Hello and welcome back to Bookish Theories! :D
In today's video I would like to talk about BTS's Dynamite
focusing on a little breakdown and analysis of the lyrics, the music video and the references to pop culture that they included in the mv.
Dynamite is a song that deal with the themes of happiness, joy and confidence
that is meant to spread light and positivity in the lives of those who listen to it.
Now, in comparison to BTS's latest releases
which heavily relied on the theories of Carl Jung and the Map of the Soul concept
Dynamite is a song that is meant to be more lighthearted and carefree.
As BTS themselves have stated
the track could be seen as an expression of the boys' passion for music and dancing
that is also meant to highlight their desire to keep on challenging themselves
and overcome the sense of helplessness and frustration that overpowered them during these past few months.
Much like the majority of us the boys had to change their lifestyle
and find a way to deal with the difficulties that the pandemic has caused
but instead of giving in to negativity
BTS decided to use this opportunity to create a song whose goal is to bring energy and comfort to their listeners.
Now in order to achieve this goal this time around
BTS decided to sing the full song in English as a means to reach a wider audience
and to deliver their positive message even further
the video shows us the boys playing the role of young students
who find themselves in different locations where they cannot help but dance as soon as they start singing the song.
Now as we'll see in a second the video is full of references to Western pop culture
that are especially evident in Jungkook and Suga's scenes
but despite all the different callbacks that we can find in both the lyrics and the mv
Dynamite is first and foremost an homage to Michael Jackson and Motown
which is an African-American record label that especially in the 60s played an essential role
in the racial integration of the mainstream media.
While the sound of the song has been heavily influenced by the funky and disco vibes of The Jackson 5
the choreography is a mix of disco dancing and some of the most iconic moves by Michael Jackson
and this homage is extremely fitting in this context because
MJ's ideology and discography heavily advocated a universal message of racial and social equality.
If you are familiar with Michael Jackson's music then you know that
MJ believed that music had the power to bring people together and change the world for the better
and his entire discography reflected this belief in a way that inspired his listeners to take action
and change the world themselves.
You see, by making music that was inclusive, revolutionary and socially aware
Michael Jackson's goal was to inspire change, bring joy and heal the world
so by paying a tribute to him BTS further show us that they want to take part in this change
because they share the same universal message of love, healing and equality.
Much like Boy with Luv, Dynamite is all about appreciating the joy that can be found in the little things
and bringing the fire in your metaphorical night
so even if nowadays it's very difficult to have this positive attitude, BTS want to help you with that
by giving you energy and comfort through their music.
Now in the video this idea is perfectly conveyed by showing the boys vibing to Dynamite
from the beginning of the day all the way through the night
so the song begins with Jungkook getting ready in the morning and starting his day dancing to Dynamite
after drinking a glass of milk.
Now right off the bat these visuals are very telling because him having a milk moustache
is actually a reference to the 'Got Milk?' campaign that was especially popular back in the 90s
but this is only one of the many pop culture references that can be found throughout the song
because in JK's scene alone we see a lot of callbacks that perfectly fit the retro concept.
As he dances around wearing double denim and Timberlands, which in and of itself is an outfit
inspired by the late 80s and early 90s, in the background we can see posters of Nirvana, AC/DC, David Bowie
Queen and the Beatles - which are all legendary artists that much like them changed the music industry
to the point of no return.
The callbacks to pop culture, however, also dive into other media as well
because if in the back we can see a Simpsons sticker and right on the side we can see a poster from The Terminator
in the lyrics JK also mentions King Kong, which is a movie monster that gained major popularity
especially in the 60s and the 70s.
In the song JK encourages you to be strong like King Kong and roll on like a rolling stone
and this line is not only meant to motivate you to keep going and stay positive
but it's also a reference that recalls both the band Rolling Stones and the song Like a Rolling Stone
which is a track by Bob Dylan that first came out in 1965.
Moving on to more recent callbacks the next line actually encourages the audience to Jump up like LeBron
and this is an obvious reference to LeBron James, which a legend of the NBA that first rose to notoriety in the late 00s
Now the callback to LeBron here is a very interesting one because strictly speaking he doesn't really fit the retro
concept unless we put him together with Suga's scene
which actually shows Yoongi playing basketball and wearing a Tune Squad jersey from Space Jam
which is an iconic movie starring Michael Jordan and the Looney Tunes that first came out in 1996.
Now the references to LeBron and Space Jam, here, are not only connected because they are both about basketball
but also because next year LeBron will actually star in the sequel of Space Jam
and even if this is just a speculation on my part, this reference could be foreshadowing that
BTS might actually sing the soundtrack for the upcoming movie.
For now this is just a theory of course, but whether this will turn out to be true or not, the reference to LeBron
is also fitting with the overall theme of the song
which is to find confidence in yourself and find the strength you need to glow up like the diamond you are <3
In the video the Dynamite Day that you're spending with BTS continued at the record store with RM and at the Donut Shop with J-Hope
and the more we move around the happier the song gets because
when you shine through the city with a little funk and soul, you light up like dynamite thanks to the music that is bringing you joy.
As we see in the video, however, happiness should also be enjoyed with other people
so even if most of us are still social distancing (PLEASE WEAR MASKS, ILY THANKS :D)
the boys are encouraging you to connect with others through the power of music.
In his verse V wants you to spread their positive message and believe in yourself no matter what people say
and this concept is expressed yet again through references to pop culture
because in the lyrics V encourages you to 'Word up!' and move like we 'off the wall'.
Now 'Word up' here is an expression of agreement that became popular back in the 80s
after the band Cameo released a song with the same name
but when it comes to Off the wall the callback gets a little bit trickier because it can actually be a reference to two different influences.
On the one hand Off the Wall could be a callback to the slogan that Vans used  since the 70s
which was meant to celebrate the individuality and the creativity of those who wore Vans
and that at the time went against the norm.
On the other, however, Off the Wall is also a song by Michael Jackson that literally says that
Life ain't so bad, if you live it off the wall
so this reference basically implies that if you look at the bright side and live life the way you want to
You can find happiness no matter the circumstance.
This is the medicine that RM mentions in the lyrics & the medium through which BTS is literally "making it right"
so as we enjoy the sunset with Jimin and prepare to go to the disco with Jin
the boys dance around because that's what makes them happy during these difficult times.
No matter what happens they will find a way to spread positivity and share it with ARMY
because this is what their journey is all about :)
so even if for now everybody is stuck at home :(
the reference to the airplane implies that their journey continues because music knows no boundaries.
If you look closely the video ends with with the boys dancing in a field
that looks very similar to the one that we saw back in We are Bulletproof: The Eternal and this is not a coincidence
because this is a place that represents a dream where BTS and ARMY are together
so the fact that they chose to end the video there implies that as long as people are united through music
we will always be able to find comfort and happiness no matter the distance that keeps us apart.
So that’s it from me today! :D
I hope you guys enjoyed this video and if you did please think about liking and subscribing.
As always, thank you so much for watching guys, I’ll see you next time bye bye! :D
