This might just be BTS’s best performance. The South Korean seven-piece knew they had to bring it to the next level when they hit the Grammys stage, and you better believe they did with their performance of their Diamond hit “Butter.” The performance had all the hallmarks of BTS: flawless vocals, impeccable dance moves, and effortless rizz all around from the boys. The performance began with a flirty exchange between V and Olivia Rodrigo, which also helped set up the James Bond-influenced concept for the performance.
First up, can I just say that BTS as super spies is a brilliant concept to make a major show like their Grammys performance stand out? Jung Kook opened the song with his signature lithe tenor, and when it came time for the chorus, Jung Kook, Jimin, and V delivered that sugary hook totally on point. Now, given that it’s BTS, I know I won’t surprise any The Music Man readers by saying the spicy and creative dance break at the three-minute mark was the most-watched part of the video.
There was something about BTS’s take on “Butter” at the 64th Grammy Awards that just hit different, as with 94 million views, it became their most popular live performance on YouTube. Fans figured it was peak BTS and added comments such as “This might just be the best BTS performance of all time” and “They poured their heart and soul into this performance, it was by far the coolest thing that happened at the Grammys in many, many years.”
BTS always bring their A-game to the Grammys, as their next most popular live song after “Butter” is their take on “Dynamite” at the 63rd Grammy Awards, which drew 85 million views. Jung Kook’s vocal solo intro is the most viewed part of the video, and with that gorgeous voice of his, it’s no surprise that viewers couldn’t get enough of it. The “Dynamite” performance also went down in Grammys history, as the 2021 performance marked the first time that a K-pop act performed their own song at the event.
BTS released “Butter” on May 21, 2021, as a non-album single. The band scored an international hit with the single, as it hit the top 10 in more than 30 countries. The Music Man readers might be interested to hear that the song made a particularly big impact in Japan and the US, where it went Diamond and double Platinum respectively. RM told Apple Music that after BTS’s hiatus in 2020, they didn’t expect to ever release a single again. However, he said “[the pandemic] is getting longer and longer so we thought we need another summer song… and ‘Butter’ was perfectly fit for that. And now we’re here.”