The scorching beams of the sun let you know of summer’s awaited arrival. You snag a lick of the ice cream cone in your hand. You look around to see children running through sprinklers in their front yards, flowers perched on bushes in full bloom, and the distant sound of splashing water from the nearby pool. The only thing that could make this beautiful summer day even better is the perfect song. That’s when you hear the intro of the energetic serotonin-infused song  “Butter” flow past you through someone’s car radio and let the song take you on a summer adventure. 

BTS debuted the performance of their latest single “Butter” in front of a nationwide audience at the recent Billboard Music Awards. The song and music video premiered on YouTube on May 21st. The group was nominated in four categories at the award show and won all four awards for Top Social Artists, Top Duo/Group, Top Song Sales Artists, and Top Selling Song for “Dynamite,” which was released last August.

Last year, when BTS released the summer single “Dynamite,” it broke the record of most viewed video on Youtube in 24 hours, with 101.1 million views. With this new song, “Butter,” BTS’ fanbase (also known as ARMY) set a goal of breaking that record, which was achieved as “Butter” now holds the number one spot of the most viewed video in 24 hours, with 112.8 million views. 

The song itself features all seven members of the band (RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jungkook) and is the second single released in all English, as many of their songs are sung in Korean. When listening, you can’t help but nod your head and tap your foot along to the up-tempo beat with’80s inspired synths sprinkled throughout the chorus and catchy light-hearted lyrics to ease your mind into a groovy relaxed state. “It’s very poppy,” Esan Khailia, a junior at Long Reach, stated when asked about her initial impression of the song. “It reminded me a lot of summer. [Do] you know how people are always saying ‘there’s a new summer hit single’? That’s what I got from ‘Butter.’”

Junior Lily Lian commented, “It’s such an upbeat song; it gets you into another world where you’re by yourself and jamming.” Lian also elaborated on how the song reminds her of being surrounded by rolling fields of grass and flowers, and how it gets you in the mood for summer. 

The band members explained that the message of “Butter” is a “cute confession to ARMY,” which could be interpreted as the song explaining the band’s love for their fans, especially with lyrics like, “Fresh boy pull up and we lay low / All the playas get movin’ when the bass low / Got ARMY right behind us when we say so, Let’s go,” which demonstrates the strong bond between BTS and their fanbase. Even with the song’s confession to BTS fans, a casual listener could still play this song and find enjoyment in hearing the different dynamics between the members singing verses and rap verses paired with the diverse melodies and catchy rhythms. 

When watching the music video, your eyes are greeted immediately by monochrome hues that soon change into an explosion of the colors of the rainbow, which could signify the beginning of summer, a time of endless and boundless life and energy. “The music video does give Summer vibes and so does the song; they fit well together,” Khaila said. She had claimed that she “wasn’t expecting it to be good,” but after watching the music video, Khaila stated that “it surpassed my expectations.”

Not only is the “Butter” music video a perfect visual representation of the song’s vibrant atmosphere, the Billboard Music Award performance of “Butter” emphasized the newly presented choreography for the song. 

If the music video showcased the song’s liveliness, then the performance allowed for those with choreography-deprived eyes to feast on the song’s fun and zesty dance routine. It featured a thrilling dance break to leave you at the edge of your seat and keep your eyes glued to the performance. 

Lian enthused that the dance break was her favorite part of the performance, along with the lighting during the break. Khaila agreed, saying, “I like how the lights dimmed and they brought out the spotlight. It emphasized the dancers and I liked how they switched between the different [band] members.”  

From the bombastic song paired with an exhilarating music video to a gripping Billboard performance and a plethora of other performance videos for “Butter,” there is no shortage of content for you to get hooked on with this fresh hot single! You’ll soon find yourself humming the chorus of this catchy tune during your everyday activities.

So with the arrival of summer close at hand, the best way to kick it off on a high note would be to whip out your phone, open your music app, and play “Butter” to set the mood of your summer just right.