Hey BPP, I know you're taking a break from BTS, but on the off-chance you happen to be checking your inbox, I wanted to ask your opinion about the guys skipping grammy submissions this year. As with many things in this fandom, I find myself agreeing with the general consensus if not necessarily some of the tone (sometimes the excessive fawning can be a bit much for me personally, though I certainly don't begrudge other ARMY their expressions of love for the guys.)
The main morsel in all of this that I've found interesting is the at least heavy implication, if not outright confirmation, that this was a decision made by the members amongst themselves and not by the company. It's not that I find that surprising per se, but more (perhaps wishful thinking on my part) an indication that going forward the guys might be settling back into comfortably wielding the power that they do hold within the company. Regardless, I am looking forward to hearing the music (group, solo, subunit perhaps?) that they will make with more time and distance from their hiatus/service and from the rushed nature of this comeback.
I hope you and your family are doing well and that new motherhood is treating you kindly! If and when you fancy posting on here again, I'll always be happy to hear your thoughts. :)
I would love to read your thoughts on BTS's announcement that they would not submit their music to the Grammy's. I know you have been less enthused about their Arirang album, and I understand. But I know that you have thoughts about the Korean media industry so I think you would have a valuable perspective on this move. Why did they do this? How will it affect other Korean artists? Will it affect the way American award shows segregate non-western artists?
Sorry for so many questions. Maybe you could answer just one or two?
BPP I hope you're enjoying your time away from this 'mad-house' as you call the fandom. Did you by any chance hear about BTS refusing to submit Arirang cause of the new grammy category? On one hand I feel proud of them for having a decisive decision, on the other hand some people are saying Arirang has too much English it wouldn't have qualified for the new category anyway so the announcement was BTS just saving face... its hard to argue with those facts. Some US critics are also saying Arirang is just not a good album and won't get noms in the main categories and BTS probably knows that by now so they are cutting losses early. It leaves a strange feeling in my mouth this whole thing. This whole Arirang era has been so weird it doesn't feel like BTS eras before and I can't put my finger on why. I almost feel like taking a break from everything like you but then I see Jimin winding his waist on my tl and I fold. My question for you is do you think that this will cause BTS to finally change their approach? Do you think Bang PD will also change his approach? The reactions to their announcement seem to be more dismissive or derisive than supporting. It's hard to discuss this honestly with other armys cause they shut everything down with racism.
Armys on reddit are losing it over this grammys thing and its seriously embarrassing. I wonder if the boys will ever do anything about the fandoms behavior bc is more insane since bangtan returned. It makes me miss your calm level voice here. I hope your doing well peach.
Anon in ask 1, thank you very much for the kind words. I'm just starting to make it out of the newborn trenches and all I'll say is I have a renewed respect for every person who spends time with children.
Very late to the party but let's get into this business with BTS and the Grammys.
"this was a decision made by the members amongst themselves and not by the company"
As has been said several times by this point, I want to stress that I believe BTS has always been driving the bus. Whether or not we like their decisions this era, and while it's clear Bang Sihyuk definitely exerted his influence over their comeback - he was the main producer for Arirang after all - nothing has happened this era that doesn't have the members' tacit or explicit approval. And so, yes, the Grammys announcement is yet another signal that BTS wields power and control over their careers and if they ever want to exercise it, they can.
"the new category is racist"
None of you said this, but it's something I've seen in ARMY spaces so I want to pick this apart before getting into everything else.
Is the Grammys a racist institution? Yes. I've written before about how the Recording Academy treats Black and POC artists (who are American), and how it's an even tougher game for non-American POCs. However, there's merit in acknowledging, as Yoongi once called it, that the Grammys are a 'local' affair. This is something we all know. The Grammys are essentially the music version of the Oscars - both of which are American institutions, rooted in American worldviews, originally made for American artists first of all. They have expanded to include various international categories - such as the African music category in 2023 and the Asian pop category this year, but the main categories have always been dominated by American and/or Western projects. Because despite the Grammys or Oscars having global prestige, they are still basically USA-centric awards.
Once in a blue moon, non-Western/American artists have won in the main categories, like Parasite did at the Oscars in 2020 and Bad Bunny at the Grammys in 2026, but those were projects that were undeniably incredible. Like, with near unanimous critical praise. They were several times better than the American nominations, so good they became a sensation outside their fan communities *and* generated incessant favourable chatter from critics.
Is it fair that non-Americans have to be 5x or 10x better than their American counterparts to win in main categories, otherwise they are siloed into regional categories? No.
Is it racist, however? Arguably, no.
It's a different matter for POC American artists.
"How will it affect other Korean artists? Will it affect the way American award shows segregate non-western artists?"
There's no reason to think BTS skipping the show this time will change how American award shows segregate non-Western artists. Unfortunately.
About k-media: I've seen all sorts of angles about BTS choosing not to submit Arirang - from anti-imperialist and post-colonial rhetoric in support of the guys to snide digs that BTS likely realized they weren't going to win, generally split along the lines of journalists who are positive about HYBE vs. not. So, nothing new there.
This new category is a massive boon for the k-pop industry though, and for Korean and Asian artists more generally. Yes on one hand, it siloes off Asian artists that's true; on the other hand, it's made Grammys recognition significantly more accessible to more Asian artists perhaps precisely because the stakes have changed. It's sort of like a 'you don't get the rainbow without the rain' sort of situation. For better or worse.
"do you think that this will cause BTS to finally change their approach? Do you think Bang PD will also change his approach?"
Listen, I don't want to speculate too much about the reasoning and motivations the members had before making that announcement, but I think it's fair to deduce that at the very least, the members were disappointed. Everybody knows Arirang was an expensive and elaborate try for the Grammys; for BTS to show a version of themselves that felt truer to their roots than Dynamite or Butter but in a format they thought would be palatable for the Recording Academy. A full album, working with top Grammy-linked producers, the theme of a cross-continental tie-in - all the hallmarks of what Bang Sihyuk and BTS probably thought would signal 'serious music' to the academy... Only to learn all their effort would fall flat with the rules of this new category. Of course that would sting. When I saw that announcement, I genuinely felt sad for the guys. Because like I've said before, just going by their prior music, I feel they've earned getting that Grammy recognition.
There's an argument that BTS could simply still submit Arirang only to the main categories, but I think the second thing their announcement suggests is that BTS themselves have doubts that Arirang would win in the main categories *especially* now that the Asian category exists. I don't want to ramble on about Arirang but I think we'd be kidding ourselves if we claimed Arirang is at the level of Parasite or DTMF. And outside of near-universal love for that album, submitting it to the main categories would be an own-goal. I believe BTS knows this. They also know that it's very possible that another k-pop group wins in the Asian category at a time when Arirang can't qualify for it. Imagine the bloodbath, the absolute carnage that would ensue if another group won where BTS lost?
When you consider this reality, it's obvious BTS frankly had no choice except to skip the 2027 Grammys. To remove themselves from the pool completely. And that is truly unfortunate.
But I have the slimmest hope that rather than change their approach, this would make them abandon the Grammys altogether as a goal or consideration. I've said this before.
The boys deserve so much better.
