K-pop supergroup BTS has announced that they will not be entering their music for the 2027 Grammy awards. The decision seems to be a response to the addition for 2027 of the category “best Asian pop music performance”.

The Grammy rulebook describes Asian pop as a “distinct and globally recognised form of popular music”. The new category is intended to reward recordings that make “meaningful use of one or more Asian languages”.

Announcing their withdrawal from the Grammys on their Instagram accounts, the seven members of BTS expressed a wish that “music can be heard and loved for what it is, rather than being divided by region or language”.

Looking more closely at the wording of the Grammys category, the rulebook contends that Asian pop is “characterised by integrated approach to music, performance, and presentation”, giving “K-Pop, J-Pop, and C-Pop” – all nominally east Asian genres – as examples. This “integrated approach”, is intended here to suggest the “idol” approach to production.

Originating in post-war Japan, “idols” are pop performers who commence their intensive training in singing, dancing, acting and languages in their teenage years, with some even starting work before then. All of their publishing, marketing and events are usually handled by a single agency, though the genres they perform vary by........

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