Fans have called her out.
Beautify.id
Recently, all members of BTS confirmed their decision regarding this year’s Grammy Awards, collectively agreeing not to submit an entry, a move that has garnered significant attention.
The decision was connected to the addition of the new Asian Pop category to the awards, which many have deemed negative. The CEO of the Grammys responded, expressing disappointment over BTS’s decision.
A person involved in the creation of the award has also spoken out, to harsh reactions.
Zeena Koda, a member of the advisory committee for The Recording Academy’s Gold Music Alliance, shared several posts about the group’s declaration. She
People don’t understand the complications of trying to change + evolve Grammy categories, and what the aim was in general of trying to introduce Asians as a formidable force within the Grammys.
It’s really sad and disheartening to see how this entire thing has been addressed when so many people behind the scenes have been pushing to bring visibility for Asians in the Grammys (none of which has existed before), and landing on some form of representation was a real mission for a lot of us. This is a new category and nothing is perfect and its first iteration – in many ways this wasn’t a category for BTS at all. This was for artists that need more visibility and shine – NOT decades deep pop superstars.
BTS have always had the ability to apply to another pop category and what a lot of people are missing is the fact that it’s not the public that makes these decisions, it is a vetted group of music professionals artists in a membership community that genuinely, deeply cares about representation.
The irony of this entire thing was all of this was done to bring us closer together and to feel proud of the accomplishments the Asian pop artists have made to culture and continue paving the way for future generations of artists.
— Posts
She continued, saying that they were “torn down” by BTS, and that those attacking did not understand the true purpose of the category’s introduction.
Instead, it’s become a press campaign driven by a narrative that 100% was not the aim of creating this category. Why do I have a leg to stand on?
Because I was one of the people pushing to gain a category on the committee. The intent was always to help honor at the highest level of the academy, and that was clearly missed in the shuffle of this very baited argument. I’m also aware that pop is not the only category that Asian artists exist in, but this was always meant to be a first step in a broader direction to give us more voice and power.
Instead, we’ve been torn down by one of the biggest Asian artists, and it makes me really sad that there could have been a more meaningful conversation on the backend to understand what the actual aim of this was and have a dialogue, rather than taking a bold move like this to get more press.
Ween people talk about community and moving their community forward, I’m one of the people who has literally sacrificed my life to do that for others. In the Asian creative community, IRL and not just on the internet. Situations like this really make me question if we can ever really, truly be united as one front. A sad day for many of us who put a lot of blood, sweat, and tears into it, really trying to move things forward, felt like we were making incremental steps, and then torn down by a bunch of people on the Internet, who don’t understand how the voting faction and nomination process actually works.
Nothing there has changed, and this category was not meant to be a final solve, but a step forward in the right direction.
It’s easy to talk about what change need to be made on the internet. But it takes real guts and dedication to be on the front lines and try to make systemic change on the front lines. Thank you to everybody, who has always remained true and trying to make real change both through the inside and outside ACTIONS and gotten off the Internet and fucking kept it real.
— Post
Many reacted to the post, raising concerns about the allegedly problematic thought process behind the award and its intended recipients.
The fact that the Recording Academy people sat in a boardroom, looked at the most culturally, linguistically and musically diverse continent on Earth, and concluded that the solution was to throw everyone into one “Asian Pop” category is exactly why this deserves criticism.
— ♡ (@amlysbang) July 30, 2026
BTS were nothing but respectful in their statements, they made NO DEMANDS, cussed no one out, nothing, just stated what they felt and moved on.
This woman feeling torn down by that simple statement need to take a hard look at what they are doing via this category but instead… https://t.co/4GtJMAP33y
— MJ ⊙⊝⊜ (@mj_alwayss) July 30, 2026
No amount of backtracking and gaslighting is gonna change the meaning and intent of a segregated category that is clear to the naked eyes. They thought they could pull the same horseshit as “Afro beats” that shoved all African artists into 1 category and everyone would just… https://t.co/KX15lVxsuF
— Rize⁷ (@rize07addict) July 30, 2026
