Too Big to Ignore
Time for voters to recognize K-pop superstars in more diverse categories
The groundbreaking success of BTS has erased any lingering doubt that K-pop is a passing phenomenon. This year alone, the seven-member troupe has landed three No. hits on the Billboard Hot , while groups including Blackpink, NCT and Tomorrow x Together have notched top five albums on the Billboard . K-pop is here to stay, and it’s time for the genre’s mega-successful, culture-shaping artists to be recognized with Grammy nominations. And not just in the pop categories. Given BTS’ undeniable impact on the music industry as a whole, Jin, SUGA, J-hope, RM, Jimin, V and Jungkook could be in the mix for the big awards — album of the year, record of the year and song of the year — when nominations are announced Nov. £. The South Korean hit machine has a habit of making history with each new release. When BTS’ ¥th LP, “Be,” debuted at No. on the Billboard in November, they became the fastest band to accumulate five chart-toppers since the Beatles. Their record-shattering run continued well into when “Butter” broke the first-day Spotify record ( million-plus global streams), while the accompanying visual raised the bar for first-day Youtube views to ¦. million. That translated into a No. debut on the Billboard Hot , where the catchy banger, produced by Stephen Kirk, Rob Grimaldi and Ron Perry, stayed for non-consecutive weeks. BTS followed it up with another chart-topper courtesy of the Ed Sheeran co-penned “Permission to Dance” and weeks later, made it a hat trick with “My Universe,” a Coldplay collaboration. It’s the kind of commercial dominance that the Recording Academy usually pays close attention to, which suggests that BTS could be adding to their solitary Grammy nomination for pop duo/ group performance for hit “Dynamite.” The K-pop titans stand a good chance of reappearing in that category with “Butter,” while its visual has to be a contender for music video. “Be” also falls within the £-month eligibility period, which could result in a nod for pop vocal album.
A Grammy nomination in any category is a huge honor, but a more meaningful acknowledgement of BTS’ success, as well as the massive popularity of K-pop in North America, would come from nominating the group in one of the big three categories.
“Be” finds BTS at their most experimental, weaving in elements of pop, hip-hop, electronica, disco and even folk. Promoted with a slate of explosive live performances — including the American Music Awards, which was beamed live from South Korea’s Seoul Olympic Stadium, “Good Morning America” and “The Late Late Show With James Corden” — the album debuted at No. on the Billboard and sold more than . million copies worldwide. It even prompted a reboot of “MTV Unplugged” with “MTV Unplugged Presents: BTS” in February. It certainly would feel like a long-overdue acknowledgement from the industry if “Be” earned a nomination for album of the year.
While that still feels like something of a long shot, BTS might have more luck in the record of the year and song of the year categories. “Butter” and “Permission to Dance” have the pedigree, polish and popularity to be competitive. The Recording Academy could also look to other crossover artists if it wants to recognize K-pop. Blackpink’s “The Album” debuted at No. on the Billboard on the back of pop anthems such as “How You Like That” and high-profile collaborations with Lady Gaga and Selena Gomez. A Blackpink nom would add a degree of diversity to the pop vocal album category. Other K-pop acts that made their presence felt in the eligibility period include Superm, which also debuted at No. on the Billboard with “Superone,” while -member NCT ranks as one of the genre’s most adventurous acts and landed a top album with ’s “Sticker.”
Tomorrow x Together (aka TXT) could make a run in the new artist category. They make crisp, complex pop music and already have a top album under their collective belt with “The Chaos Chapter: Freeze.” The Recording Academy could dig even deeper and acknowledge other K-pop newcomers with nascent global followings including aespa, Treasure, Itzy and Enhyphen.