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Suga (above) was back with BTS as they performed on MTV Unplugged. Photo: @BigHitEnt/Twitter
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BTS member Suga is back as the K-pop giants play Dynamite, Telepathy and even a Coldplay hit at MTV Unplugged session

  • BTS gave their fans a treat, playing their hits at a special edition of MTV Unplugged
  • As a bonus, Suga performed with the boy band for the first time since his shoulder operation
K-pop, Mandopop and other Asian pop
Associated Press
Associated Press
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Members of BTS teamed up with MTV to treat fans to performances from their latest album Be in a special edition of MTV Unplugged. Oh, and smash hit Dynamite, of course.

“It’s really an honour to be a part of the MTV Unplugged legacy, where so many legends have performed,” group leader RM said at the start of the 30-minute broadcast on Tuesday. “We’re definitely thankful, honoured we got to be a part of this.”
During its 1990s heyday, a string of top musicians including Mariah Carey, Eric Clapton, Nirvana and Shakira graced the MTV Unplugged stage. The show, known for presenting a stripped-down look at musicians and their songs, picked one of the world’s most popular groups in BTS.
The band is made up of members RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, V, Jimin and Jungkook, and they were collectively named Time magazine’s 2020 entertainer of the year.
One of the most exciting moments for fans was seeing Suga return to performing. He’d been sidelined after undergoing shoulder surgery last autumn. The group’s record label, Big Hit Entertainment, said the surgery was needed because it was “a problem that had constantly been a health and wellness issue” for the singer.

“It’s been a while since I’ve been on stage, and I missed it a lot while I was recovering,” Suga said. “It feels good to be performing together. I’m very happy.”

The special hops between slick performances on highly produced sets (Telepathy and Blue & Grey) to more intimate conversations between group members and a surprise cover of Coldplay’s Fix You. (Which, along with the rousing rendition of No 1 song Dynamite, put each member’s talents front and centre.)

The framework for the special was BTS’ latest album, Be, which dropped in November. Many of the tracks were influenced by the pandemic which has prevented the group from touring and connecting with its devoted fan base in person.

How BTS battle burnout after 2020’s Billboard breakthrough

“We miss you Army so much,” Jungkook said, referring to BTS’ fandom. “We look forward to seeing you again, and until then we will continue to stay by your side this year with good music.”

Blue & Grey is one of those tracks spawned by the pandemic. Member V, who helped write the song, explained it to viewers: “Blue & Grey is a pop ballad track with charming acoustic guitar sounds.

“I tried to express my inner sadness and uncertainty so I translated the feeling of burning out as ‘blue’ and the sadness of not being able see the Army as ‘grey’. The melody of the song is simple, so I paid closer attention to delivering emotions through the lyrics.”

The show ended an upbeat note with BTS performing Dynamite, their first song recorded entirely in English, first to debut at No 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 and first to earn them a Grammy nomination.

The wall of framed record awards in the background underscores why BTS earned their own MTV special.

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