[Sportschosun Baek Ji-eun] BTS has knocked the arrogance out of the so-called "white Grammys."
On the 29th, BTS said, "We have decided not to submit our work to the Grammys this year. We hope music can be heard and loved for what it is, rather than being divided by region or language."
In June, the Grammy Awards created a new Asian pop category and said it would separately select winners from works that meaningfully use one or more Asian languages, including K-pop, J-pop, and Chinese pop. Critics said this was a trick to block BTS from entering the main categories.
With their fifth full-length album, 'Arirang,' BTS simultaneously topped Billboard's main singles chart, the Billboard Hot 100, and its main album chart, the Billboard 200. They also posted meaningful results on major charts such as the Official Charts and Spotify. In addition, they have been proving their global influence while successfully carrying out a large-scale world tour and even taking the stage for a halftime performance at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
It was only natural that BTS's chances of winning a main-category award were seen as high. However, the Grammy Awards' creation of a separate Asian pop category was interpreted as an attempt to confine BTS within a regional label. What is more, the Grammys set the category's judging standard by language. Works that use Asian languages only in a few phrases or words, or lyrics written entirely in English, would be excluded.
But BTS's new song, 'Swim,' is entirely in English. There is a Korean version, 'Normal,' but it is only a B-side track, not the title song, so it is bound to have less impact. Critics said the Grammys may have targeted exactly this point, trying to ride on BTS's buzz and popularity while avoiding giving an award to an Asian artist.
It was a clear display of the ugly face of the so-called "white Grammys," which are criticized every year for white supremacy and are stained by boycotts from artists of color.
But BTS did not stay silent. With its boycott declaration, the group directly rejected the K-pop frame and regional discrimination, saying, "We will reject the Grammys' system." It showed a shift in initiative, putting the essence and autonomy of music ahead of the Grammys' authority.
The Grammys then quickly backed down. Just one day after BTS announced its boycott, Grammy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. personally explained, "I was saddened to hear that BTS decided not to participate. The Asian pop category was created to recognize the depth, diversity, and excellence of pop art coming out of Asia. It is meant to spotlight important artists, not to separate them. Submitting music to a genre category does not exclude it from the main categories. Artists can pursue both at the same time."
This was a surrender meant to keep the Grammys from being trapped in a frame of conservatism and racial bias, and to prevent any decline in the awards' credibility and influence in the global market.
Foreign media outlets also came out in support of BTS.
The Guardian in the U.K. called it a "soft but powerful criticism," Cosmopolitan in the U.S. said BTS was right to reject the Asian pop award, and Billboard reported that the Grammy Awards would lose a solid audience base.
The 69th Grammy Awards, without BTS, will be held on February 7 next year.
Baek Ji-eun silk781220@sportschosun.com
This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.
