BTS dare to dream of Grammy nomination after first No 1 hit single on Billboard chart, Dynamite

America has warmed to BTS and they feel like they’ve earned respect there, says RM, a member of the K-pop group, after their single, Dynamite, debuted at No 1
The song’s success could translate into a Grammy Awards nomination for BTS. ‘The sheer thought of a nomination is thrilling,’ says band member J-Hope

K-pop, Mandopop and other Asian pop

Associated Press

Published: 10:15pm, 3 Sep 2020

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Loud, happy screams erupted in unison from the members of BTS when they heard they had notched up their first No 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

“It still doesn’t feel real,” said BTS member Suga. “We’re really happy.”

Dynamite, the group’s first all-English song, debuted at No 1 on the US music charts this week, making BTS the first South Korean pop act to top the chart and the first Asian act to hit No 1 since Japanese singer Kyu Sakamoto’s Sukiyaki held the top spot for three weeks in 1963. The upbeat song even supplanted Wap, the raunchy smash hit by Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion, to claim the No 1 position.

“Never expected it,” RM said of beating Wap for the top spot. “Never! It’s like the song of the year.”

Getting their first chart-topping track seemed inevitable for the K-pop boy band, who have found increasing success in the United States in the past few years. They’ve had four albums top the Billboard 200 albums chart, achieved top 10 successes on the Hot 100 with Boy With Luv , On and Fake Love, and sold out US football stadiums in minutes.

Even at US awards shows, they’ve gone from winning honours such as “top social artist” to being named best group and best pop act, beating out the likes of Maroon 5, Imagine Dragons, Twenty One Pilots, Jonas Brothers and others. At Sunday’s MTV Video Music Awards, presented from New York, they won all four prizes they were nominated for.

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When asked if BTS – who released their debut single in 2013 – felt like they’ve begun to earn more respect in the United States, RM said: “We definitely feel that.”

“I think in the perspective of culture, I think it’s really important to be familiar. So first, we think … that for many Americans [they were] not familiar with us – we look different, we sing different, we got some different choreography, music videos, like everything, even lifestyle.

“But I think as time goes by, we’re doing these shows and songs and concerts and awards, I think quite a lot of people in the American music market are getting, like, kind of close [to us],” he said. “I think it’s very good and that’s what we wanted, actually.”

The K-pop group say they are busy recording a new album. Photo: Twitter/@BTS_twt

It could also be time for BTS’ first Grammy nomination.

“When we see [Western] artists … get nominated for Grammys, they would go: ‘Yeah! Yeah!’” said J-Hope, standing up from his chair and throwing a small punch in the air.

“Like Travis Scott,” he continued. “The nomination is meaningful to even [famous] people like that, and to imagine that we could be nominated for a Grammy, it would be such an honour and a great feeling.”

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Nominees for the 2021 Grammy Awards will be announced later this year. The show, which presents awards recognising achievements in the music industry, doesn’t have a K-pop category. While there is a best world music album award, there isn’t a song category for world and international music. Those songs, then, would instead have to compete for best pop duo/group performance – a highly competitive award reserved for big hits or collaborations featuring uber-popular performers.

However, Dynamite’s success could translate into a Grammy nomination for BTS. “The sheer thought of a nomination is thrilling,” said J-Hope.

“I mean, we hope. We hope so,” said RM. “No one knows about the Grammys … but we’re just doing our best.”

BTS are the first South Korean pop act to top the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the US. Photo: AFP

Though Dynamite has helped BTS chart new territory, the song wasn’t even supposed to be released, RM explained. BTS had plans to tour which were cancelled because of the coronavirus. “The pandemic blew everything away,” RM said.

As a result, they recorded Dynamite to give their diehard fans, the BTS Army, “hope, positive energy”, RM said. “And we think that it really touched their hearts.”

The group, which includes Jin, V, Jimin and Jungkook, says they’re busy recording a new album. They feel they have grown in the seven years they’ve been a musical group.

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“We’ve matured musically, as well as in the way we think. We’ve also developed a higher sense of responsibility. This has refined us and these developments are really being reflected in our music and our dance,” J-Hope said.

The ages of the band members range from 23 to 27, and the youngest, Jungkook, celebrated his birthday this week with some special news. “I received the news of our No 1 on the Hot 100 chart on the day of my birthday, so it was really one celebration over another,” he said. “It was incredible.”

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