With its new single ‘Black Swan,’ South Korea’s BTS has delivered an artsy video that features exactly zero members of the red-hot boy band.
But its rabid fans, who are used to the group’s genre-hopping style, didn’t seem to be bothered on Friday by the break from tradition. The video had more than 6.5 million views on YouTube alone as of Friday morning.
Seven members of Slovenia’s MN Dance Company are the video’s stars, while the seven BTS members’ auto-tuned voices carry the song.
A well-known Martha Graham quote opens the piece, which is apparently a personal reflection on art by the band itself: “A dancer dies twice — once when they stop dancing, and this first death is the more painful.”
“Music has always been their priority since the beginning & along their journey in spreading good vibes. It’s admirable how they manage to relay their inner voice/fear through the medium they value the most, the music itself,” one fan account tweeted on Friday.
“What do I do with you guys... Seriously... Why’d you have to go so hard... What kind of next level thing is this, I can’t catch up on your greatness, but I love that you’re forcing me to. Do your thang,” wrote another breathless fan.
“As you know the video is out and we are thankful to @bts.bighitofficial for this opportunity,” MN Dance Company said on Instagram. “We still can’t believe it. Thank you for promoting art of dance and bringing it closer to people. Thank you to all the people for your beautiful reactions. You warm our hearts.”
Those online reactions, by the way, have been coming in myriad languages, a tribute to BTS’ global fan base.
BTS will perform ‘Black Swan’ on ‘The Late Late Show With James Corden’ on January 28. The song is the first track off the group’s upcoming album, ‘Map of the Soul: 7,’ due out February 21. Watch the video below:
