BTS rack up views with smooth 'Butter' track, their second English song after 'Dynamite'

Record-breaking K-pop band BTS have released their second English-language track Butter, and racked up more than 34 million views on YouTube within a few hours of its premiere.

The seven-member boy band's single Dynamite released last year, with the megahit earning them a Grammy nomination, making them the first Korean pop group in history to do so.

The video for Dynamite has received more than a billion views on YouTube.

BTS will perform Butter, a funky summer track, at the 2021 Billboard Music Awards set for Monday, May 24, where they are nominated in four categories, the most yet for K-pop stars, including top duo/group and top selling song for Dynamite.

The Butter video begins in black-and-white with the seven members in sharp suits, and then transitions into a vibrant palette of colours featuring nimble dance moves the group has become known for, along with lyrics such as "Smooth like butter / Like a criminal undercover".

Speaking at a press conference in Seoul ahead of their Billboard performance, BTS said they were renewing their quest to win a Grammy Award with Butter.

"Of course we would like to win a Grammy. That's still valid and we are aiming to work for it once again with Butter, and hoping for good results," songwriter and rapper Suga said.

Dynamite, released in August 2020, debuted at No 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was the biggest debut on Spotify in the same year. It was also the lead single on the K-pop group's fifth album Be.

The group, who also performed at the Grammys, were beaten in the Best Pop Duo/Group Performance category by Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande's Rain On Me.

Vocalist Jimin said he regretted BTS could not meet fans for the eighth anniversary of the group's debut next month, which will be celebrated virtually rather through a live concert because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

"I've felt somewhat isolated being unable to see fans due to the current situation, but we continue to think hard about how we can show our different aspects and satisfy them," he said.

Leader and rapper RM said: "For us, the biggest topic is what function BTS can serve, why we exist and which values we should pursue under this new normal era and for the industry."

– Additional reporting by Reuters