BTS Declines Grammy Submission: "Music Should Not Be Divided by Region or Language"

Seen as a Critique of the New "Asian Pop" Category

BTS. Provided by Big Hit Music

BTS, the group, has decided not to submit their fifth studio album, "ARIRANG," which topped both major U.S. Billboard charts, for the 69th Annual Grammy Awards.

On July 29, BTS announced on the members’ social media accounts, "We have decided not to submit our music for the Grammy Awards this year." The group added, "We hope that music will be appreciated for what it is, rather than being categorized by region or language. We want to thank ARMY and everyone who has always supported us."

The 69th Grammy Awards will take place on February 7 next year at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, United States. Eligible submissions are albums and recordings released between August 31 of the previous year and July 28 of this year. Although "ARIRANG," released in March, was eligible for submission, BTS has chosen not to participate in the competition for an award.

Last month, the Recording Academy, which organizes the Grammys, announced the introduction of a new category, "Best Asian Pop Music Performance." Beginning with next year's ceremony, five new categories, including Asian Pop, will be added. The Asian Pop category covers popular music that originated in or is widely recognized in Asian markets, such as K-pop, J-pop, and C-pop. At least one Asian language, including Korean, must be used meaningfully in the lyrics for eligibility. Songs sung exclusively in English are not eligible for this category and will be judged in other appropriate categories.

The Recording Academy explained that the separate category reflects the scale and influence of Asian Pop in the global music market. Harvey Mason Jr., CEO of the Recording Academy, stated, "Asian Pop is a significant movement with lasting influence in the global music industry," and added that the new category aims to better represent its scale, artistry, and worldwide impact.

While BTS did not specifically mention the new category in their explanation for declining to submit, saying simply that they "hope music is not defined by region or language," this statement has been interpreted as a critique of dividing music by the artist’s nationality or the language of the song.

BTS achieved results this year with "ARIRANG" that would have placed them as contenders for the main Grammy Awards. The album debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s main album chart, the Billboard 200, and held the top spot for three consecutive weeks. The title track, "SWIM," also debuted at No. 1 on the main singles chart, the Hot 100. This marks the seventh time BTS has reached the top of the Hot 100 chart.

The Grammys have often been seen as the major stage that remains elusive for BTS. Starting with "Dynamite" in 2021, "Butter" in 2022, and "My Universe" with Coldplay in 2023, BTS was nominated for "Best Pop Duo/Group Performance" for three consecutive years. In 2023, they were also nominated for "Best Music Video" with "Yet to Come" and were listed as contributors to Coldplay’s "Music of the Spheres," nominated for Album of the Year. BTS has received a total of five Grammy nominations so far but has not won an award.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.