IDOL

BTS have a lot to be proud about. Their third full album, Love Yourself: Tear, debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200, becoming the first ever K-pop album to top the chart. In June 2017, Time magazine named BTS one of the 25 most influential people on the internet and later in the year the group were revealed to be the most tweeted about celebrity in 2017, being liked or retweeted over half a billion times worldwide. This anthemic song finds the band declaring their pride as they take ownership of being South Korea's most powerful and influential celebrities. (BTS were ranked number one on Forbes Korea Power Celebrity list for 2018). The hook translates as: Keep on chit-chatting, saying this and that I do what I do, so you do you You can't stop me lovin' myself

Musically, "Idol" combines different classical Korean instruments, including the gakgung, with a modern hip-hop beat that draws on South African gqom (a style of house music that originated in Durban). This mix of ancient and modern illustrates how BTS themselves have been able to bridge different cultures.

An alternative version of the song, which features Nicki Minaj, is included as a bonus track on the digital version of the album. According to the Seoul Economic Daily, BTS reached out to the American rapper after completing the record. Minaj readily accepted their offer to appear as a featured vocalist.