"BTBT"
Stylized drawing in black and blue reminiscent of a human face looking up.
Single by B.I and Soulja Boy, featuring DeVita
from the EP Love or Loved Part.1
ReleasedMay 13, 2022 (2022-05-13)
GenreR&B[1]
Length3:39
Label
  • IOK
  • Transparent Arts
Composer(s)
Lyricist(s)
  • B.I
  • Soulja Boy
  • 3onawav
  • Ale Alberti
B.I singles chronology
"Cosmos"
(2021)		 "BTBT"
(2022)		 "Lullaby"
(2022)
Music videos
"BTBT" (story version) on YouTube
"BTBT" (performance version) on YouTube

"BTBT" is a song by South Korean rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer and dancer B.I and American rapper and record producer Soulja Boy, featuring South Korean singer DeVita. It was released on May 13, 2022 by IOK and Transparent Arts, as a lead single from B.I's EP Love or Loved Part.1.[2]

One year after its release, "BTBT" had exceeded 100 millions streams on Spotify and the dance performance film had been watched more than 50 millions times on YouTube.[3][4] It was also selected by several magazines as one of the best K-pop songs of 2022, including Time and Nylon.[5]

Inspiration and production

According to B.I, "BTBT" is about the "passionate feelings you get when you meet somebody or start a relationship" and, more generally, the "powerful and rebellious kind of love we experience in our adolescence".[6][7]

The word "BTBT" was derived from the Korean verb "비틀거리다" (biteulgeolida, Korean pronunciation: [pitʰɯɭɡʌ̹ɽida̠]), which means "to stagger", alluding to a metaphorical drunkenness caused by love. It is pronounced like an English acronym as the track's name, while it is sung "비틀비틀" (biteul biteul, Korean pronunciation: [pitʰɯɭ pitʰɯɭ]) in the chorus.[8]

B.I explained that he wanted to work with DeVita on "BTBT" because he thought that her voice was well suited to the song.[9] Soulja Boy's name was mentioned when B.I and his team were brainstorming about possible collaborators. B.I decided to ask the American rapper because he had liked his music ever since he was young.[10]

Release

"BTBT" was first announced by B.I's label on May 2, 2022 as a lead single from his upcoming EP Love or Loved Part.1.[11] The title of the song was revealed on May 5, 2022, along with the involvement of Soulja Boy and DeVita.[12]

A music video was released on May 13, 2022, at 00:00 KST, prior to the release of the single. It presented an alternative version of the song that excluded the verse from Soulja Boy, and only included DeVita's contribution. The single was then released on digital music and streaming platforms on May 13, 2022, at 13:00 KST.[2] A second music video, called "performance film", was released on May 18, 2022, at 00:00 KST.[13]

Comprising "BTBT" and four other songs, the EP Love or Loved Part.1 was released six months later, on November 18, 2022.[14]

Music videos and choreography

The first music video for "BTBT" was filmed in a cinematic way.[15] Dressed in a leather outfit, B.I is wandering with a group of friends in a city that was described by the magazine Teen Vogue as "futuristic and cyberpunk-inspired".[15] The director of the music video, South Korean creative director and musician Leesuho, said that it was referencing the cyberpunk film Ghost in the Shell.[16]

The second music video shows B.I and twenty-one South Korean dancers performing a choreography by South Korean team Aitty Too.[13] Some critics saw the influence of dancehall dances and house dance in their work for "BTBT".[17] One of the team's members, Youngbeen, had previously choreographed for B.I's songs "Waterfall" and "Flame".[18][19]

Critical reception

MTV News included the pre-release single "BTBT" in its "Bop Shop" selection for the week of May 13, 2022. Describing the song as "intense and inspired" and "a unique recount of an experience with love at first sight", the publication stated that "B.I displays a deep sense of confidence and security with this comeback, combining his distinctive raspy vocals with a layered, bass-heavy track to create a genre completely his own".[20]

In contrast, IZM writer Son Gi-ho found the song "monotonous" and rated it 1.5 out of 5 stars.[21]

