BTS Is Officially Performing "Butter" For The First Time At The BBMAs, But Will It Be Live?

Quick, ARMYs! Act surprised! Big Hit Music and the Billboard Music Awards just announced BTS will perform their comeback stage for their new single "Butter" at the BBMAs on Sunday, May 23. ARMYs pretty much had that part of BTS' "Butter" comeback all figured out, considering the BBMAs take place just two days after the song drops on Friday, May 21. The question on ARMYs' minds now is: Will BTS' performance at the 2021 BBMAs be virtual or live?

For the past year, BTS' performances in the U.S. have been entirely virtual due to strict COVID-19 safety guidelines preventing them from traveling to the U.S. But as COVID-19 cases continue to slowly fall in the United States due to the introduction of vaccines, award shows have been getting somewhat back to normal. The Oscars took place in March, and the ceremony was held almost entirely in person (albeit with some safety measures in place).

There are very few details about how the BBMAs will conduct its show this year amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. All that's known is the show will broadcast live from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.

Considering many award shows have been conducting relatively normal ceremonies with some behind-the-scenes safety measures in place, it's probably safe to assume performers based in the U.S. who have already been announced — like The Weeknd and P!nk — will perform live. But that doesn't necessarily mean BTS will.

BTS is based in South Korea and would have to take a 14-hour flight to the U.S. to participate in the show in person. That's quite a long trip (not to mention risk) for one performance in L.A., especially considering Big Hit Music is more than capable of producing top-notch performances that can be aired virtually during the show. They literally built an exact replica of the 2021 Grammys stage for their "Dynamite" performance.

Still, it's not impossible they'd attend in person. BTS spent nearly a month in the U.S. in the lead-up to their February 2020 MOTS:7 comeback. If the group planned to stay for an extended amount of time to do promo and schedules, it would seem like more of a possibility. So it's understandable why some ARMYs may be curious if an in-person performance is a possibility.

But sure enough, Billboard confirmed in a press release that BTS' performance will be filmed remotely in Korea, and ARMYs are happy about the decision. The boys' safety is their first priority, after all. And based on BTS' other virtual performances over the past year, ARMYs will be blown away no matter what.