We don’t need The Grammys, we have BTS
There are so many blessings we could’ve gotten for these eight years, but I guess for the whole journey the best luck we ever had is that we all have you guys all over the world. So please don’t forget that, whether we get the Grammys or not, we already got what we wanted, and we got you, so that means we got everything. — RM, USA Today
The Grammys weekend was not the cause for celebration that BTS and their ARMY were hoping it would be. Once again, the Grammys proved that their desperation for engagement outweighs the integrity of how the Recording Academy chooses its winners. Nominations are always controversial enough as it is, an issue I covered in a previous piece in November when we first learned BTS was up for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for their hit single Dynamite. It felt like a slap in the face to their art when only one of seven submissions were accepted. Not even Map of the Soul: 7 made it onto the nominee roster for Best Album or Best Pop Vocal Album, a record that was arguably one of the greatest to drop last year as it chronicled where BTS were at as people and as artists seven years into their career. But ARMY took this all as a sign that, at the very least, Dynamite would be a sure win given that it’s not only been one of the biggest songs of the latter half of 2020, breaking YouTube records and even receiving multiple number 1s on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, but there were over 30 different unique stages performed before and leading up to the awards night. It was a devastating blow when it was announced that the Grammy was given to the Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande collaboration, Rain On Me — a song that notably has had one single performance since its release nearly a year ago. This is not to denounce the artists and winners of this award, but just like with the nominations it’s hard to ignore the feeling that BTS were never given a fair shot in the first place.
The result feels a lot more disappointing than it should be, considering ARMY and fans of other artists have grown used to not expecting much from the Recording Academy anyway. Artists themselves have even taken to social media to call out an unjust evaluation of musicality. The Weeknd has gone as far as boycotting the award show moving forward, after being snubbed and given no nominations despite the successful year After Hours had. Zayn recently took to Twitter to express his frustrations, and even Halsey has previously criticised the behind the scenes favouritism that influences the decision making processes. But perhaps for a second we allowed ourselves to believe the hype, that the incessant hard work and undeniable talent from our beloved group would win out over an outdated and prejudiced institution. It’s not something BTS or ARMY should feel guilty for, though. There continues to exist a tension between acknowledging the flawed concept of upholding the Grammys as a marker of legitimacy for an artist’s legacy, and still aspiring to one day receive one at some point in their careers. It’s more than fair to celebrate well-deserved acknowledgements for artists of colour, especially Black women making history who took home their trophies in their respective categories. But more than several artists worthy of one have never secured a win, and that hasn’t taken precedence over their impact and artistry. The same can and will be said of BTS as they’ve already cemented their place in global music history.
Still, BTS having consistently mentioned this as a goal of theirs and staying up with ARMY as they anticipated the announcement, despite it being 5AM their time in Korea, just made it hurt that much more. Adding insult to injury, their performance came second to last and it did not go unnoticed that it was a shorter rendition of Dynamite than usual. Regardless, BTS made history as the first K-Pop act to perform their own song, with a healthily recovered SUGA finally rejoining them. They delivered a spectacular show on a replicated Grammys stage and red carpet for their set, closing out the number on a building rooftop and setting the night alight over Seoul.
The overall lack of proper recognition for the biggest group in the world is just another thinly-veiled example of the xenophobia and overall fear that lurks behind the music industry’s ruling entities in the Western world. It’s a tired act to constantly hone in on the incredulous phenomenon of it all when it comes to BTS’ success, as if it’s not years of dedication to their craft and sincere outpouring of love to their fans that got them here. And ARMY is well aware that Dynamite is just the cherry on top of a discography of music that exceeds any criteria for a Grammy win, let alone nomination. We’re talking about a group that sweeps in every major category in award shows back in their home country. That breaks records with just about every new release, including physical sales of albums at a time when CDs are obsolete. That can sell out stadium world tours in hours. A group with a fandom that is millions upon millions strong worldwide, that pore over every detail of their music, theorise with every reference in a music video, that create charity projects in their name or art in their image, that start businesses, conferences, publications, you name it. We know BTS don’t need the Grammy, we show up because they want one, having earned it long before Dynamite even touched their catalog. Western award shows like the Grammys can only talk in circles so much before it becomes embarrassingly obvious that there’s no weight behind seemingly giving the group their flowers. And to circle back to viewership, not even a misused BTS appearance could prevent the show from hitting historically low numbers, diving from 18.7 million viewers last year to just 8.8 million for this year’s ceremony. Notably, the latter number is a near easy feat on any given time of day a BTS member randomly decides to do a livestream.
As for BTS’ response to the loss, they unsurprisingly took it with grace and candor, sharing the exact moment on their Twitter page and comforting ARMY throughout the afternoon and evening with individual tweets and posts on Weverse, including a short livestream to discuss the outcome of the night’s events. It seems they understood that perhaps we were more upset than they were. Some of their comments included seeing this as a sign that they’re meant to perform and receive their first win in person. RM seemed to hint at knowing this would be the outcome, and SUGA expressed they would only work harder. While our admiration for their humility never ceases, it’s still a shame that it’s not their lack of efforts that lost them this award. What more could they have given?
BTS are truly class acts. And if they do decide to submit for nominations next year there’s no doubt ARMY will rally faithfully behind them because it’s what we do. But make no mistake that it remains solely in their honor and not for any semblance of respect to the Recording Academy. For now we press on and look forward to what’s next for our seven stars, our biggest prize, because Grammy or no Grammy, we have BTS so that means we have everything.
