friendly reminder that you can love bts with all your heart and also be disappointed in them. that doesn’t change what you think of them, but being angry at their actions is totally valid. y’all are not any less of a fan for standing up for what’s right
I’ll say it again:
I’ve been here almost a decade. The goal was always to “make BTS untouchable.” That was never about them getting validation from any institution. It was about them having freedom to make decisions like this one because their success gives them power.
I don't think people fully understand the magnitude of this decision.
Some of the music industry's most respected producers, writers, engineers, and creatives worked on ARIRANG. A project built to the highest artistic standard. One producer even spoke publicly about hoping the album would receive Grammy recognition.
Then the Recording Academy introduced a category specifically for Asian pop.
And BTS chose not to submit.
Think about that. The biggest musical project of the year. One of the strongest commercial and artistic contenders. A project that could have competed across multiple major categories. It simply won't be in the race because the artists chose principle over prestige.
Moves like this don't happen often. When artists at BTS' level willingly walk away from the biggest stage in music, the conversation shifts because of what they refused to endorse.