Hey! Hallie here!
So today was…disappointing. Actually that’s an understatement. The way BTS was treated this year, just like every year, was outright unfair. The outpouring of support from ARMY, and from BTS right back, made the bad news of today a little more bearable, though. Let’s go through the events of today and recap exactly what happened.
Grammys Pre-Show:
We knew yesterday that the award BTS was up for wasn’t going to be aired on the Grammys. Instead it was going to be streamed as part of the pre-show, along with other categories that were deemed “less significant”, mostly involving BIPOC artists. When the announcement came around we learned that Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande won the award, marking the first time an all female group won this award. It’s women’s history month. It’s nice to have this record broken on such an occasion. However, there’s a few problems with this. One is that Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande, like many artists in this category, are not a group. They’re two solo artists who collaborated on their song. There is already an award on the Grammys for collaborated works. BTS was the only actual group nominated for this award. Also, “Dynamite” did leagues better in every respect, including streams and money made. And on top of everything else, it feels like these women were chosen so that the Grammys could attempt to demonstrate how “feminist” they are while still throwing BTS under the bus for their race. The Grammys has had a history of both sexism and racism, and just because they raise one group up doesn’t mean audiences don’t notice when they’re purposefully ignoring artists from the other group.
BTS and ARMY Reaction:
Late tonight the boys’ reactions to the news was posted to Twitter. Heartbreakingly, Namjoon said “I told you” when the winner was announced. And to many others, it wasn’t a surprise. We expected the Grammys to ignore them and treat them poorly, as they have always done. We expected the blatant racism from the Grammys. But the question was, would they risk the wrath of such a huge fan base by denying BTS the award? The answer was, evidently, yes. However, the boys were quick to cheer each other up, though Taehyung seemed quieter than usual, and post to Weverse. Hoseok and Jin posted “I love you ARMY”. Namjoon and Yoongi posted some encouraging words. Jimin and Jungkook posted selfies with some comfort for ARMY. And ARMY was equally quick to send out their support for BTS. The hashtag #whoneedswho was trending after a Forbes article pointed out the popularity of BTS versus the popularity of the Grammys. There were multiple tweets telling BTS that they were the only award ARMY needed and assuring them that they deserved the award more than anyone. The hashtag #scammys was also trending in response to BTS’ loss. Some hate was thrown Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande’s way from frustrated fans, but most fans were polite. However, all fans, and even some non-fans, were unanimous in the opinion that BTS deserved the award. And they’re right. “Dynamite” has been one of the biggest songs in the world for months on end. There’s no way that kind of accomplishment doesn’t deserve a Grammy. So it also wasn’t a surprise when the Grammys pre-show lost most of their viewers and the Grammys itself ended up being boycotted by many people because of the result.
BTS Performance:
BTS couldn’t attend the event in person, which was probably for the best. All the stars wore masks and tables were six feet apart, but celebrities and attendees did not stay six feet apart for the whole event. But I digress. BTS performed from Seoul in a large set made to look like LA. The boys were at the top of their game for this performance of “Dynamite”. The dancing was flawless. The singing was clear and beautiful. Their orange colored suits looked amazing on them. The sets, from the intricately lit interior to the rooftop exterior, were breathtaking. It was one of the best performances, and it was definitely the biggest performance, of the night. This performance was left to second to last once again. The Grammys, as always, was shameless in their attempts to get ARMY to watch the entire program. They used BTS for their popularity and then left them out to dry, as always.
V-Live:
After the performance the members of BTS all went on V-Live together. They all looked exhausted, but aside from that they didn’t seem to be doing too badly. They joked about the bags under their eyes and mentioned that they had champagne, but they drank it all after the announcement. Apparently they’d been up since 2:30 in the morning, which is a little insane. In the very least they didn’t seem too upset, though they’re probably trying to stay happy for ARMY right now as well.
Tonight was rough. I’m proud that the majority of ARMYS turned their attention towards boycotting the Grammys and streaming “Dynamite” instead of harassment. I’m proud that we were able to comfort BTS just as much as they were comforting us. But that doesn’t mean that I can’t be disappointed with everything that happened today. BTS were mistreated throughout this entire process. And they deserved that win, at the very least. The fact they didn’t win this award says a lot about the horrific old fashioned views of the Grammys. Does this nomination mean a win for BTS next year? I don’t know. If that’s what BTS wants, I hope so. As for me, I’m aware of the fact that the Grammys has been dying. I’m aware of the fact that their viewership has been going down and that artists are starting to boycott the show. I think it’s time for the Grammys to die. BTS didn’t need the Grammys. But the Grammys needed them. To ARMYs who were disappointed today, stream “Dynamite” and keep up your spirits. BTS deserves some good news after all of this.
Don’t do anything fun until I get back!
Hallie
Oreos & Peanut Butter 