[Photo &] BTS launches surprise boycott of Grammy 'Asian Pop'… Will BLACKPINK and Stray Kids win first trophy as deadline nears

BTS launches a surprise boycott of the Grammy 'Asian Pop'… A twist ahead of the Oct. 21 deadline

Controversy over alleged Grammy maneuvering aimed at the world's No. 2 music market draws fire, with Stray Kids and BLACKPINK seen as indirect beneficiaries

Global pop icons 'BTS' have declared a surprise boycott of the 'Best Asian Pop Music Performance' category newly created by the U.S. 'Grammy Awards'. The move directly challenges what many see as conservative checks in the American music industry that try to confine K-pop within a specific regional frame. Attention now turns to whether next year's inaugural trophy could go to other K-pop contenders such as 'BLACKPINK' or 'Stray Kids', drawing intense interest from global music fans.

A sharp remark about the essence of music, rejecting the 'local' frame as world-class

'BTS' took direct aim at the newly created 'Grammy' Asian pop category when it criticized it head-on in a post on its official social networking service on the 29th, saying, "We hope that music can be heard and loved as music itself, rather than being divided by region or language." Its agency 'HYBE' said, "Under a multi-label system, we respect the independent will of each label and each artist," making clear that whether to submit is entirely up to each individual artist's choice.

Solidarity in the music industry grows: 'ARIRANG overwhelms the Grammys'

Support from fellow figures in the music world is pouring in. 'Epik High''s 'Tablo' cited remarks by 'BTS' 'RM' on social media and expressed strong solidarity with the phrase "ARIRANG 〉 GRAMMYS." The submission deadline for this year's eligible works for 'Grammy Awards'—a process that has drawn criticism for years using conservative standards—is Oct. 21 (local time). Exactly what K-pop artists will choose within this timeframe is the focus.

With the first trophy left up for grabs, K-pop's big 4th-generation acts surge in pursuit as North America draws them in

After 'BTS', once considered the strongest contender to win, confirmed it would not attend, the odds for major K-pop groups that have excelled on the U.S. 'Billboard' charts climbed sharply. Experts point to the 'Grammy''s characteristics, saying a solid North American fan base and a major agency network are essential.

Stadium-tour stature, and the global girl group emerges as a top candidate

'Im Hee-yoon', a popular music critic, analyzed that "the chances of 'BLACKPINK' or 'Stray Kids' winning are very high, with both groups selling out ultra-large stadium concerts and serving as headliners for global music festivals." In the end, the outlook is that the candidate pool will be narrowed to artists belonging to large agencies whose political clout and networks are supported within the local U.S. industry.

Is this K-pop being boxed in, or a liberation diary toward freedom?

In academia, some interpret the 'Grammy''s latest move as checks driven by a desire to limit K-pop's seemingly boundless expansion to a specific region (Asia). 'Shin Hyun-joon', a professor at the Anglican University of Seoul, said, "Unlike reggaeton or afrobeat, K-pop intuitively brings to mind a specific country—Korea—and the 'Grammy' may have found this leading control uncomfortable." Another analysis has also gained traction, saying 'Asian Pop' was envisioned as the larger basket to include K-pop laced with multinational elements in order to encompass Japan, the world's No. 2 music market, and China's market backed by massive capital.

Meanwhile, the music industry is viewing the unfolding situation not as a crisis but as a new turning point. 'Lim Jin-mo', a popular music critic, pointedly said, "The 'Grammy' still hasn't managed to shed its outdated conservatism," adding that "BTS' decision this time is a symbolic move to break free from the institutional constraints of the 'Grammy' and carve out a truly freer path for music."