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Spotify Reveals Sharp Spike in First-Time BTS Listeners on the Heels of ‘Dynamite’

BTS’ release of “Dynamite,” their first English-language single, has sparked a 300% increase in the number of people listening to the K-pop group for the first time on Spotify, the platform revealed on Thursday (Sept. 17).

Already a hit at radio, where the song saw more than 8,000 spins between Sept. 4 and Sept. 10, per Alpha Media, and on YouTube where the official video shattered records in its first 24 hours by logging more than 100 million views, the English-language track also set a new Spotify record by receiving 12.6 million streams within the first day of its Aug. 21 release. Since then, it’s been added to more than 3.5 million playlists.

But it still has a little ways to go to out-stream “Boy With Luv” (feat. Halsey), “FAKE LOVE” and “DNA,” the group’s most popular tracks on Spotify. Among other accolades: BTS, comprised of Jungkook, RM, V, Jimin, J-Hope, Suga and Jin, is the first Korean group to debut at No. 1 on the Spotify Global Top 50 chart and currently claims more than 11.4 billion streams on Spotify to-date.

Group member Jin told Spotify’s “For the Record” podcast that the success of “Dynamite” is “very meaningful for us.” Fellow member Suga said that he thought it appealed to listeners because “it’s easy to listen to and it’s easy to enjoy for anybody, anyone of any generation.”

“Dynamite” was written by David Stewart and Jessica Agombar and vocal-produced by Jenna Andrews,

Member RM described the band’s creative process as “like making a puzzle … Sometimes we start with melodies. Sometimes we start with some just a word or a theme. But basically, when there’s an album, there’s some kind of like a theme or a keyword that comes that goes through the whole album.” Once that’s decided, “everybody gathers and we guess the tracks and melodies and lyrics,” RM added.

J-Hope compared the process to “birthing pains,” saying: “It takes a lot of focus and a lot of attention, a lot of time because they put in so much.”

But it’s worth it, said V. “Our ARMY, our fans, are really the best part of this job. It’s their energy and their support that allows us to keep going.”

Listen to the episode below:

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