BTS: RM on Why ‘Dynamite’ Has Been So Successful With American Listeners
On Sept. 8, BTS’ new single “Dynamite” reached an incredible milestone and remained at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for a second week in a row. When the song debuted at No. 1 on Aug. 31, BTS made history as the only all-South Korean group to ever debut at the No. 1 spot.
After the BTS song debuted at No. 1 on the Hot 100, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V, and Jungkook held a press conference on Sept. 2 to celebrate the accomplishment. The members of BTS were asked how they were able to reach the general public in the U.S. with “Dynamite,” and RM gave an insightful answer.
Why RM thinks BTS’ song ‘Dynamite’ has done so well
Since its release, “Dynamite” has broken YouTube, Spotify, and Billboard records. It has also become BTS’ first real radio hit in the U.S., which has helped the song garner casual listeners outside of the band’s already-established fan base.
When asked why the BTS song has performed so well with the American general public, RM gave a thought out and honest answer.
“It’s not an easy question to answer, I think. And that’s because, of course, it’s not just, No. 1 on the Hot 100, the Billboard chart, it’s not something you can achieve with only fan support,” he said. “It could be our performances, our behind the scenes, and what we said, what we did, what we showed.”
He continued, “When you do something, when someone does something with sincerity, it doesn’t always resonate with other people. Sometimes we do something and that’s not acknowledged or rewarded… I think it’s the power of music and the power of performance.”
RM also acknowledged that the English lyrics and disco-pop genre made the song more accessible for casual listeners.
“I think ‘Dynamite’ was more familiar because of the language as well as other elements. The language and the disco-pop were familiar to the American public. Something that’s easy to sing and hum along with. It doesn’t have an overarching macro-level message. Sometimes, simpler messages really get across. I dare say that all these factors came together to create this achievement.”
What is BTS’ next goal?
At the press conference, the BTS members were also asked about what they want to accomplish next after having a song reach No. 1 on the Hot 100.
“We went to the Grammys at the beginning of the year and we did a collaboration performance. Now I would like to put on a single performance, just BTS on the Grammy Awards stage,” Suga said. “It would be great to receive an award, but that’s not going to become a reality just because we want it. We need help from a lot of people. Just getting to perform on the Grammy Awards stage is our goal.”
RM then added that he hopes BTS will be nominated and win a Grammy Award too.
“The Grammy Awards is something all of the performers dream of,” he said. “Of course, we would like to perform there, too. We would, of course, like to be nominated. It would be great to receive the award. That is the direction we should be headed for.”
What to expect from the group’s next album
BTS is expected to release a Korean-language album toward the end of this year. At the end of the press conference, Jimin told the media that their future songs are just as good as “Dynamite.”
“In the future, I hope that you keep your eyes on us striving to achieve our next goal. We really like our song this time, but we really like our next songs too,” he said. “I hope you look forward to it.”