Accolades

"BTBT" was mentioned as one of the best K-pop songs of 2022 by numerous magazines. It was one of the ten songs Nylon included in its list of "The 20 Best K-pop releases of 2022", describing the song as an "hypnotic track".[22] NME named it as the second best K-pop song of the year, explaining that "This sensuous R&B song, underlined by prominent bass and the syncopations of percussion, allows [B.I's] raspy, melodic voice to shine through".[1]

Time picked "BTBT" for its list of "The Best K-Pop Songs and Albums of 2022 So Far", calling it a "groovy track that seduces with its smooth melodies as much as it does with its inviting lyrics".[23] Dazed ranked the song fifth on its list of "The best K-pop tracks of 2022",[24] while one of the pop culture writers invited by Teen Vogue to choose a song "that spoke to them and the world around them" said that "if there's one K-pop song in 2022 that you shouldn't miss, it's this one".[25]

Year-end lists
Publisher Year Listicle Work Rank Ref.
Nylon 2022 The 20 Best K-pop Releases of 2022 "BTBT" — [22]
Time The Best K-Pop Songs and Albums of 2022 — [23]
Leisure Byte 15 Best Kpop Songs of 2022 — [26]
Dazed The best K-pop tracks of 2022 5 [24]
Teen Vogue The 79 Best K-Pop Songs of 2022 — [25]
21 Best K-Pop Music Videos of 2022 "BTBT" music video — [15]
NME The 25 best K-pop songs of 2022 "BTBT" 2 [1]
The Telegraph (India) The Telegraph lookback at top 20 K-Pop hits of the year 14 [27]
The National (Abu Dhabi) The best K-pop songs of 2022 — [28]
Paris Match The 10 best K-pop songs of 2022 2 [29]

Commercial performance

"BTBT" did not enter South Korea's Circle Digital Chart upon release, but the global single had long-lasting commercial success, with good digital sales and streams reported by music platforms worldwide, including in Africa, Europe and the United States.[30][31] In Southeast Asia, the song appeared on several national charts, reaching its peak position weeks after its release. It ranked 11th on the Billboard Vietnam Hot 100 for the week of May 27, 2022.[32] In Malaysia, it was the 17th most streamed international single for the week of June 10.[33] In Singapore, it placed 14th on the top 30 of the most streamed songs published by the RIAS for the week of June 17.[34]

"BTBT" reached 100 millions total streams on the global music platform Spotify in May 2023, about one year after its release.[3] The single was also one of the 25 most searched K-pop songs with the music recognition application Shazam in 2022.[35]

Aitty Too's choreography was a major factor in the song's success.[17] The dance performance film had been watched more than 37 million times on YouTube by November 2022,[36] and has exceeded 50 million views as of March 2023.[4] The hashtag #btbtchallenge, inviting users to cover the dance, had accumulated more than 130 million views on TikTok as of November 2022.[37]

Charts

Weekly chart performance for BTBT
Chart (2022) Peak
position
Malaysia International Singles (RIM)[33] 17
Singapore (RIAS)[34] 14
Vietnam Hot 100 (Billboard)[32] 11

