K-pop sensation BTS releases new summer single 'Butter'

SEOUL (AP) - K-pop band BTS on Friday released their long-awaited single, 'œButter,'ť which they described as a lighthearted and fun song for summer.

BTS - composed of J-Hope, RM, Suga, Jungkook, V, Jin and Jimin - held a socially distanced news conference in Seoul to unveil the synth-heavy dance pop track.

'œAs you can see from the title, it's a lighthearted song,'ť said Jimin, adding that the song will 'œmelt listeners' hearts like butter."

The music video of 'œButter'ť racked up over 17 million views on Youtube in less than an hour upon its release. The song also topped iTunes Top Songs charts in multiple countries, including the United States.

'œButter'ť is the band's second English-language single after 'œDynamite,'ť which topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart for the first time ever for a South Korean group last year.

The band's leader, RM, co-wrote the lyrics for 'œButter'ť with a range of musicians including Rob Grimaldi and Stephen Kirk.

'œWe always think about what we want to express and what people want to hear from us,'ť RM said.

BTS will perform 'œButter'ť for the first time at the 2021 Billboard Music Awards on Sunday.

Suga said the Billboard Music Awards are very meaningful for the band. BTS is nominated for four categories - Top Duo/Group, Top Song Sales Artist, Top Social Artist, and Top Selling Song. Last year, the band was nominated for two categories and won the Top Social Artist award.

Since their debut in 2013, BTS has garnered global recognition for their self-produced music and activism, which includes giving a speech at the United Nations and publicly calling out anti-Asian racism. The band topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart three times in 2020, and was nominated for prominent music awards like Billboard Music Awards and MTV Video Music Awards.