BTS, Rejects Grammy Submission…"We Hope to Be Evaluated for the Music Itself, Not the Region"

[Dispatch=Reporter Park Hye-jin] "I hope music is heard and loved for what it is, rather than being divided by region or language."(BTS)

BTS has refused to submit to the American Grammy Awards. The group expressed opposition to the newly established "Best Asian Pop Music Performance" category at the Grammys.

On the 29th, BTS posted on their individual SNS accounts: "We have decided not to submit to the Grammy Awards this year." The Grammy submission deadline is the 21st of next month.

The Grammy Awards announced revisions last month on the 16th. A total of five new categories were introduced, including "Best Asian Pop Music Performance," "Best Latin Song," and "Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance."

In particular, criticism continued over the "Best Asian Pop Music Performance" category. This award targets K-pop, J-pop (Japan), and C-pop (China). Works must meaningfully use Asian languages.

Grammy Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. said, "This is the result of the music community requesting more opportunities to celebrate new genres," adding it was "an opportunity to represent more creators and be more inclusive."

However, there are contradictions in the regulations. The Academy stated, "Music style, not the artist's race or nationality, determines eligibility for the award." Yet the Academy divided categories by language.

By creating a separate category for Asian music, K, J, and C-pop artists would no longer be eligible to compete in the main categories of "Album of the Year," "Record of the Year," and "Song of the Year." Critics argue this creates a barrier excluding Asian artists from the general field.

This is why the term "ghettoization" is being used—assigning a specific group to a separate space, preventing them from mixing with the mainstream. It is seen as confining global stars back into an Asian category.

The precedent of Black music being confined to R&B and rap categories and excluded from main awards supports this argument. Beyoncé is the most-awarded artist in Grammy history with 35 awards. However, she has never won "Album of the Year." Despite winning the most awards, she missed the biggest one.

Her husband Jay-Z pointed this out in 2024, saying, "Beyoncé has more Grammys than anyone, but she has never won 'Album of the Year.' By the Grammy's own standards, it doesn't make sense." (Beyoncé received this award last year for the first time in 24 years)

After winning Best Rap Album in 2020, Tyler, The Creator said, "When people who look like us cross genres, we're always put in rap or urban categories. Why can't we just be pop?" The Weeknd also declared a permanent boycott in 2021, saying, "The Grammys are still corrupt."

The timing of the new category is also suggestive. BTS's new album "Arirang" is being discussed as a potential "Album of the Year" nominee. Critics have pointed out whether this is an attempt to block Asian artists.

Of course, it could become a new opportunity. Asian artist wins would be guaranteed every year. Some observers note that the requirement to use Asian languages could prevent the heavy use of English in K-pop lyrics. For J-pop and C-pop, which have never been nominated before, this opens a door.

However, K-pop is already competing in the pop market, not the Asian market. On the main Billboard charts and on stages around the world, K-pop has competed on the same metrics as Western pop stars.

The Grammy Awards do not categorize British music as "European Pop" or Australian music as "Oceania Pop." Isn't this a standard applied only to non-Western music? K-pop's decade-long push to break into the American pop market was a declaration to be judged not as Asian artists, but as pop musicians.

BTS has mentioned the Grammy Awards on multiple occasions. RM said in 2021, "The Grammy is the final part of our entire American journey." The group was nominated in 2021, 2022, and 2023 for three consecutive years but ultimately did not win the trophy.

They have made music that breaks down boundaries of race, gender, region, and language. In 2018, they even spoke at the UN, saying, "Find your voice, whoever you are, wherever you're from, whatever the color of your skin."

However, they determined that the Grammy's current classification system does not align with the music they have been making. So when they were poised to become a strong contender for an award, they refused to submit.

The members said, "We hope music is heard and loved for what it is, rather than being divided by region or language," and "We are grateful to ARMY and everyone who has always been with us."

Voices are coming out in support of BTS's decision. Epik High's Tablo emphasized with inequality signs that "Arirang" is bigger than the Grammy.

Professor Lee Ji-young of Hankook University of Foreign Studies said, "I agree with your decision," adding, "The Grammy, which tries to categorize music by its own strange standards and not evaluate it fairly, has already abandoned its own legitimacy and authority."

Meanwhile, BTS is touring the world with the "Arirang" tour. The group will continue its North American tour at MetLife Stadium in New York on August 1-2.

by. Hyejin Park