Grammys remove BTS videos after boycott announcement, fueling retaliation claims

K-pop superstars BTS have declared they will boycott the upcoming Grammy Awards, a decision that has intensified controversy surrounding the Recording Academy's recent introduction of a new category. The group's announcement comes shortly after the unveiling of the "Best Asian Music Performance" category, which has been met with skepticism and accusations of being tailored to exclude BTS.

The new category, intended to celebrate Asian music genres like K-pop, J-pop, and C-pop, requires songs to include at least one Asian language in their lyrics. Critics argue that the timing of this rule, announced just two months before the submission deadline, and the fact that BTS's latest album heavily features English lyrics, suggest the category was created with the group in mind.

BTS stated their desire for music to be appreciated for its own merit, regardless of region or language. However, the controversy deepened when BTS's performance videos of their hit songs "Dynamite" and "Butter" were removed from the official Grammy website shortly after the boycott announcement. While some suggest the removal is part of a routine cleanup of past performances, many fans interpret it as a retaliatory measure.

The Recording Academy's CEO, Harvey Mason Jr., has defended the new category, asserting it aims to celebrate the growth and diversity of Asian pop music without any intention of division or discrimination. Nevertheless, the video removals have fueled fan outrage, with social media platforms seeing widespread calls to reinstate the deleted content and express solidarity with BTS.