BTS decline to submit music for 2027 Grammys consideration

Korean pop group BTS have announced they will not submit their music for consideration at the 2027 Grammy Awards, the BBC writes.

The news came in a coordinated Instagram post, with all seven members of the band uploading an identical statement.

“We have decided not to enter the Grammys this year,” a translation of the message read. “I hope that music can be heard and loved for what it is, rather than being divided by region or language.”

The band were widely expected to be in competition for some of the Grammys’ major categories, including album of the year, after their comeback record, Arirang, became one of the year’s biggest-sellers.

The lead single Swim, a US number one, was also predicted to be in contention for song of the year.

But the English-language lyrics would have excluded it from the new best Asian pop music performance prize, which was announced last month.

Under Grammy rules, songs nominated for the category must contain “meaningful use” of an Asian language. More than 80% of the lyrics on Arirang are sung in English.

The introduction of the new award met with mixed reception in K-Pop spaces online. Many fans complained that, instead of celebrating Asian artists, the Grammys had pigeonholed them.