BTS withdraw from 2027 Grammy Awards over new Asian pop category concerns

K-pop supergroup BTS announced they will not participate in the 2027 Grammy Awards, scheduled for February 7, 2027. The seven members posted identical Instagram Stories stating they hope "music can be heard and loved for what it is, without distinctions of region or language." The decision appears linked to the Recording Academy's recent introduction of two new categories: Best Asian Pop Performance and Best Latin Song. BTS's 2026 album Arirang, which incorporates significant English lyrics, would likely be ineligible for the Asian pop category due to rules requiring predominant use of an Asian language. The band was considered a strong contender for Album of the Year and Best Song for "Swim." Arirang, their tenth studio album, marked their return after mandatory military service and was followed by a world tour across 23 countries, still ongoing. Fans have previously criticized the group for making K-pop less "K" by using English, contributing to Westernization. In Arirang, BTS addressed these concerns by sampling traditional Korean folk song versions and including more Korean-language verses than usual.