K-pop sensations BTS had the Billboard Music Awards audience screaming at the top of their lungs on Wednesday night (May 1) as they performed “Boy With Luv” onstage for the first time live with Halsey. It was a mythical set that further cemented them as global superstars. The magic’s in the shoulders. As they rolled them from left to right and then back, a new age dawned on pop music. It’s the age of BTS.
BTS didn’t walk onto the stage: They came from under a wall, backs turned toward the audience. They emerged with a theater in the background and for their energetic performance, they offered a show outside of it. They could barely contain the smiles that made frantic dashes to the edges of their faces while they glided around the stage. It was magical. They were a synchronized entity, matching each other’s bouncing shoulders and body jerks. Halsey snuck in behind them and came right through the middle and hopped into the routine without missing a step. She was all smiles throughout the energetic number and by the time that the figurative smoke cleared, the screams from the cloud burned through the silence of the night.
BTS released their new album Map of the Soul: Persona earlier this month. Soon after, they performed “Boy With Luv” on Saturday Night Live. Halsey recently wrote an honorable entry about the boy band’s artistry and influential aspects for Time’s 100 Most Influential People of 2019 list.
Check out a video of the performance up above.