BTS hopes new track Dynamite lifts spirits amid coronavirus gloom

South Korean boy band BTS said on Friday they hoped their new digital single Dynamiterefreshes fans and helps them recharge their batteries as they cope with the novel coronavirus pandemic.

The seven-member group is at the forefront of South Korean pop music and has helped win K-pop fans around the world since their 2013 debut.

The young group members said in a livestreamed news conference ahead of the release of Dynamitethat they hoped the song would give their fans the same surge of energy it had given them.

"Everyone in the world is going through tough times right now," member Jimin told the news conference aired via YouTube.

"Dynamite is a song that can lift anyone's spirit. We gained a lot of energy singing and rehearsing it," he said.

Group leader and rapper RM said the coronavirus had forced a halt to many of their activities but it had also allowed them to clear their heads and come up with new material.

"It served as an impetus for Dynamite.This was a ray of light, a sip of sweet water," he said.

Contributors on their first English-language song included David Stewart and Jessica Agombar, their music label, Big Hit Entertainment, said. The full album will be released later this year.

BTS are set to return with two concerts in Seoul in October, with a limited audience observing social distancing, which will also be streamed online, Big Hit said.

Their tour of more than 20 concerts in the United States, Europe and Asia was cancelled because of the coronavirus, but some 756,000 fans paid to watch an online concert in June.

BTS broke into the U.S. market in 2017 and were the first Korean group to win a Billboard music award. They performed at the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles in January.