Unpacking BTS' Decision to Boycott the Grammys
BTS’s decision leaves the new Best Asian Pop Music Performance category without its biggest contender, according to music commentators.
- South Korean boy band BTS announced last week they would not submit music from their album ARIRANG for the 2027 Grammys, excluding the group from the new best Asian pop music performance category.
- On the Billboard Pop Shop Podcast, hosts Katie Atkinson and Keith Caulfield examined the impact of this absence and what the new category looks like without the group.
- Journalist Jae-Ha Kim discussed the decision with host Scott Tong on the Here & Now program; Kim covers K-Pop for The Chicago Tribune and also wrote about the topic for Rolling Stone.
- In other industry developments, Madonna and Kylie Minogue previewed their new Love Sensation remix at WorldPride Amsterdam 2026 over the weekend, while Ariana Grande's representative announced she plans to step back following her Eternal Sunshine Tour.
- Chart results show Wallen's new single Been debuted in the top five on the Billboard Hot 100, joining four other country carryovers, while Charli xcx's new Music, Fashion, Film debuted in the top three.
16 Articles
16 Articles
What BTS’ Grammy boycott tells us about the problem with ‘Asian pop’ as a label
K-pop supergroup BTS has announced that they will not be entering their music for the 2027 Grammy awards. The decision seems to be a response to the addition for 2027 of the category “best Asian pop music performance”. The Grammy rulebook describes Asian pop as a “distinct and globally recognised form of popular music”. The new category is intended to reward recordings that make “meaningful use of one or more Asian languages”. Announcing their w…
[OSEN=Reporter Sun Mi-kyung] Amidst their declaration of a boycott of the U.S. Grammy Awards, the group BTS once again expressed their conviction through meaningful lyrics during their world tour. Fans also supported BTS's decision with an enthusiastic response. On the 1st and 2nd (local time), BTS held their ‘BTS WORLD TOUR ‘ARIRA’’ at the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
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