BTS drops new summer bop ‘Permission to Dance’

Superband BTS on Friday unveiled its much-awaited new song “Permission to Dance,” the act’s second collaboration with British singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran.

The pop-disco track, co-written with Sheeran as well as high-profile producers, like Steve Mac, Johnny McDaid and Jenna Andrews, turned out to be another cheerful song aimed at lifting spirits amid the pandemic that is showing no sign of letting up.

If the seven-piece act’s November release “Life Goes On” had urged listeners to go ahead with life despite its hardships, this song shares the message in a more fun and casual way through lyrics like “We don’t need to worry/ ‘Cause when we fall, we know how to land/Don’t need to talk the talk, just walk the walk tonight/ ‘Cause we don’t need permission to dance.”

BTS member Jimin said the song is something for everyone to enjoy.

“It’s not a grand song. It’s a song for everyone to enjoy easily,” he said in an online talk show, titled “A Butterful Getaway with BTS,” which aired via South Korean internet platform Naver later in the day.

“It carries the message that everyone should dance freely even if they have had a tough day in real life.”

This photo, provided by Big Hit Music, shows BTS. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

The nearly 5-minute clip shows the seven members dancing to the song in a carefree and energetic manner while showing people of various ages and nationalities also dancing in everyday settings.

Big Hit Music, the act’s label, explained that the choreography for the song incorporates international sign language for words like “fun,” “dance” and “peace,” which all have positive meanings and are easy to follow for everyone.

The positive vibe of the music video explodes as the seven members and a large crew dance in front of scores of purple balloons that float upward to the sky. Purple is the color that symbolizes BTS and its powerful fan base — also known as Army.

The music video has racked up more than 16 million views on YouTube as of 14:53 p.m., less than two hours following its premiere at 1 p.m.

“Permission to Dance” is part of the group’s new album “Butter” released Friday.

The physical album carries four tracks, including the May release that has topped Billboard’s main singles chart for six straight weeks in the group’s best music chart record. It also carries “Permission to Dance” and instrumental versions for the two songs.

The new song marks the group’s second collaboration with Sheeran following “Make It Right” on the 2020 album “Map of the Soul: 7.”

BTS performed the new song for the first time in “A Butterful Getaway with BTS.”

The seven-piece act, clad in casual outfits and jeans, performed the upbeat number on an outdoor stage with dancers wearing white joining them for group choreography. They also performed their earlier hits “Butter” and “Spring Day.”

The group will also appear on the popular American talk show “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” on Tuesday and Wednesday (U.S. time) to perform the two songs.