Can BTS members beat out Taylor Swift and Lady Gaga to win a Grammy? They’re breaking barriers as the first K-pop group to be nominated with Dynamite, say experts

Nov 27 , 2020

BTS has been nominated for the 63rd Grammy Awards in the best pop duo/group performance category – a first for the genre and cause of celebration for the group’s famous Army fan base. Photo: AP

Korean boy band BTS’ Grammy nomination for best pop duo/group performance on Tuesday confirms that the K-pop sensation has become part of the mainstream US pop music market, giving other K-pop groups the signal that they might be able to make it, too.

Some have also taken the nomination as a sign that the Grammys has become more inclusive.

BTS looking sharp in monochrome at the BE Global Press Conference. Photo: Big Hit Entertainment

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“The nomination implies that BTS is now considered a regular part of the US pop music scene, not just a small triumph that will be short-lived”, said Jung Min-jae, a pop music critic.

BTS may be the first Korean group to be nominated for a Grammy, but they have long been deserving of the nomination, according to Jung.

“I assume that the Grammys thought that the existence and influence of BTS can no longer be ignored after it topped the Billboard's Hot 100 with its first English song Dynamite, along with its other outstanding activities. It is also meaningful that BTS was named alone as a group while other nominees were listed for collaborations”, he added.

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“It’s not just BTS, no other Asian artists have been given or even nominated for awards in popular genres”, music critic Kim Young-dae observed during a TBS Radio interview this week. “They’re represented in minor, less-influential genres like classical or jazz music … K-pop and other non-American, non-Western music has largely been categorised as ‘world music’ so far.”

BTS before their performance at the 2020 American Music Awards in Los Angeles. Photo: Agence France-Presse/courtesy of ABC

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“The Grammys started to change its direction recently, by including more people of colour and more women as voting Academy members. BTS and Bang Si-hyuk, CEO of Big Hit Entertainment and producer of BTS, became voters as well,” Lim Jin-mo, a popular music critic, was quoted as saying by Yonhap News TV.

“It is also important that K-pop has been recognised in the US mainstream market. Of course, the focus is on BTS now, but the nomination will pave the way for other K-pop acts and songs”, Lim added.

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The group has been winning prestigious awards in the US at events including the Billboard Music Awards, American Music Awards and MTV Video Music Awards. The Grammy Awards, which will be held on January 31, has been considered BTS’ goal in the US market for years. Despite BTS’ huge success in the international music scene with its Korean-language songs, the group had failed to be nominated at the Grammys until now. This year, BTS will compete with J Balvin, Dua Lipa and Bad Bunny & Tainy; Justin Bieber and Quavo; Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande; and Taylor Swift and Bon Iver.

Critics, however, hold mixed opinions about BTS’ chances of actually winning the award.

But Kim is optimistic, saying, “The records that BTS made were far better than other competitors. And Dynamite is one of the hottest songs in this year’s Grammys. In that sense, it is not bad. But the results will vary depending on the values of the more than 20,000 Academy members.”

“There is a possibility BTS could win the award … Other acts and songs did better. But in terms of the group’s ability itself, BTS deserves the award,” Lim said.

Jung believes there is a lower possibility for BTS to win the award because of other strong competitors.

“There is a slim chance of winning this time because other competitors did very well. BTS’ Dynamite was successful but [Taylor Swift and Bon Iver’s] Exile did great from a musical perspective. Rain on Me was a collaboration of two big artists ― Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande. It also contributed to Lady Gaga’s successful comeback.”

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This article originally appeared on Korea Times.

BTS

Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande, Dua Lipa and more will compete for best pop/duo performance in 2021 – with BTS’ V, Jungkook, Jimin et al right alongside them, showing that K-pop is here to stay in the US