Rosé and KDA, Grammy Award 'Song of the Year' Nominees!…A Historic Achievement for K-Pop

BLACKPINK's Rosé and the Netflix animation 〈K-Pop Demon Hunters〉 have achieved the historic feat of being nominated for the Grammy Awards' main category, ‘General Fields’(General Fields), marking the first time in K-Pop history.

According to the list of nominees for the 68th Grammy Awards announced by the Recording Academy on the 7th (local time), Rosé has been nominated in a total of 3 categories with her hit song 'Apartment' (APT.) for 'Song of the Year' and 'Record of the Year'.

Additionally, the 〈K-Pop Demon Hunters〉 OST has been nominated in 5 categories, including 'Golden' for 'Song of the Year'. This is the first instance of the K-Pop genre being nominated for a Grammy since BTS, and it is also the first achievement for a K-Pop female artist to be nominated.

Rosé's 'Apartment' has recorded global hits since its release in October last year, collaborating with Bruno Mars. Characterized by its catchy chorus and lively rhythm, the song peaked at number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States and set a record for the longest K-Pop entry on the chart at 45 weeks. In September, she became the first K-Pop star to win 'Song of the Year' at the MTV VMA, a major American music awards ceremony.

The 〈K-Pop Demon Hunters〉 OST 'Golden' features contributions from EJAE, a composer from SM Entertainment, as well as Korean-American singer Audrey Nuna and Ray Amiga. Teddy and 24 from The Black Label collaborated on the composition, including some Korean lyrics.

The song has received acclaim from music fans for its familiar melody and refreshing high notes, and it became the first K-Pop genre song to simultaneously top the Billboard Hot 100 (8 weeks at number 1) and the UK Official Singles Chart Top 100 (9 weeks at number 1).

The Korean-American girl group KATSEYE, a joint project by HYBE, has also been nominated in 2 categories for Best New Artist and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance. Formed through the audition program 〈The Debut: Dream Academy〉, they have achieved a Grammy nomination in their second year since debut.

Additionally, the musical 'Maybe Happy Ending' has drawn attention by being nominated for Best Theater Album.

Kim Yoon-ha, a popular music critic, stated, "The Grammys are paying attention to engaging with the public in line with the changing times," and evaluated, "'Golden' and 'Apartment' are songs that have been loved worldwide throughout the year, making them closer to the public's choice."

However, Lee Dae-hwa, another popular music critic, analyzed, "The 〈K-Pop Demon Hunters〉 OST and 'Apartment' have gained popularity close to a 'phenomenon' and have reached mainstream status," adding, "Considering the actual possibility of winning, the Grammys have a strong character of 'peer evaluation' that values musicality along with popularity, which is a variable."

The Grammy Awards, hosted by the Recording Academy, a professional music organization, have been held since 1959 and are regarded as a great honor just to be nominated, emphasizing musicality over commercial success. Previously, Korean soprano Jo Sumi (1993) and sound engineer Hwang Byeong-jun, CEO of Sound Mirror Korea (2012, 2016), have won awards. As for K-Pop, BTS has been nominated for 'Best Pop Duo/Group Performance' for three consecutive years but has not won.

The 68th Grammy Awards are scheduled to be held on February 1 next year at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, USA.