K-pop Megaband BTS Renews Grammy Challenge with ‘Butter’

K-pop boy band BTS member Jimin poses for photographs during a photo opportunity promoting their new single “Butter” in Seoul, South Korea, May 21, 2021. (Reuters)
K-pop boy band BTS member Jimin poses for photographs during a photo opportunity promoting their new single “Butter” in Seoul, South Korea, May 21, 2021. (Reuters)
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K-pop Megaband BTS Renews Grammy Challenge with ‘Butter’

K-pop boy band BTS member Jimin poses for photographs during a photo opportunity promoting their new single “Butter” in Seoul, South Korea, May 21, 2021. (Reuters)
K-pop boy band BTS member Jimin poses for photographs during a photo opportunity promoting their new single “Butter” in Seoul, South Korea, May 21, 2021. (Reuters)

South Korean megaband BTS said on Friday it was renewing its quest to win a Grammy Award with its new single “Butter”, building on its success last year, when it became the first Korean pop group to win a Grammy nomination.

In a breakthrough year in the United States in 2020, the seven-member boy band was nominated but did not win an award, and instead performed its hit song “Dynamite” at the Grammy ceremony.

“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 told a news conference in Seoul.

He said “Butter”, the group’s second English-language single following “Dynamite”, was a funky summer track.

BTS will perform the new song at the 2021 Billboard Music Awards set for Monday, for which it clinched nominations in four categories, the most yet for K-pop stars, including top duo/group and top selling song for “Dynamite”.

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.”



BTS Member Suga Discharged from South Korean Military Service

 K-pop boy band BTS member Suga attends Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2023 in Seoul, South Korea, July 26, 2023. (Reuters)
K-pop boy band BTS member Suga attends Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2023 in Seoul, South Korea, July 26, 2023. (Reuters)
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BTS Member Suga Discharged from South Korean Military Service

 K-pop boy band BTS member Suga attends Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2023 in Seoul, South Korea, July 26, 2023. (Reuters)
K-pop boy band BTS member Suga attends Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2023 in Seoul, South Korea, July 26, 2023. (Reuters)

K-pop group BTS member Suga was discharged from the South Korean military on Saturday, the seventh and final member to complete the country's mandatory national service amid expectations of the band's comeback from a hiatus.

Suga finished his military tenure as a social service agent on Saturday with little fanfare as fans looked forward to his reunion with the rest of the band, a K-pop sensation since it started up in 2013.

"We confirm that Suga effectively completed his alternative service on June 18 by using his remaining leave. His official discharge date is June 21," BTS' label, Big Hit Music, said in a statement.

Unlike with his BTS bandmates, there was no public event planned to mark Suga's release because of overcrowding concerns.

The seven members of the group put their global music careers on hold in 2022 to begin their military service, starting with Jin in December that year. South Korea's mandatory national service can be for terms of up to 18 months.

Shortly after his official discharge, Suga posted a message on fan community platform Weverse, saying he was "sorry for the disappointment and concern caused by what happened last year", and also apologizing to his bandmates.

Last year, Suga was fined 15 million won ($11,500) by a court for drunk driving while on an electric scooter.

The group is expected to hold its largest-ever world tour in 2026, an NH Securities entertainment analyst said in a report.

Entertainment group HYBE, which manages BTS, is closely monitored by securities companies.

Details of a reunion have not been released.