What was BTS's first English-language single?

BTS's first English-language single was "Dynamite."

Released on August 21, 2020, "Dynamite" was BTS's first single recorded and released entirely in English. Before it, the group had released Korean-language music, Japanese versions and original Japanese songs, and individual English phrases within multilingual tracks, but not a full BTS single performed completely in English.

The song was written by British songwriters David Stewart and Jessica Agombar and produced by Stewart. Its disco-pop sound drew on 1970s-style funk, soul, handclaps, synths, and celebratory horns. BTS described the release as an attempt to offer energy and optimism during the pandemic.

The later songs "Butter" and "Permission to Dance" are often mistaken for the first English-language single because they continued BTS's English-language pop run. Both were released in 2021. "Dynamite" came first and became BTS's first Billboard Hot 100 number one, as well as the song that brought the group its first Grammy nomination.