BTS lights up the VMAs performing first English-language single 'Dynamite'

Reigning Best Group winners BTS gave an explosive performance of their new song "Dynamite" at the 2020 MTV Video Music Awards.

The track is the group's first single sung entirely in English and has marked a turning point for the global superstars.

Given that the song just demolished the YouTube record for the most-viewed music video within 24 hours, booking the group is a huge win for the VMAs. However, the group's Army (as BTS fans are known) have long been critical of how award shows treat the Bangtan Boys.

BTS are one of the most popular music acts in the world by a slew of metrics and have many visuals to choose from, but they've never been nominated for awards like Video of the Year. Fans have felt their exclusion was purposeful, believing that MTV was afraid BTS fans would flood voting for any awards they're nominated for and that the Best K-pop category was simply added as a concession.

That narrative has changed a bit this year in that the group also got nominated (and won) Best Pop video for their song "On." Now that they're performing and singing in English too, they're making it increasingly difficult for MTV to deny them a Video of the Year nomination come 2021.

Related content:

• BTS drop 'Dynamite' video and blow up YouTube viewing record
• What to know about the 2020 VMAs: Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande to perform, how to watch, and more
• BTS fans match band's $1 million donation to Black Lives Matter movement