References

  1. 1 2 3 Chin, Carmen; et al. (9 pop culture writers) (December 20, 2022). "The 25 best K-pop songs of 2022". NME. Archived from the original on December 21, 2022. Retrieved December 20, 2022.
  2. 1 2 I, Seong-mi (May 13, 2022). "비아이, 13일 선공개 싱글 'BTBT' 발매→글로벌 앨범 프로젝트 'L.O.L' 본격 시작". BizEnter (in Korean). Archived from the original on November 18, 2022. Retrieved November 18, 2022.
  3. 1 2 Son, Bong-seok (May 9, 2023). "비아이, 'BTBT'로 스포티파이 스트리밍 1억 돌파". Sports Kyunghyang (in Korean). Retrieved June 26, 2023.
  4. 1 2 Gim, Su-yeong (March 7, 2023). "비아이, 음악 마이웨이…'BTBT' 퍼포먼스 필름 5000만뷰 돌파". The Korea Economic Daily (in Korean). Retrieved March 7, 2023.
  5. ↑ Son, Bong-seok (December 14, 2022). "비아이 'BTBT', 미국 타임지 '베스트 K-POP' 선정". Sports Kyunghyang (in Korean). Retrieved June 26, 2023.
  6. ↑ Han, Sarah (June 7, 2022). "Staggering Through Life – Allow B.I to Reintroduce Himself". Allure. Archived from the original on December 19, 2022. Retrieved December 28, 2022.
  7. ↑ Glasby, Taylor (May 19, 2022). "B.I Opens Up: K-pop Star Talks Love, Ambition and the Year That Nearly Broke Him". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 11, 2022. Retrieved November 10, 2022.
  8. ↑ B.I (June 14, 2022). "B.I talks about music, how his life has changed / 천재 작곡가 김한빈이 전하는 음악과 삶에 관한 이야기". The Korea Herald (Interview) (in Korean and English). Event occurs at 00:07. Archived from the original on December 29, 2022. Retrieved December 28, 2022 – via YouTube.
  9. ↑ B.I (June 14, 2022). "B.I talks about music, how his life has changed / 천재 작곡가 김한빈이 전하는 음악과 삶에 관한 이야기". The Korea Herald (Interview) (in Korean and English). Event occurs at 01:00. Archived from the original on January 31, 2023. Retrieved January 31, 2023 – via YouTube.
  10. ↑ B.I (July 9, 2022). "비아이 '건강한 과도기를 겪고 있는 것 같아요.' - Hiphopplaya Interview [ENG Sub]". Hiphopplaya (Interview) (in Korean and English). Event occurs at 08:55. Archived from the original on January 31, 2023. Retrieved January 31, 2023 – via YouTube.
  11. ↑ Bak, Seo-yeon (May 2, 2022). "비아이, 13일 선공개 싱글 발매..글로벌 앨범 프로젝트 'Love or Loved' 시작". Herald Pop (in Korean). Archived from the original on January 8, 2023. Retrieved January 8, 2022.
  12. ↑ Nam, Sang-baek (May 5, 2022). "비아이, 선공개 싱글서 美 래퍼 솔자보이·드비타와 협업...13일 공개". Single List (in Korean). Archived from the original on January 8, 2023. Retrieved January 8, 2022.
  13. 1 2 I, Seong-mi (May 18, 2022). "비아이, 'BTBT' 퍼포먼스 필름 공개…댄서 향한 리스펙". BizEnter (in Korean). Archived from the original on December 19, 2022. Retrieved January 1, 2023.
  14. ↑ Yeo, Gladys (November 18, 2022). "Watch the enthralling music video for B.I's newest single, 'Keep Me Up'". NME. Archived from the original on February 2, 2023. Retrieved November 18, 2022.
  15. 1 2 3 Tatum, Chyenne (December 19, 2022). "21 Best K-Pop Music Videos of 2022". Teen Vogue. Archived from the original on December 24, 2022. Retrieved December 21, 2022.
  16. ↑ Franchesca Judine Basbas (August 24, 2022). "Korean creative director Leesuho on the magic behind his music videos for BTS' j-hope, CL, B.I, and more". Bandwagon. Retrieved July 2, 2023.
  17. 1 2 "ชวนฟังดนตรี เกาหลี เกาใจ : รวมฮิตเพลง/อัลบั้ม K-Pop ที่เรารัก ในช่วงครึ่งปีแรก 2022". Thairath Plus (in Thai). July 1, 2022. Retrieved April 29, 2022.
  18. ↑ Waterfall (album booklet). B.I. IOK Music and 131 Label. 2021.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  19. ↑ B.I 비아이 - Keep The Fire Alive (Cosmos Message Film #1). 131 Entertainment. October 28, 2021. End credits at 03:30. Retrieved July 2, 2023 – via YouTube.
