BTS thanks fans for #MatchAMillion initiative in wake of BLM donation

SEOUL, Aug. 24 (Yonhap) -- Global K-pop sensation BTS on Monday expressed gratitude toward a fan-led charity project to benefit the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement in the United States that was organized as a direct response to the hefty donation the band made earlier to the same cause.

"We just want the world to be a better place. We don't regard ourselves to be doing great deeds," BTS member Suga said during a group interview with the Today show on American television network NBC.

Suga added, "But we do feel thankful that many people relate to our action and in turn, take action from their end."

The singer was responding to a question on the band's public support and the joint US$1 million donation, with label Big Hit Entertainment, to BLM in early June, and the fan-driven #MatchAMillion initiative to raise a donation of equal amount.

Following the news of the BTS-Big Hit donation in early June, One in an ARMY, a fan-led charity collective, tweeted a link to offer donations and in less than 24 hours, over 34,000 fans joined the #MatchAMillion movement to raise over $1 million.

On Friday, the band released a new digital single album titled "Dynamite" to an explosive global response.

The single, BTS' first song to be sung entirely in English, topped Apple iTunes Top Song charts in over 100 countries and territories and its video made the biggest music video debut on YouTube, garnering 101.1 million views in 24 hours.

RM shared how the band decided to sing all in English with its new song, written by David Stewart and Jessica Agombar of the London-based music production trio Mad Teeth.

"When we first listened to the demo, we just loved it as it is. So we thought like, 'Why not do it this way?' We just kept the demo and recorded it," RM explained.

The rapper-singer also shared some tidbits of the group's upcoming studio album set to drop within the year.

"It's going to be new and fresh and it's going to be a little bit different from the single 'Dynamite' as well," RM said.

odissy@yna.co.kr
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