BTS looks to a Grammy nomination after scoring their first Billboard #1 single

After scoring South Korea’s first-ever #1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, K-pop supergroup BTS now says it’s set its sights on a standalone performance at next year’s Grammy Awards, perhaps even a nomination or an award. BTS (Bangtan Sonyeondan) are RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V and Jungkook, and have fought over their 7 years together to now become the most recognised pop band in the world, weaponising social media and taking a non-traditional approach to reaching out to the world with their music.

They’ve been prolific with their highly produced video clips and equally prolific sharing of their rehearsals and back-stage moments, along with band fights and personal insights, providing a completely 3 dimensional version of the artists, beyond the polished performances and slick dance moves.

Since debuting in 2013 debut, the 7 member band has put K-Pop on the global pop music map and then taken their music to the dizzying heights of the world’s leading charts and a slew of sold out stadium concerts and awards. This week it landed the Number One spot on the coveted Billboard Hot 100 chart with the summer bop ‘Dynamite’, their first all-English language single that’s been lapped up by mainstream US pop fans.

The YouTube video of ‘Dynamite’ has already racked up 288 million views, and was the highest ever ranking debut in history, eclipsing fellow K-Pop stars Blackpink. The success of Dynamite raises hopes of a gong at next year’s Grammys. Earlier this year the band performed alongside rapper Lil Nas X, but have never been nominated for an award in the Grammy universe.

Band leader and rapper RM (Kim Nam-joon) said that the Billboard achievement still didn’t “feel real”, lamenting being unable to celebrate it with fans (known as ‘Army’) as the Covid-19 pandemic prompted them to cancel their sold-out world tour.

“The Grammys is the place that all artists would dream of, and we’re hoping that we will be able to stage our own performance, secure nominations and if possible, win an award. All the performances and concerts we had always held have now become a dream. But we still want to do an outdoor show some day, inviting many people and throwing a festival at a big square.”

‘Dynamite’ notched 33.9 million US streams and 300,000 sales in its first week, according to Nielsen Music data. BTS also scored the biggest digital sales week in nearly 3 years.

While the group’s introspective 2018 album ‘Love Yourself: Tear’ was aimed at showing fans how the young stars dealt with and overcame doubts and fears, the new single was designed to give energy to fans who might be grappling with coronavirus gloom, the band said. Their current album has also taken on darker tones with hit singles Black Swan and On revealing some of the dark sides of fame.

“Everyone should join hands to help fight the pandemic, in which lifting people’s spirits is vital. What we should and can do is to give a bit of comfort and refresh them, that’s another goal of ours,” said Jimin.

BTS performed live at this week’s VMAs where they picked up 4 awards, adding to their growing list of western pop music gongs…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJCdkOpU90g