BTS nominated to the Grammy

K-pop boy band BTS has been nominated for the Grammy Award in another landmark feat: the first nomination for a Korean singer. 　

The Recording Academy announced the 63rd list of Grammy nominations on Tuesday (local time). BTS became the first popular singer in Asia to be nominated for its single number Dynamite, which was nominated for the best pop-duo/performance. BTS will be contending with local top stars such as Dua Lipa, Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift. The awarding ceremony will be held on January 31. Beyoncé leads nominations with nine.

BTS’ nomination is another landmark achievement in the U.S. popular music market. The group made inrounds since 2016 into the Billboards Music Awards, American Music Awards, MTV Video Music Awards, but a Grammy nomination is on another level, as unlike other awards which value album sales and popularity, the nominees and winners of the Grammy are chosen by more than 10,000 members of the Recording Academy. 　

The field of nomination is also significant. Though not included in the four main titles such as the Album/Song/Record of the Year, the best pop-duo/performance has gained strong attention as winning pop stars contend and compete at the awarding ceremony. 　

BTS won the Billboard chart three times with MAP OF THE SOUL: 7, released in February this year, also acquiring fourth place with ON and again acclaiming top place with Dynamite. 　

“Recording Academy, consisting of musicians and musical producers, values musical achievement but cannot afford to ignore trends. The nomination shows that they had paid attention to K-pop as a main trend for 2020,” said music critic Lee Dae-hwa.


imi@donga.com