BTS: Permission to Dance reminds fans of One Direction, ARMY gets emotional at use of sign language in video

On Friday, BTS released the music video of their new song Permission to Dance. While fans praised BTS members RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jungkook for the new avatars, a few fans also said the video reminded them of Steal My Girl, by One Direction.

Permission to Dance is BTS’ third all-English track. The song has been co-written by Ed Sheeran and sung by the BTS members. The video is set up in what appears to be a desert while the members imagine life after the Covid-19 pandemic ends.

One Direction, which comprised of Zayn Malik, Harry Styles, Liam Payne, Louis Tomlinson and Niall Horan at the time of inception, released Steal My Girl in 2014.

Several BTS fans, who are also fans of One Direction, took to Twitter and shared moments from both the music videos to point out the similarities. The location, the balloons soaring in the air, and the performers in the music video coming together at the end of the Permission to Dance music video reminded them of Steal My Girl. Some also said that the vibe of Permission to Dance was similar to the music One Direction release in their early days in the industry.

Here are a few reactions:

Besides the comparisons, many fans applauded BTS for incorporating sign languages in their Permission to Dance choreography. The hook step of the song features sign languages for dance, happiness (joy), and peace. BTS has also included hearing aid emoji to their Twitter bio besides the streaming link.

BTS released Permission to Dance on the occasion of ARMY day. The new track coincides with the release of the CD version of their hit song Butter, which was released in June. Ahead of its release, BTS treated fans with concept photos and a teaser. The members were seen in different avatars, dressed as jail mates and chilling on the beach, washing a car, and sporting cowboy outfits.

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In the coming week, BTS has a few appearances lined up. These include the group’s return to The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Host Jimmy Fallon recently confirmed that BTS will perform their latest tracks Butter and Permission to Dance on July 13 and 14.