TikTok is the sole home of a 30-second-long preview of BTS’s upcoming single “ON,” which is slated for release on Friday, alongside the group’s next album, Map of the Soul: 7.
TikTok users can both listen to the “ON” clip and use it in videos. BTS’s immensely popular TikTok account has over 7.5 million followers to its credit and has garnered nearly 37 million likes from users.
Late last month, it was revealed that TikTok had signed a number of indie artists to be part of its Resso streaming service, which is expected to become a competitor to Apple Music, Spotify, and other leading music-streaming platforms. ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, has been testing and optimizing the app (chiefly through a beta rollout in India and Indonesia), though none of the Big Three record labels have yet signed on.
With Resso picking up steam and TikTok having secured the BTS preview, it seems highly likely that music will be a key part of ByteDance’s strategic vision moving forward. Similarly, it’s worth noting that TikTok is considered to be the catalyst for the success of several songs. Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus’s “Old Town Road” was much promoted (and shared) through the app, and TikTok’s most popular user, Loren Gray, whose first single was released in late 2018, has enjoyed substantial career success.
Earlier today, BTS confirmed a long-rumored partnership with Samsung, which accounts for nearly one-fifth of South Korea’s gross domestic product (GDP). The terms of the deal haven’t been made public, but Samsung is expected to provide augmented reality support for BTS’s art exhibit, “Connect, BTS,” and sources with knowledge of the matter have indicated that a BTS-themed cell phone may be developed at some point in the future.
After promoting Map of the Soul: 7, BTS will embark on a comprehensive world tour; the seven-piece boy band is scheduled to visit Japan, North America, and Europe between early April and the beginning of September.