BTS’ ‘Butter’ is a cool, crisp summer anthem that doubles as a potent shot of self-confidence.
During difficult times, alleviation comes in numerous structures. Indeed, even somewhat recently alone, BTS have substantiated themselves as bosses of all. Regardless of whether they were sharing relatable accounts of battle to cause you to feel less alone on ‘Life Goes On’ or shooting away the blues with an inspirational perspective and the habit-forming energy to coordinate with the Grammy-designated ‘Dynamite‘. As the pandemic keeps on putting parts of our lives we recently underestimated on hold, the gathering are adopting an alternate strategy on their freshest single.
‘Butter’, the Korean hotshots’ second completely English single, doesn’t come supported with elevated points of altering temperaments or outlooks. All things being equal, it centers around one straightforward, humble point: to make this mid year fun. Though ‘Dynamite’ was a technicolor blast of unbridled elation, here the band take a more lowkey – however comparably compelling – way to pop gold.
Gone is the mirrorball sheen of that 2020 disco banger, supplanted by something somewhat more inconspicuous, however comparably warm and welcoming. The bassline murmurs and fires up like a games vehicle warming for an excursion to heaven, and slathers of smooth synths that vibe instant for moderate, sunkissed evenings. It’s a spotless and fresh piece of dance pop that is unquestionably cool without forfeiting promptness or significant snares.
‘Butter’ probably won’t be the most significant melody in BTS’ stockpile, yet there are a larger number of layers to it than there may initially appear. Similarly as ‘Dynamite’ employed mainstream society references to LeBron James and The Rolling Stones, the band’s most recent delivery likewise packs in gestures to hit singles that have preceded it. There’s V’s wink to 2000 R&B crush ‘U Got It Bad‘ in the line “Don’t need no Usher / To remind me you got it bad” or Jungkook’s initial salute to Michael Jackson‘s ‘Smooth Criminal‘: “Smooth like butter, like a criminal undercover”. The more you tune in, the more possible references to the pop universe’s previous keep on spreading the word about themselves.
BTS’ expectations with the track may be based around pure fun, yet ‘Butter’ likewise has another side to it. The tune’s verses are brimming with confidence. Jin and Jimin’s smooth pre-melodies of “Oh when I look in the mirror / I’ll melt your heart into two / I got that superstar glow”, while J-Hope precisely predicts the world’s reaction to anything BTS does (“Hot like (summer)/Ain’t no (bummer)/You be like, ‘Oh my god'”). Every snapshot of self-adoration is conveyed with unflinching conviction that, joined with the swaggering instrumental underneath the seven individuals’ vocals, frames a strong shot of certainty that causes you to feel prepared to take on the world – and make some incredible memories doing as such.
The group’s rap line further reinforce that feeling in their sections, causing you to feel like a piece of their undefeatable band. Suga gives a strutting call-and-reaction, his joyful “Hate us?” replied by his bandmates reciting “Love us!”, while RM quickly follows him up with a cap tip to their all-inclusive crew from one side of the planet to the other. “Got ARMY directly behind us when we say so,” he raps before the tune starts its last bid to get held up in your cerebrum for an entire season.
The existence we once realized still probably won’t get back to us this summer, however at any rate with ‘BUTTER’ it guarantees us that the “new normal” doesn’t need to be disheartening and exhausting. It’s still too soon in the year to call a conclusive Song Of The Summer, however BTS have effectively set the bar high.