After waiting for weeks for "Permission To Dance" to come out, fans finally got to listen to the song on July 9. Prior to this release, BTS has been quite busy for the past 2 months, giving fans a lot of concept photos, videos, and even conferences. They performed "Butter" for American and Japanese programs, plus recorded numerous versions of the song, with new music videos for each of the versions. "Butter" is BTS's biggest single yet, and it has topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart for 6 weeks in a row. 

At first, no one knew exactly what this comeback was about: just a single, maybe a whole studio album... Until the possibility of a third all-English song turned out to be true since Ed Sheeran couldn't keep such golden information contained to himself anymore: He wrote the new single for the guys, who are all great in their own ways. "Make It Right" was also written by him back in 2019, so reuniting again with BTS meant something huge. He wanted his lyrics to be sung by the worldwide successful band, so "Permission To Dance" was a huge spoiler given to ARMY due to Sheeran's excitement. BigHit was then obligated to announce that the collaboration is real, yet the name couldn't be announced yet. Until in a VLive live and with a duration of 7 minutes, RM almost spoiled even more information. "Butter" was still on top but RM just decided to give a promotion and a total shout-out to the new single. 

He asked ARMY to give love and support to it, as he considers "Permission to Dance" to be better than "Butter."  

RM has demonstrated to be a very philosophical creature, someone who is connected with art and the meanings behind metaphorical sentences. As someone who is very fond of reflecting the pain and the subsequent healing of it, he definitely found "Permission To Dance" more meaningful than "Butter." Whenever they were at interviews promoting "Butter," it seemed that the interviewers didn't want to know anything else except the meaning behind "Butter," which RM has replied every single time that it was a song meant for ARMY to have fun, a dance-pop track to hype the vibes. There isn't really a deep meaning or reason for being behind this production, more of a sweet and smooth comeback. But "Permission To Dance" is more than just a pop song to dance around with someone: it is the continuity of "Life Goes On."

A waitress wearing a mask and pancakes with butter on her hand is seeing as the mainframe of the music video. The video indeed looked like being taken from a western movie, a cowboy-style in each of the members and letting Jungkook be seen with a punk hairstyle and tattoos all over his arm, something that ARMY enjoys a lot. RM is in green neon hair, and SUGA might be thinking about going back to his iconic mint hair, and Jin didn't lose time to try on the pink hair. Both V and Jimin were seen in cowboy suits, red and black, in each of them highlighting their dance steps. The whole rap line sang to this melody, and J-hope proves himself with a sweet and harmonious voice. Dancing around, enjoying themselves with easy dance steps and the memorable inclusion of the sign language, people from all races and cultures, and the ending, where for the first time, we can see the people who are behind the cameras dancing with them.

Broken dreams, the end of hope, losing important people around us just so suddenly, the contact with the other prohibited, and confinement that seemed eternal are the main points in "Life Goes On." People who have survived the pain that the pandemic brought within itself, are people whose purpose in this life hasn't been done yet, so we must keep going and leave the dark hole behind us. "Permission To Dance," meanwhile, talks about beginning a new life, something is starting right now, and it promises to bring joy, the freedom of seeing each other again and understand in a profound sense the value of being alive. If we have fallen, we shall get up and continue believing in our dreams and goals. This is the time when we must believe in a promising future. The contrast of both "Butter" and "Permission to Dance" is magical: While "Butter" was made in a flirty and delightful way, "Permission To Dance" makes reference to freedom: "Cause we don't need permission to dance," meaning that someday soon, quarantine won't exist anymore and people won't have to worry ever again for being close to their loved ones.

This pandemic has brought us a more real and thoughtful BTS. Trying to match concepts with their feelings and making ARMY part of it, telling them how we all feel stressed sometimes, and it's okay not to be okay. "The wait is over" can be read in a wall painted by Mexican-American artist Abel Macias, and with that being said, the possibilities of having a worldwide tour next year might be low but never zero. RM was right about "Permission to Dance" being better than "Butter": a new life is ahead of us, and wherever it takes us, it is full of dreams coming true and freedom after a long-suffering. The inclusion is part of tolerance and acceptance towards any ethnicity, culture, love, and human being. RM is attached to these concepts, and if he can take his ideals even further, he will do so, and "Permission To Dance" has been like a compacted book of his thoughts. 

We can then accept the fact that Ed Sheeran and RM talked a lot about the hardships they've been through the last couple of years when the pandemic didn't seem to go away. And so, the new single is a way of cheering up the listener and letting them know that these days are almost gone. 

Watch "Permission to Dance" below: