Last November, BTS’s first all-English single, Dynamite, was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance. With over 800 million views on YouTube, Dynamite is BTS’s biggest hit and broke the record for the most views in 24 hours.

BTS is a seven-member Korean boy band group with over 129 published songs, and since their debut in South Korea on June 13, 2013, BTS has been a sensation for fans all around the world. Their nomination officially made them the first K-pop group nominated for a Grammy Award.

The Grammy Award nomination is far from the first recognition that BTS has received. They have accumulated 334 awards and 500 nominations. Christina Wong (III), vice president of the Korean Culture Club, comments on Dynamite, “I thought they did a good job as usual […] the line distribution wasn’t like their other songs […] [It] was more vocal line compared to their other songs.”

The purpose of Dynamite was to give people hope during this pandemic. Many of the lyrics touch on the struggles that people have been facing throughout the pandemic, which may be why the song has received so much praise. “We’ve been through all the sadness and desperation, but with this song and performance, we just hope the world gets more positive and be happy,” says RM, the leader of BTS, in an interview with USA Today.

BTS, and K-pop as a whole, have been growing in popularity over the years. A study from 2019 shows that BTS is the most mentioned band on Twitter. They have fans in every continent and most of their listeners are English speakers, which explains why this song set records for views in 24 hours.

Overall, BTS has received a lot of positive feedback about Dynamite, especially from television stations. MTV says, “The song itself is a blockbuster, not because it’s overstuffed with ideas but because it’s light and airy and, crucially, feels like summer.” Many fans around the world are listening to this song, and many are hopeful that BTS will take home the Best Pop Duo/Group Performance Grammy Award this year.