BTS, Permission to Dance | Track Review 🎵

K-Pop kings BTS show that there’s nothing wrong with clean, innocent, and wholesome fun on “Permission to Dance.”

“Iwanna dance / The music’s got me going / Ain’t nothing that can stop how we move, yeah.” Throwback.  That is a fine way to characterize 🏆 Grammy-nominated K-Pop boy band 🎙 BTS, who have carved out legitimate success in the United States.  Sure, they also represent the modern boy band, but they also brilliantly highlight the positive elements of boy bands past.  Fresh on the heels of a dominant no. 1 single in 🎵 “Butter”, the boys are back and are seeking 🎵 “Permission to Dance”. All I can say is, PERMISSION GRANTED.

All in all, “Permission to Dance” has lots of pros.  Number one, it’s clean, innocent, and inoffensive pop.  In an age where f-bombs and being sexed-up are the trend and represent conformity, BTS non-conforms, scaling back innuendo in favor of fun and positive vibes.  Sure, it’s corny and schmaltzy to an extent in the age of bluntness (“When your heart’s just like a drum / Beating louder with no way to guard it”), but I don’t think it’s a bad thing. Next, the production remains a selling point, with K-Pop being renowned for its colorful backdrops.  As far as the vocals, the boys are locked in, executing the English-exclusive lyrics well. Furthermore, those lyrics are catchy by design, particularly the pre-chorus, chorus, and post-chorus.  Cons? None that are glaring, save for the fact “Permission to Dance” isn’t new or particularly deep conceptually, and certainly not starkly different from the English-exclusive singles the band’s dropped lately.

Final Thoughts 💭

Ultimately, “Permission to Dance” is another clean-cut, feel-good pop record from BTS.  Compared to the pop that dominates US radio, “Permission to Dance” is a throwback to a more innocent time, which is refreshing.  On the other hand, if you’re not/weren’t a fan of the bubblegum pop days, this ‘naïve’ cut probably won’t be you cup of tea.  As for me, I find it enjoyable and well-produced, though not ‘the second coming.’ Still, it’s infectious to the nth degree.  

🎙 BTS • 🎵 “Permission to Dance” • 🏷 BIGHIT MUSIC • 🗓 7.9.21

[📷: BIGHIT MUSIC Brent Faulkner, Columbia, The Musical Hype, OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay]