Three-Time Grammy Winner Speaks Out: "BTS Is Right"—New 'Asian Pop' Category Is Segregation, Not Inclusion

 

Support for BTS's decision to boycott the Grammy Awards continue to grow both within and beyond the music industry.

Ricky Kej, a three-time Grammy-winning composer from India, described BTS's decision as "an astonishingly courageous move" in an opinion essay published in the Indian edition of Rolling Stone on August 3 (local time).

Referring to Recording Academy's newly introduced Best Asian Pop Music Performance category, Kej criticized it as "a way of isolating Asian artists from te main award categories and confining them to a designated corner on the sidelines." He argued that "this is not genuine inclusion—it is segregation." He also pointed out that the category overlooks Asia's rich and diverse musical traditions by effectively focusing only on K-pop, J-pop, and C-pop.

In an exclusive interview with the Indian media outlet News9Live, Kej reitrerated his position. He said BTS had "absolutely made the right decision,"adding that "this issue is far bigger than just one group."

Kej also expressed concern that BTS's rightful place should be in the Best Pop Duo/Group Performance category, the Recording Academy could potentially reassign it to the new Asian pop category.

Kej won Grammy Awards for Best New Age Album in 2015 for "Winds of Samsara," Best New Age, Ambient, or Chant Album in 2022, and Best Immersive Audio Album in 2023, with the latter two awards for "Divine Tides." He is also widely recognized as an environmental activist and serves as a a Godwill Ambassador for the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD).

On July 29, BTS announced that they would voluntarily withdraw their new album, ARIRANG, from consideration for the 2027 Grammy Awards. They accompanied the announcement with the message that "music should not be devided by region or language."

When the Recording Academy announced five new Grammy categories on June 16, including Best Asian Pop Music Performance, Recording Academy voting member Adam Metterpaul stated that BTS should be competing in major categories such a Album of the Year, rather than in newly created Asian pop category. Last month, awards prediction outlet Gold Derby also identified BTS as a leading contender in the Asian Pop category based on the record-breaking debut performance of ARIRANG.

Following BTS's announcement, controversy arose when videos of the group's past Grammy performances—including their performances of "Dynamite" and "Butter"—became inaccessible on the Grammy's official website and YouTube channel. The Recording Academy explained that the videos had already been removed several years earlier because their licensing agreements had expired.

In addition to Ricky Kej, Indian music producer Salim Merchant, Epik High's Tablo, K-pop Demon Hunters director Maggie Kang, Bang Yong-guk, and actor Daniel Dae Kim also voiced their support for BTS on social media.

After Kej's essay gained attention, international fans expressed widespread agreement online. One fan wrote on X (formerly Twitter), "He has personally experienced what it's like to represent Asia on the global stage yet not receive the recognition he deserves because of it. I'm glad so many incredible artists are speaking up." Another commented, "True conclusion means giving global artists a place on the main stage—not creating a separate space just for them," echoing Kej's argument.

Original article: Starnews