  20. ↑ Bhutani, Sarina (May 13, 2022). "Bop Shop: Songs From Kendrick Lamar, B.I, My Chemical Romance, And More". MTV News. Archived from the original on January 3, 2023. Retrieved January 3, 2023.
  21. ↑ Son, Gi-ho (May 2022). "BTBT (Feat. DeVita)". IZM (in Korean). Archived from the original on January 8, 2023. Retrieved January 8, 2023.
  22. 1 2 Bell, Crystal (December 8, 2022). "The 20 Best K-pop Releases of 2022". Nylon. Archived from the original on December 8, 2022. Retrieved December 8, 2022.
  23. 1 2 Moon, Kat (December 31, 2022). "The Best K-Pop Songs and Albums of 2022". Time. Archived from the original on December 14, 2022. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
  24. 1 2 Glasby, Taylor (December 14, 2022). "The best K-pop tracks of 2022". Dazed. Archived from the original on December 14, 2022. Retrieved December 14, 2022.
  25. 1 2 Raj, Tanu I.; et al. (79 journalists and pop culture writers) (December 15, 2022). "The 79 Best K-Pop Songs of 2022". Teen Vogue. Archived from the original on December 24, 2022. Retrieved December 15, 2022.
  26. ↑ Das, Hrishita (December 13, 2022). "15 Best Kpop Songs of 2022 That Made Us Groove: Run BTS, Pink Venom, BTBT and More". Leisure Byte. Archived from the original on January 1, 2023. Retrieved January 1, 2023.
  27. ↑ Chakrabarti, Nandini (December 26, 2022). "The Telegraph lookback at top 20 K-Pop hits of the year". The Telegraph (India). Archived from the original on December 27, 2022. Retrieved December 28, 2022.
  28. ↑ Abdullahi, Thoraya (December 29, 2022). "The best K-pop songs of 2022, from Hype Boy to That That and Wild Flower". The National (Abu Dhabi). Archived from the original on December 31, 2022. Retrieved December 29, 2022.
  29. ↑ Roger, Séraphine (December 30, 2022). "Les 10 meilleurs titres de K-Pop de l'année 2022" [The 10 best K-pop songs of 2022]. Paris Match (in French). Retrieved May 7, 2023.
  30. ↑ Okunmwendia, Ella (February 15, 2023). "In B.I's inadvertent love letter to Africa". GQ South Africa. Archived from the original on February 16, 2023. Retrieved February 16, 2023.
  31. ↑ I, Jun-hyeon (June 15, 2022). "비아이 'BTBT', 스포티파이 51개·아이튠즈 49개·애플뮤직 46개 지역 1위". 10 Asia (in Korean). Archived from the original on December 19, 2022. Retrieved December 30, 2022.
  32. 1 2 "Billboard Vietnam Hot 100, Chart Date 2022-06-02". Billboard Vietnam. May 27 – June 2, 2022. Archived from the original on June 2, 2022. Retrieved April 4, 2023.
  33. 1 2 "Top 20 Most Streamed International Singles in Malaysia, Week 24". Recording Industry Association of Malaysia. June 10–16, 2022. Retrieved April 4, 2023 – via Facebook.
  34. 1 2 "RIAS Top Charts Week 25". Recording Industry Association Singapore. June 17–23, 2022. Archived from the original on June 28, 2022. Retrieved April 4, 2023.
  35. ↑ Chin, Carmen (December 1, 2022). "Apple shares the 25 most Shazamed K-pop songs of 2022, featuring BTS, Blackpink, Treasure and more". NME. Archived from the original on December 19, 2022. Retrieved December 30, 2022.
  36. ↑ Tauer, Kristen (November 18, 2022). "Korean Rapper-Singer B.I Is Writing His Own Path". WWD. Archived from the original on December 19, 2022. Retrieved December 30, 2022.
  37. ↑ Mendez, Michele (November 30, 2022). "B.I Has Soulja Boy To Thank For His Reintroduction". Elite Daily. Archived from the original on February 2, 2023. Retrieved December 11, 2022.
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