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BTS Tiny Desk Concert Breaks Viewership Record

SACHA PFEIFFER, HOST:

Today NPR published an explosive new video.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "DYNAMITE")

BTS: (Singing) Shoes on, get up in the morn, cup of milk, let's rock and roll. King Kong, kick the drum, rolling on like a Rolling Stone.

PFEIFFER: The song is "Dynamite" by the all-conquering Korean boy band BTS. It's their first song fully in English, and it quickly burst to the top of the Billboard Hot 100.

MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST:

Well, they sang a special version for NPR Music as part of our Tiny Desk Concert series - though not actually at NPR headquarters, what with this whole pandemic and all. Dressed in bright blazers and denim jeans and backed by a live band, the group's singers sat side by side in a record store in Seoul.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "DYNAMITE")

BTS: (Singing) Light it up like dynamite, whoa.

STEPHEN THOMPSON, BYLINE: Once we started doing Tiny Desk Concerts at home where we had artists recording themselves, it was an opportunity to reach out to BTS and see if they could do something on their end.

PFEIFFER: NPR's Stephen Thompson helped make this happen. He noted that the video shattered the series record for YouTube views on its first day in about 25 minutes.

KELLY: Twenty-five minutes - well, all credit due to the BTS Army. That is what the band's global fan base calls itself, and they are a powerful army.

THOMPSON: You sort of get set upon by just, like, thousands and thousands of BTS fans who are like, thank you so much for including them. This is a big deal for them. And it's like, it's a big deal for them? They're the biggest band in the world.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

RM: This has been the roughest summer ever.

PFEIFFER: For BTS, known for intricate choreography and eye-popping visuals, the Tiny Desk home concert was pared back. The focus was on their voices, and they closed with a deep cut, the ballad "Spring Day."

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "SPRING DAY")

BTS: (Singing in Korean).

KELLY: A landmark early autumn day for the Tiny Desk and also a reminder that BTS has arrived. The mainstream American market had been a tough nut for the band to crack. Looks like all it took was a little dynamite.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "DYNAMITE")

BTS: (Singing) 'Cause I'm in the stars tonight. OK. So watch me bring the fire... Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT is an initiative from Connecticut Public, the state’s local NPR and PBS station, to elevate Latino stories and expand programming that uplifts and informs our Latino communities. Visit CTPublic.org/latino for more stories and resources. For updates, sign up for the SOMOS CONNECTICUT newsletter at ctpublic.org/newsletters.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.