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BTS / BIGHIT MUSIC

Group BTS will not submit music for the 69th Grammy Awards to be held in February next year. Although they reached the top of the Billboard charts after resuming full-group activities in March with their fifth studio album ARIRANG, they have decided not to enter the Grammys.

On July 29, BTS announced on social media, "We have decided not to submit for this year's Grammys," adding, "We hope that music can be heard and loved for what it is, rather than being divided by region or language. We are always grateful to ARMY and everyone who stays with us."

This decision comes after the Recording Academy, which organizes the Grammys, established the Best Asian Pop Music Performance category last month. While BTS did not explicitly explain the reason for omitting submissions, their statement wishing for music not to be divided by region or language has led to interpretations that the decision is linked to the creation of the new category.

The Best Asian Pop Music Performance category targets popular music from Asian regions, including K-pop, J-pop, and C-pop. It evaluates music that meaningfully uses the language of one or more Asian countries and is performed by artists who are of Asian origin or recognized locally. The Recording Academy explained that the category was introduced to reflect the growing global influence of Asian pop.

However, criticism has arisen within the music industry for grouping popular music from South Korea, Japan, and China—each with distinct musical traits—into a single category based on the geographic region of Asia. Concerns were also raised that while acknowledging K-pop's influence, classifying it into a regional category separate from major pop categories could instead create boundaries.

BTS achieved accomplishments worthy of a Grammy entry this year as well. With their fifth studio album ARIRANG released in March, they topped both the main Billboard album and singles charts in the U.S. After returning as a full group following their military service hiatus, they continued their success across albums, digital tracks, and world tours, but chose not to submit for the Grammys this time.

The relationship between BTS and the Grammys began in 2019. After first attending as presenters that year, they performed jointly with Lil Nas X the following year, becoming the first K-pop artist to perform on the Grammy stage. Starting in 2021, they earned nominations for three consecutive years in categories including Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, though they did not win an award.

Given their past consistency in expressing a desire to win a Grammy, this choice garners particular attention. At a press conference in 2021, BTS expressed their intent to keep trying, saying, "Little strokes fell great oaks." Returning as a full group and achieving success in the global music market once again, they have chosen a different path by deciding against submitting for the Grammys.

The Grammys, a popular music awards ceremony hosted by the U.S. Recording Academy since 1959, is considered one of the highest honors in the music industry. However, it has also faced persistent criticism for being conservative toward non-white artists and non-English music. In 2021, a controversy arose when The Weeknd's Blinding Lights failed to receive a nomination despite its global commercial success. At the 68th ceremony this year, while the K-Pop: Demon Hunters soundtrack GOLDEN won Best Song Written for Visual Media, it failed to take home trophies in major categories, and Rosé's APT. also fell short of a win.

                                                                                                              Lee Da-hye