#020: BTS - “Dynamite”: Crossing the Line between Art & Business
“Being poor is not having too little, it is wanting more” - Seneca
One of the most tried and true tensions within the music industry exists on where to draw the line between art and business. Perhaps there is no greater example of the business side dominating the decision-making like BTS’s hit single “Dynamite”. Let’s begin all the way from the beginning of the process with the creation of the song. Typically this spark comes from an idea that a songwriter has or a session between songwriters and/or producers (aka a co-write). But this isn’t the case with “Dynamite”, which was commissioned by Columbia Records CEO Ron Perry — where BTS is signed — to have two songwriters create a #1 single in the U.S. for the group. Of course the songwriters still had to deliver the result, but this already has the feeling of a robotic assembly-line process to churn out a hit, instead of the spontaneous creation of art.
With specific terms and expectations on what to deliver, David Stewart and Jessica Agombar got to work on creating this Franken-Song (1). BTS had never landed a #1 song in the U.S. and had received very little radio play on U.S. airwaves, even though they were one of the largest pop groups in the world. Why? Because BTS had committed to staying true to their Korean and K-Pop roots, by incorporating at least some Korean into every song. The radio program directors in the United States have never supported non-English music. But does Ron Perry, David Stewart or Jessica Agombar care about the wishes or principles of BTS? Nope. They are just going after that #1.
To be sure that there was an understanding of the U.S. market — in the pursuit of landing a Billboard and Radio #1 within the territory — you would think that Ron Perry would cast the best or hottest American songwriter(s). But yet again, you’d be wrong. Instead he selected David and Jessica, who are both British, to write this song for the top act in Korea, to then be marketed within the United States. This effect can be heard right from the first line of the song, where a ridiculously perceived Americana translated into, “Shoes on, get up in the morn', Cup of milk, let's rock and roll” (2). What in the actual fuck? I don’t think that lyric could have made the cut for Rebecca Black’s “Friday”.
The end result of this process, when combined with the massive popularity of BTS and the equally massive Columbia Records budget to promote the song, did in fact lead to BTS’s first ever U.S. Billboard #1. There have been countless co-writes that have started with the goal of writing a #1 hit record, in which that was never achieved. So regardless of the song being commissioned by a label, I have respect for David Stewart and Jessica Agombar in delivering this result. But who are the losers in this process? BTS for selling their souls and abandoning their goal of remaining true to their Korean culture, songwriters all around the world that are making incredible hit records (that aren’t commissioned) daily, the easily manipulated American public for being force-fed “Dynamite” and the overall respect of art and the creative process.
(1) “Dynamite (BTS Song).” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 18 Oct. 2020, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dynamite_(BTS_song).
(2) “BTS – Dynamite.” Genius, 21 Aug. 2020, genius.com/Bts-dynamite-lyrics.
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JAY’S SONGS OF THE WEEK:
Astrid S - “Airpods”
Louis The Child - “Self Care” (with COIN)
Ty Dolla $ign - “By Yourself” (ft. Jhene Aiko & Mustard)
damnboy! - “Where Did Summer Go?”
Justin Bieber - “Lonely” (with benny blanco)
VHS Collection - “Searching For The Light”
