Elton John has responded to BTS making reference to him on their latest track ‘Permission To Dance’, which was released yesterday (July 9).
The song, which was co-written by Ed Sheeran, is the Korean group’s second English-language release of 2021 following May’s ‘Butter’.
In the first verse of ‘Permission To Dance’, leader and rapper RM sings: “When it all feels like it’s wrong/ Just sing along to Elton John/ And to that feeling, we’re just getting started.”
Responding on Twitter earlier today (July 10), the iconic musician put his own spin on the lyrics. “When it all seems like it’s right, I sing along to @bts_bighit,” he tweeted, adding the song’s title in the form of a hashtag.
When it all seems like it’s right, I sing along to @bts_bighit #PermissionToDance
— Elton John (@eltonofficial) July 10, 2021
BTS performed ‘Permission To Dance’ live for the first time yesterday during a special broadcast called A Butterful Getaway. They will also appear on The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon next week for a “two-day takeover event”, where they will perform the new track and ‘Butter’.
In a four-star review, NME said of their latest release: “Permission To Dance’ is classic, uplifting pop. It is “dedicated to anyone who is having a bad day or is discouraged in the face of reality”, according to a press release, and it’s hard to imagine it not providing at least a little pick-me-up in those circumstances.”
BTS have dominated the Billboard Hot 100 with ‘Butter’, scoring the Number One spot for six weeks in a row. It is now the longest-running chart-topping song by a group in the US since Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men’s 1995 hit ‘One Sweet Day’, which stayed in the top spot for 16 weeks.
Meanwhile, Spurs footballer Son Heung-min has described BTS as his “support system” while living abroad. “If you’re Korean, you listen to BTS,” he said in an interview. “BTS are making history in the UK too and I’m grateful for them as a fellow Korean.
“They’ve become somewhat of a support system for me, helping me overcome the difficulties of living abroad. I appreciate them and I’m their biggest fan.”