In this week’s Technique Spotlight, we dive into BTS’s Grammy-nominated #1 hit, Dynamite, spotlighting its two “D” sections and their engaging yet familiar arrangements, hooks and melodies.

Following its August 2020 release, Dynamite debuted at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, becoming the group’s first #1 single in the US.  The song additionally reached the Top 10 on nearly 50 charts worldwide, including Billboard’s Adult Contemporary, Adult Top 40, Dance and Mainstream Top 40 charts.  Furthermore, the song also broke a host of records: it established BTS as the first all-South Korean act to reach #1 on the Hot 100, broke the record for the biggest pure sales week since Taylor Swift’s 2017 hit Look What You Made Me Do, and received the biggest opening day streaming count of 2020 with over 7.7 million streams on Spotify alone.

While the song’s record-breaking success is due to a combination of factors including its expertly-written melody, infectious hooks and uplifting lyrics, one in particular that stands out is its inclusion of not one, but two “D” (departure) sections.  In this Technique Spotlight, we dive into the characteristics of these sections and how they contributed to both the song’s engagement and familiarity factors, helping Dynamite to reach worldwide acclaim.

Want to learn more about Dynamite’s “D” section techniques?  Visit the Techniques Library to find out!

Click here to read the full technique in the Techniques Library.