Last year, South Korean boy band BTS cooked up a worldwide storm when they released “Dynamite,” their first English-language single. That song cemented the septet as the biggest K-Pop sensation ever. BTS followed through this 2021 with not just another one, but two English songs. There was “Butter,” released in May, and “Permission to Dance,” which came out this July 9. If “Butter” was the dizzying punch then “Permission to Dance” was the KO, after it unseated the former as the new number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Now, the boys are collaborating with YouTube to promote the latter’s new Shorts feature, with “Permission to Dance” as the subject.

Variety has it that BTS is working with YouTube to both further promote “Permission to Dance” and introduce the YouTube Shorts feature on the video-sharing service’s mobile app version. “Shorts,” which is YouTube’s answer to the internationally phenomenal TikTok app, allows users of the app to record 15-second short videos. This feature will be utilized in the “Permission to Dance Challenge,” where BTS is inviting their worldwide ARMY to upload themselves following the song’s dance choreography on the official music video, for a chance to have their Short included in a compilation MV releasing later.

If this sounds familiar, then you might still recall Pharrell Williams’ 2013 song “Happy,” which was promoted with a 24-hour music video featuring splices of footage from Los Angeles of people dancing along to it. This would lead to the fad of “Happy” tribute videos created by fans around the world, where they feature a location like a famous city with scenes of its residents dancing to “Happy.” With the BTS-YouTube shorts “Permission to Dance” challenge, ARMY members need not worry about creating a full MV, just 15 seconds of choreographed dancing to the tune.

The challenge will start this Friday, July 23, and end August 14. As stated, “winners” from the video clips uploaded via YouTube shorts will be chosen for compiling in an alternate video of “Permission to Dance” showcasing the ARMYs dancing. GM Shin Young Jae of BTS’ label Big Hit Music is inviting the global ARMY to dance along with the boys, saying, “We are very excited to watch this challenge come to life on YouTube Shorts and can’t wait to see what you all create.” With BTS and their latest English-language hit on center stage, it is hoped that YouTube Shorts will gain a user base to compete with TiKTok.

ARMY fans wanting to join the “Permission to Dance Challenge” starting Friday only have to tag their 15-second clips with #PermissiontoDance and #Shorts for consideration. YouTube promises that video owners will be asked permission to use their footage, if chosen.

Image courtesy of Billboard