BTS – “Butter”
Last August, the K-pop superstars BTS came out with “Dynamite,” their first English-language single. It promptly debuted at #1 in the US, giving the boy band their first American chart-topper. Since then, BTS have marauded all over the charts, scoring two more #1 singles — including one, “Life Goes On,” that became the first-ever Korean-language song to top the Billboard Hot 100. It’s clear that BTS don’t need to sing in English to achieve full global dominance. But they’re doing it anyway! Today, the group released “Butter,” their second English-language single.
“Butter,” like “Dynamite” before it, is 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. Bruno Mars is the obvious comparison, but there’s also a mid-song synth breakdown that definitely goes for some of that Random Access Memories-era Daft Punk swagger. The lyrics are just about being smooth operators who will make you melt, and there’s a quick Usher reference in there, too.
The song’s seven credited writers include BTS member RM, who raps capably in English, as well as past BTS collaborator Jenna Andrews and Rob Grimaldi, a producer who’s worked with K-pop groups like BLACKPINK and MONSTA X. Weirdly, though, the song also credits Columbia Records chairman Ron Perry, a man who doesn’t really have any previous writing or producing credits, as a co-writer and co-producer. As Variety points out, that’s an old-school music-business practice that might be making a comeback right now. Watch the bright and slick “Butter” video below.