BTS performs on NPR Tiny Desk and breaks viewership record

Hope springs eternal.

That was the message South Korean pop sensations had for viewers when they performed on the home edition of NPR’s Tiny Desk concert series on September 21.

The septet — made up of RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V and Jungkook — kicked it off with their upbeat disco pop track ‘Dynamite’, which they’ve said was created to bring joy to people amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The three-song gig, filmed with a live band in a record store in Seoul, broke the Tiny Desk record for most YouTube views on its first day.

“We’ve been trying to make a BTS Tiny Desk concert happen for years now — even gaming out ways we might move [‘All Songs Considered’ host] Bob Boilen’s desk far enough forward to accommodate the superstar Korean boy band’s dance moves,” Stephen Thompson of NPR wrote.

Dressed in funky retro outfits, the group put on an intimate, toned down performance and let their vocals do all the talking. For their other two songs, they dug into their discography for older tracks — ‘Save Me’ and ‘Spring Day’.

At the beginning of ‘Spring Day’, the group’s leader RM had an emotional message that echoed the song’s lyrics about hope and longing for better days. “It’s been the roughest summer ever, but we know that spring will come. So let’s go together,” he said.

The group also announced on Monday that it would be premiering a new music video for the all-English ‘Dynamite’ in the online video game Fortnite, developed by Epic Games.

The music video, which will unveil never-before-seen choreography, will premiere on Friday at the Party Royale island’s main stage within the game. (The Party Royale mode allows players to hang out with friends in a no-combat social space.)

“BTS is not only incredibly popular worldwide, but their talent, creativity, and forward-thinking attitude made them a perfect match,” Nate Nanzer, Head of Global Partnerships at Epic Games, told Variety. “We’re honoured to host their premiere.”

— With inputs from Los Angeles Times