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"Dionysus" is a song by South Korean boy band BTS. It was released digitally on April 12, 2019, as part of the extended play Map of the Soul: Persona. Inspired by the Greek god Dionysus, a mix of rap-rock, synth-pop, and hip-hop with deep lyrics reflecting on stardom and artistic integrity.

Critics praised "Dionysus" as BTS's boldest release, with Billboard dubbing it as the group's most audacious track, while NME highlighted Jin's falsetto as a standout moment. The song was heavily promoted in Korea and received dynamic performances at various music awards shows.

Background and release

Big Hit Entertainment teased the song title when they posted a short description of Dionysus on their official website. Upon doing so it trended on Twitter worldwide. The song was announced to be on their album tracklist Map of the Soul: Persona a few days before the scheduled release of April 12, 2019. The track was also hinted at when teaser pictures of the members holding grapes were released.

Composition and lyrics

In a press release RM described the song as, "the joy and pain of creating something” and “an honest track". It is named after the Greek god of the same name, known for debauchery and excess. It is in the genre of rap-rock, synth-pop, and hip-hop and consist of multi-part hooks, a trap breakdown, an ending chorus that has double-time drums and features Jin's 'rocking adlibs' throughout the song.

Lyrically, the song talks about their stardom, legacy, and artistic integrity. Some of the nuances may be difficult to understand because of the word play that gets lost in translation. On the surface it may seem like a party song with the group shouting “Drink, drink, drink!” at different intervals, but in reality, the lyrics call for getting drunk on art, in the creative process. While "alcohol" in Korean is "술", "art" in Korean is "예술". Also, looking deeper into the lyrics, it shows self reflection such as when Suga raps, “What does it matter if I’m an idol or an artist?” It links back to their previous song "Idol" that asked the same reflective questions."

Reception

Jason Lipshutz of Billboard called the song, "the most outlandish song BTS has ever released" and a "harbinger". Jess Lau from The 405 called "Dionysus" the "real stand out single" and "full of attitude and confidence", while Salvatore Maicki from Fader called it a "booze-filled rager". In the review of "The 50 best albums of 2019", NME hailed “Jin’s spine-tingling falsetto wails during the final headbang-worthy section of ‘Dionysus’” as the "Best Moment" from the album.

Promotion

BTS promoted the song in Korea on the shows Inkigayo, Show! Music Core, Music Bank, and M Countdown. BTS gave a high-octane performance of the song at the 2019 Melon Music Awards and 2019 Mnet Asian Music Awards, where the group swept all grand prizes. The song was also performed at the 2019 SBS Gayo Daejeon and the 2019 KBS Song Festival.

Charts

Certifications

References

1. "BTS fans go wild studying Greek mythology after Dionysos hint dropped for next album". Neos Kosmos. April 9, 2019. Retrieved April 22, 2019.
2. Wynne, Kelley (April 8, 2019). "Who Is Dionysus? BTS Fans Predict Album Content After 'Map of the Soul: Persona' Tracklist Give Greek God Name". Newsweek. Retrieved April 22, 2019.
3. ^ Daly, Rhian (April 22, 2019). "All the biggest talking points from BTS' global press conference: Jungkook's missing mixtape, Suga's next prophecy, and the meaning behind 'Map Of The Soul: Persona'". NME. Retrieved April 17, 2019.
4. ^ Lipshutz, Jason (April 17, 2019). "How BTS' 'Dionysus' Demonstrates the Group's Musical Ambition". Billboard. Retrieved April 22, 2019.
5. Daly, Rhian. "BTS – 'Map Of The Soul: Persona' review". NME. Retrieved April 22, 2019.
6. Lau, Jess (April 22, 2019). "Review: BTS just want a piece of the action in Map of the Soul: Persona". The 405. Archived from the original on April 19, 2019. Retrieved April 19, 2019.
7. Maicki, Salvatore (April 19, 2019). "BTS make a strong case for pop maximalism on Map of the Soul: Persona". The Fader. Retrieved April 22, 2019.
8. RD (December 16, 2019). "The 50 best albums of 2019". NME. Retrieved December 16, 2019.
9. Bell, Crystal (December 27, 2019). "The Best K-pop B-sides of 2019, From Twice to BTS". MTV. Archived from the original on December 27, 2019. Retrieved December 27, 2019.
10. Anwar, Mehak (April 21, 2019). "The Videos Of BTS' 'Inkigayo' Performances Of "Boy With Luv" & "Dionysus" Are Mesmerizing". Elite Daily. Retrieved April 22, 2019.
11. Martinez, Tara (April 20, 2019). "These Videos Of BTS' 'Music Core' Performances Of "Boy With Luv" & "Dionysus" Won First Place". Elite Daily. Retrieved April 22, 2019.
12. Kim, Bo-ra (April 19, 2019). "'뮤직뱅크' 방탄소년단, 컴백과 동시에 1위 "우리 아미 감사해"[종합]" ['Music Bank' BTS, first place at the same time as making their comeback... "We are thankful to our ARMYs"]. Osen (in Korean). Retrieved April 23, 2019.
13. Martinez, Tara (April 18, 2019). "This Video Of BTS' First Performance Of "Dionysus" On 'M Countdown' Will Get You Pumped". Elite Daily. Retrieved April 22, 2019.
14. "BTS Turn 2019 Melon Music Awards Into Mini Concert Before Picking Up Top Honors". Billboard. Retrieved 2019-12-03.
15. "Watch BTS' Career-Spanning Set at the 2019 Mnet Asian Music Awards". Billboard. Retrieved 2019-12-05.
16. "'SBS 가요대전', 방탄소년단 퍼포먼스 돋보였지만...레드벨벳 웬디 부상에 '빈축'[MK이슈]" ['SBS Gayo Daejeon', BTS performance was outstanding, but ... 'Valentine' due to red velvet Wendy injury ]. Star Today (in Korean). December 26, 2019. Retrieved January 3, 2020.
17. Park, Ha Na (December 27, 2019). "[2019 가요대축제] 방탄소년단, 콘서트 방불케 한 역대급 무대의 향연" [ BTS celebrates concert-like stages]. News1 Korea (in Korean). Retrieved January 3, 2020.
18. "BTS Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved April 24, 2019.
19. "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Single (track) Top 40 lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved April 26, 2019.
20. "Billboard Japan Hot 100 2019/4/29". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved April 24, 2019.
21. "Savaitės klausomiausi (TOP 100)" (in Lithuanian). AGATA. April 19, 2019. Retrieved December 3, 2019.
22. "Top 20 Most Streamed International & Domestic Singles In Malaysia" (PDF). Recording Industry Association of Malaysia. Recording Industry Association of Malaysia. Retrieved April 25, 2019.
23. "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Singles Digital Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select 16. týden 2019 in the date selector. Retrieved April 24, 2019.
24. "Digital Chart – Week 16 of 2019". Gaon Chart (in Korean). Retrieved April 25, 2019.
25. "Kpop Hot 100: April 8–14, 2019". Billboard. Archived from the original on July 1, 2019. Retrieved April 22, 2019.
26. "Official Independent Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 20, 2019.
27. "BTS Chart History (Bubbling Under Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved April 23, 2019.
28. "Japanese single streaming certifications – BTS – Dionysus" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. Retrieved September 27, 2024. Select 2024年8月 on the drop-down menu

• 2019 songs
• BTS songs
• Songs in Korean
• Rap rock songs
• Songs written by Pdogg
• Songs written by J-Hope
• Songs written by RM (musician)
• Songs written by Supreme Boi
• Songs written by Suga
• South Korean hip-hop songs
• South Korean synth-pop songs
• South Korean rock songs