BTS recently connected with their British fans—and picked up a few new ones from across the globe—when they closed July by performing on the Live Lounge.
The Live Lounge is a segment on the British radio stations BBC Radio 1 and BBC Radio 1Xtra where artists perform several songs, including one by another artist, in an acoustic format. Most of the time, when artists appear on the Live Lounge, they opt to cover a song belonging to a genre that’s not their own. That way, they can be sure to come up with a whole new take on the original. In BTS’s case, they performed their hits “Dynamite”...
...and “Permission to Dance.”
For their cover, the South Korean superstars picked the hip-hop classic “I’ll Be Missing You” by Diddy (who still went by the name of Puff Daddy when the song was released in 1997), Faith Evans, and 112.
“I’ll Be Missing You” was a tribute to hip-hop legend Christopher Wallace, who went by the stage name “The Notorious B.I.G.” He was murdered on March 9, 1997. Released as the the second single from No Way Out, the debut studio album by Puff Daddy and the Family, the track features an interpolated chorus sung by Faith Evans (who was the late rapper’s wife at the time he was shot), an interpolated rhythm, and a spoken intro over the choral version of “Adagio for Strings” by Samuel Barber.
The song also samples the 1983 single by the Police titled “Every Breath You Take.” The use of the sample caused a minor controversy at the time “I’ll Be Missing You” dropped, because according to the Police’s guitarist Andy Summers, Diddy’s team didn’t get permission from them.
“I found out about it when it was already on the radio,” he told the A.V. Club. “I’d be walking around Tower Records, and it would be playing over and over. It was very bizarre while it lasted.” Sting, the chief songwriter of the Police, sued Diddy and received 100% of the song’s royalties. He then went on to perform “I’ll Be Missing You” alongside Diddy and Faith Evans at the 1997 MTV Video Music Awards.
That dust-up didn’t keep the song from becoming a huge hit. It won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group and stayed atop the US Billboard Hot 100 singles chart for 11 weeks. “I’ll Be Missing You” also went to No. 1 in 15 other countries and eventually sold millions of copies. It remains one of the best-selling singles of all time.
Because it was recorded and released as a tribute to Biggie (one of The Notorious B.I.G.’s nicknames), the song has special meaning to the black community. As such, some fans weren’t sure how to feel when they heard BTS planned to cover the song during their Live Lounge appearance. They became even more apprehensive when other fans started commenting on the original’s music video, saying they were only “here because of BTS.” That made the other group feel like the original was being disrespected.
But as it turned out, they shouldn’t have worried. In an interview by the BBC, the group’s leader RM said they were very much aware of the song’s significance, which is why he and his members went to great lengths to make sure they could do it justice.
“It was a tribute, so you know, at first, we kind of like had some burdens in our mind since it’s a tribute to the legendary the Notorious B.I.G. But the lyrics and the vibe just felt so right for us, there’s rap and vocals in it, and it’s a really famous song. It hit No. 1 on the Billboard chart, which is why we chose it. And we just want to say that we miss all of you—BBC, ARMY, everyone abroad, and in Korea. This song is our message to all of our fans from all over the world,” he said.
BTS changed up the song to suit the current situation by adding Korean rap verses from two of their members. SUGA went first, and he started by rapping about how confusing it is to have to adapt to a new way of life during a global pandemic.
We’re now used to our routines taken away
But still can’t give up on living
We’re more worn out because we don’t know where this ends
We’re an island we made ourselves because we couldn’t trust each other
The second half of his verse tackles the importance of staying positive, and preparing for the day when things finally go back to normal.
I hope an end comes for this tiring pandemic virus
Negative thoughts can sometimes be a minus
I knew it wasn’t the end so I couldn’t say bye
When that day comes, I’ll say ‘hi’ like nothing happened
j-hope followed his hyung by rapping earnestly about how much he wants this pandemic to end. He also promises to meet ARMY again soon.
I hate this world, our traces became memories
I just empty my mind, trust without conditions
I fill it every day with just loneliness
Not like the longing that encircles me
We miss you, baby
Whenever it may be, here’s hoping we meet again
I promise
Fans and non-fans alike ended up loving their version of the song, proving that BTS is a respectful group that always does things the right way.
Watch their performance of “I’ll Be Missing You” below.
