South Korean super band BTS will release their new single "Butter" on May 21. The song is their second English single following "Dynamite", which released in August last year. BTS dropped the news on their YouTube channel and surprised their fans. The song is a dance pop track that promises to cater to the smooth yet charismatic charm that the group is loved for.
Recently, BTS has become the first Korean pop act to be nominated at the Grammy Awards for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance. They have also earned a nod at this year's BRIT Awards in the International Group section. The awards are scheduled to held on May 12.
BTS, or Bangtan Sonyeondan (meaning Beyond The Scene), have gone onto becoming global icons since their debut in June 2013. The members of the band are RM, Jin, SUGA, j-hope, Jimin, V, and Jung Kook. The septet topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart thrice in 2020 alone and were also named Time's Entertainer of the Year last year.
Meanwhile, BTS made headlines after they issued a statement condemning the surge in anti-Asian violence recently, and shared their experiences of the racism they have faced. "We send our deepest condolences to those who have lost their loved ones. We feel grief and anger," the band said in the statement.
The statement highlighted moments when they "faced discrimination as Asians", including "enduring expletives without reason and were mocked for the way we look" and being "asked why Asians spoke in English".
"What is happening right now cannot be dissociated from our identity as Asians. It required considerable time for us to discuss this carefully and we contemplated deeply on how we should voice our message," they added.
The band concluded by saying: "We stand against racial discrimination. We condemn violence. You, I and we all have the right to be respected."
-with IANS inputs
