Review: BTS - Permission to Dance

Of BTS's last 4 singles, 3 have been in English. These English songs have charted much higher internationally, leading to more exposure for the group. Unfortunately, these songs have been quite generic. From Dynamite to Butter, BTS seems keen on building a funky sound. Another correlating fact of all these singles is that none of them were written (at least mostly) by BTS. This is a rarity for BTS, who gained attention initially for their (excellent) self-produced material.

Now, for the most part, this transition has worked, even if it has been far from seamless. The reason for this is simple. Both Dynamite and Butter had killer hooks which made them endlessly repeatable. This also gave the songs' a unique edge which certainly supported their surge in the charts. Permission to Dance, on the other hand, is so smooth, that no hook really sticks.

The strongest hooks are all centered in the chorus. The chorus is made of several small refrains, each with a sort of folk-rock stomp. It is all very feel-good. Definitely unlike traditional BTS songs, but not too new for Ed Sheeran, though. In the end, though, the chorus needs stronger instrumentation. The violin is fun but certainly out-of-place. In the end, the production hear lacks any real bones to build the meat on.

The verses build with the same groove that the chorus has. Unfortunately, in subsequent listens, the verses don't hold up too well, as we now know they lead nowhere. In the end, I actually enjoy this feel-good style. It certainly is unsubstantiated, but somewhat works nevertheless. The worst part of the verses, though, is how long they often drag. In radio pop, the short length is necessary to avoid the song becoming forgettable. Permission to Dance crosses this line occasionally. The lame "Da na na na" hook, shamelessly ripped from Dynamite, sounds out-of-place as well.

Lyrically, Permission to Dance is actually the best of the three BTS English singles. It is pure feel-good radio pop. This gives a simple concept. Thus, there is no real cringe from the lyrics. I even occasionally smiled when listening to the lyrics.

However, the biggest flaw in Permission to Dance, by far, is the return of the Big Hit vocal processing. For the first time since Life Goes On last year, I could not tell who was singing. Whenever I popped into the MV, I was surprised to find that all the seven distinct timbres of the members were so blended. Namjoon, Taehyung, Yoongi, Jungkook, Jin, J-Hope, and to a lesser extent, Jimin, all sounded the exact same. One of BTS's unique calling cards has always been their excellent vocal variety. Permission to Dance robs this so completely, that I feel that with that level of vocal processing, even I could sing the song and sound the exact same. This is especially sad, given that BTS could easily sing this normally.

Permission to Dance is fun at times, it works well enough. But as a BTS single, as a song from a well-respected band known for their social commentary, Permission to Dance comes off as quite discardable. This is a shame, as BTS can, and have, done better.

Rating: 6.5/10

Side Note: Impressive that they added the ASL sign for 'Dance' into their choreography.

Image Source: Show Biz Junkies