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THE WEST IS BIASED TOWARDS WESTERN (WHITE) ARTISTS AS A WHOLE. AND, LIKE RM’S VERSE IN UGH: RAGE? OF COURSE, YOU NEED IT

It seemed as if the world was in uproar (the good kind) when the Academy Awards Nominations were announced this past November 2020, and, almost eight years into their career, BTS made history by being nominated for the possibility to win their first ever Grammy award, the first South Korean act to ever achieve that.

This was wave turning for BANGTAN and to us, the BTS Army. In numerous words of support, it felt as though the excitement was never ending, and yet through all that happiness, we as fans wondered: although there is no doubt that BTS deserved that nomination (and that award), the fact that it was given to their only song in English made us second guess the Academy’s intentions with it.

It is not a secret that BTS has submitted their previous works to be nominated, but it was not until one of their multiple record-breaking hits Dynamite got it that we all realized that the charting song could become a double-edged sword. The power the disco pop song holds is undeniable, and it has let BTS reach numerous milestones, such as their first #1 in the Billboard Hot 100, the fastest music video to reach one hundred million views on Youtube and, of course, the Grammy Best Pop/Duo Group Performance nomination. However, it was also through these milestones that the western media’s -ahem- preference for the white mold and all-English hits became enlarged. Still, it’s important to see Dynamite not as BTS adapting or complying to the western public demand, but as BTS striving to break down the last wall in the market (and succeeding).

To be fair, BANGTAN did have tough competition against them in this category, but the song’s impact was impossible to ignore. Even then, and with all the data to back the South Korean’s group never-ending success, Dynamite still lost to Lady Gaga’s and Ariana Grande’s “Rain On Me”. No disrespect to Gaga and Grande, for their careers speaks for themselves and they are huge names in the industry, but the collaboration did not have the worldwide impact Dynamite had. Despite this, the two iconic women are not to blame for the blatant snub against BTS, but the Academy itself and the secret committee that ultimately has the last word on Grammy wins, which has been known to be racist, xenophobic, definitely tone deaf and culturally disconnected -not only towards BTS, but to artists of color as a whole, going as far as to categorize the awards by genre, language and roughly race specific. This notion becomes further proved by the fact that, in the entire Recording Academy history, the number of BIPOC artists rewarded is too small to compete against their white counterparts.

BANGTAN are one of the hardest working acts in the industry, and sadly, sometimes it feels like it does take a genius to see it. It’s enough to go back in their history a bit and learn how it is that BTS came to be what they are now, for there has been a common misconception that their success has come easily to them, when in reality, it has not been an obstacle-free road at all.

Still, getting a little bit into the details of their work, it’s not very difficult to see the production that goes behind the scenes for BTS: from the music to the lyrics, to the music videos, to the choreography, to the live performances and so on. And, talking about performances, a few weeks before the Grammys were to take place, it was announced that BTS would finally get their own solo stage in the esteemed award show after having a collab stage with Lil Nas X by singing his smash hit “Old Town Road” at the 2020 Grammys. As it was confirmed by RM himself, a performance on the Grammy stage was a bigger goal to them than an actual Academy Award. Thus, the BTS performance became one of the (if not the most) highest anticipated acts of the night.

Many critiques would agree with me: when it comes to performing, nobody does it like BTS. For further proof, please refer to their 2018 MMA Idol Performance or to their 2020 Black Swan + ON + Life Goes On + Dynamite MMA Performance. These are just two in a long list of iconic live performances BTS has blessed our eyes and our ears with. It was only fitting that the group would perform the song that capsized their career in 2020 and continues to do so.

The Grammy’s “Dynamite” performance was the group’s 35th rendition of that same song, giving us a fresh, raw, and different delivery in each and every one of them, and this is just one of the things that make BTS so special. Adding to that their huge global fanbase, the Grammys tried to take advantage of both BTS and Army to try and skyrocket the views for the televised show. However, after the group’s loss against Rain On Me, many fans vowed against watching it until it was time for BTS’ performance. In a desperate try to maintain their views, the most anticipated act of the night was teased but pushed until almost the very end, further enraging the already fuming fans, and with good reason. When the time finally came for BTS to perform, fans tuned in to watch and support BANGTAN, trending hashtags and kind words towards them.

For this show, starting from a rose-filled stage and ending on top of a roof to end their number with a bang, I am very confident to say that the public asked for and BTS delivered an entertaining and flawless performance, if the amazing vocals, sharp moves and elaborate multiple stages are anything to go by.

BTS are an entity of their own, and their success does not depend on whether they get a Grammy or not.

The Grammys, on the other hand, proved that they are more than willing to use BANGTAN’s fame and audience for their own benefit. And, while the treatment towards BTS is not surprising, at the end of the day, the BTS Army only proved that they are here for BTS and for BTS only, the band’s post-Grammy VLIVE gathering almost as many viewers as the televised show in only under twenty minutes.

It only shows how much of a class act BANGTAN is that their reaction, while disappointed, was to strive to be better in hopes of getting an award next year. Needless to say, we will be here to back them up every step of the way.