and colourful outfits, the team continued to shake up the preconceived notions regarding masculinity.

The team, that is known for including their fanbase, ARMY, in their lyrics, this time went to recreate the human lettering of A.R.M.Y. they used to do in the debut years.

Unlike its predecessor Dynamite, Butter went for a stronger and sharper theme for a summer release.

The teaser of the song released a few days before had shown them giving a nod to beats that highly resembles to British rock legends Queen's 1980 hit 'Another One Bites The Dust.' The Queen themselves tweeted it later.

The concept clips and photos released earlier showed the band members grooving to disco-funk/rock beats with props like lollipop or party poppers. The group surprised its fans with refreshing hair colors days before, much like every come back. The group photo released by their company BigHit Music showed the team leader Kim Namjoon aka RM in shiny pink hair (a colour he claimed to do never again!), Park Jimin in blonde with rainbow highlights (a literal unicorn that one is), JungKook in silky purple (hail the manbun), J-Hope in mustard (with an undercut!), Jin, V and SUGA in shades of black (yet no less stunning).

However, the teaser video showed something entirely different. The monochromatic teaser showed them crisp suits and fits that mostly stuck to a black and white theme paired with sunglasses, gold chains and badboy-ish hair.

It's almost funny how they drop a stellar teaser for their lead singles days before the song release. Then brings out a song that is entirely different but with the same soul. Those who had been with the group during the 'Idol era' must really be familiar with this tactic.

The first stage performance of Butter will be held at the Billboard Music Awards (BBMA) on May 24.

A slew of American TV shows have also been lined up for the group in the upcoming week where on stage performances and promotional activities would take place.

Since their 2013 debut, the band -- whose full name is Bangtan Sonyeondan (Bulletproof Boy Scouts) -- has ridden a global K-Pop wave with catchy, upbeat music along with lyrics and social campaigns aimed at empowering young people. The band has already bagged honours from the Billboard Music Awards, the American Music Awards and the MTV Europe Music Awards.

The group’s first English language single Dynamite, released in August 2020, topped the Billboard Hot 100 singles for multiple weeks and stayed in top 10 ever since. The song won the group’s first ever Grammy Awards nomination in the Best Pop Duo/Group Performance category last year. 

In November 2020, the group released a self-produced album, ‘BE’ with a lead single ‘Life Goes On’ which portrayed the struggles and hopes of survival in the trying times in a world shut down by the global pandemic. 

They have also earned a nod at this year's BRIT Awards in the International Group section. The awards are scheduled to be held on May 12.

The team’s online concert held last year had drawn more than 990,000 viewers from 191 countries, fetching some 50 billion won ($45 million) in ticket sales.