Opinion Inclusion or division? BTS Grammys’ boycott may be shortsighted
The separate category for Best Asian Pop could, in fact, bring visibility to a host of artistes who might otherwise never enter the Grammys spotlight. It gives musicians such as Diljit Dosanjh another avenue to submit work like 'Aura' for Grammy consideration
One also hopes that BTS reverse their decision. Not because they need a Grammy to validate their legacy but because their presence would be the litmus test for the Recording Academy's efforts at inclusivity. The story of 21st-century pop can be divided into two distinct chapters — before and after BTS. The Korean pop giant has spent the past decade rewriting the rules of global pop and tearing to bits the long-held notion that music must belong to a particular language, geography or ethnicity to achieve worldwide success. In the last decade, while singing largely in Korean, BTS filled stadiums everywhere — from London and Madrid to New York and Toronto — topped charts and built a fandom that transcended borders and language.
So, when BTS — the septet is arguably South Korea’s biggest cultural export — decided not to submit their hugely popular new album Arirang or any of its songs for The Grammys 2027, six days after the Recording Academy introduced the Best Asian Pop category at the awards, it set the internet abuzz, triggering widespread online debate. “I hope that music can be heard and loved for what it is, rather than being divided by region or language,” all seven members wrote in individual, co-ordinated posts on Instagram. The Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Junior was quick to respond. He said that the category of ‘Best Asian Pop’ was created “to celebrate the depth, diversity and extraordinary growth of pop artistry coming out of Asia”. And that its purpose was “never to divide, but to expand who is recognised by our 15,000 Grammy voters”.
A couple of things need to be understood. The move by the Recording Academy is in line with the broader industry trend. MTV Video Music Awards, American Music Awards and Billboard Music Awards have all introduced K-pop categories. What is of note, however, is that the new category (Asian pop) does not prevent Asian artists from competing for the marquee categories such as Record of the Year, Song of the Year or Album of the Year. It is simply an opportunity for recognition to an industry that has long felt overlooked, besides existing outside mainstream awards conversations. I believe it is likely to allow artistes from Seoul, Beijing, Ludhiana and Colombo, among others, whose music is not in English, to compete for what is seen by many as music’s highest honour.
The separate category could, in fact, bring visibility to a host of artistes who might otherwise never enter the Grammys spotlight. It gives musicians such as Diljit Dosanjh another avenue to submit work like Aura for Grammy consideration. That is significant. It is not racist; it is not segregation. It would be if these artistes were not allowed to be a part of the larger categories. If the existence of an Asian Pop category is segregation, as seen by the BTS Army, then the same argument could be made against the Grammys’ Latin, African, jazz, gospel or Americana categories. The concept of categories has always been central to the Grammys’ way of recognising music.
That said, the Recording Academy did not arrive at this moment without controversy and criticism. Many of its decisions in the past have been accused of being blind to the cultural moment. Pop titan Beyoncé remains the most glaring example. Despite becoming the most awarded artiste in Grammy history, Queen Bey repeatedly lost Album of the Year, the Academy’s most prestigious prize, even as albums such as Lemonade and Renaissance were widely regarded as seminal. Many Black artists and their records were often celebrated in genre categories while the top prize went to someone else. Once to Adele, who herself acknowledged that Beyoncé deserved it. In 2016, Taylor Swift’s 1989 won over Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly. In 2021, despite massive commercial and chart success, The Weeknd’s After Hours received no nominations. The Weeknd blamed the Recording Academy’s opaque process and vowed to boycott the awards.
So, is representation about creating separate regional categories, or ensuring that all artistes compete on a level playing field, language no bar? BTS, who have often spoken about really wanting a Grammy, appear to believe the future lies in the latter. I believe they are being a bit shortsighted.
What is also interesting to note here is that since Arirang is largely in English, it wouldn’t even qualify for the Best Asian pop category, wherein at least 80 per cent of the lyrics need to be in an Asian language. So, they would have had to submit to other flagship categories with a chance to create history.
The Grammys are already making strides. Beyonce’s win in 2024 for Cowboy Carter — her Country-inspired cross-genre album – as Record of the Year and Bad Bunny’s win in the same category last year for a Spanish album are examples. In fact, the Puerto Rican’s DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS (I Should Have Taken More Photos), won Album of the Year as well as Best Música Urbana Album. The latter is reserved for Latin performers exhibiting Latin urban styles — a reminder that the Academy is perhaps trying to reform itself. Its highest honours are no longer reserved for English-language music. If Best Asian Pop Music Performance becomes another route to Record of the Year, then it may represent expansion in the near future.
It remains to be seen if the new category comes to signify something bigger than identity. That is when the argument over segregation would begin to lose strength. One also hopes that BTS reverse their decision. Not because they need a Grammy to validate their legacy but because their presence would be the litmus test for the Recording Academy’s efforts at inclusivity.
The writer is Deputy Associate Editor, The Indian Express. suanshu.khurana@expressindia.com
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