Hype runs high as BTS returns with new single ‘Butter’

K-pop juggernaut BTS released its much-awaited digital single “Butter,” with the vibrant summer pop-dance track racking up more than 34 million YouTube views in just three hours.

The seven-piece group rolled out the succinctly titled track at 1 p.m., less than a year after dropping its massively successful English-language single “Dynamite.” Released in August, it was the first song by a K-pop act to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, as well as the longest-charting single at 32 weeks.

This image, provided by Big Hit Music, shows a compilation of teaser images for the upcoming BTS single “Butter.” (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

“Butter” is a carefree and cheerful number that member Jimin described as a “cute love song.”

“From the title you can guess that we picked a song for easy listening,” he said during a Friday news conference. “You can consider it as a cute love song. We tried to put in our different charms into it — whether it be being cute, cheeky or charismatic.”

RM, who took part in the songwriting for the rap parts alongside Rob Grimaldi, Stephen Kirk, Ron Perry, Jenna Andrews, Alex Bilowitz and Sebastian Garcia, called the song “summery.”

“It’s very energetic,” the BTS member said in a May interview with Rolling Stone. “And very summer. It has a very dynamic performance.”

Since announcing the release date and the title of “Butter” in late April, BTS has been dropping hints for the new single through snippets and photos of what their label called a “fun and upbeat summer song.”

An hourlong trailer uploaded on April 26, for instance, shows a cube of butter bearing the BTS logo melting into a heart-shaped piece then forming the word “Butter.” More than 16 million have watched the clip.

A shorter video uploaded Wednesday shows a black-and-white video of the septet standing in a line and looking into the camera as they bob their heads to some groovy notes. The scene then shifts to a pile of pancakes with a piece of butter plopped on the top as the lyrics “Get it, let it roll” flows.

The 23-second clip has racked up more than 35 million views, signaling another massive hit is coming soon.

Some additional lyrics unveiled on Friday include the lines “smooth like butter,” “I got that superstar glow” and “cool shade stunner / I owe it all to my mother,” conveying a carefree vibe.

The music video captures this fun mood as the seven members appear in both sleek tuxedos and tracksuits while individually putting out playful dance moves in addition to the meticulous group choreography BTS is known for.

“There’s a scene where we individually dance in an elevator and the choreography was made at the scene. Please look forward to each of our individual charms,” V said.

The music video also includes a scene dedicated to the group’s global fan base ARMY as BTS forms the four letters with their bodies while RM raps “Got ARMY right behind us when we say so.”

BTS is set to put on its first performance of “Butter” at the Billboard Music Awards on Sunday (U.S. time), where it will be performing for the fourth consecutive year.

The act has received four nominations for this year’s ceremony — top duo/group, top song sales artist, top social artist and top selling song — the most since its first nomination as top social artist in 2017.

The group will also appear on the American TV show “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” on May 26 and perform at the summer concert series by “Good Morning America” on May 28.