▲ Stray Kids
Following BTS, K-pop powerhouse Stray Kids has also joined the boycott of the Grammy Awards.
According to Billboard and the BBC on the 2nd local time, JYP Entertainment announced that Stray Kids did not submit their music for the upcoming 69th Grammy Awards.
This decision came less than a day after the Recording Academy, which organizes the Grammys, announced that it would push ahead with the presentation of an Asian pop category.
Stray Kids had been widely considered a strong contender in the Asian pop category.
The group has topped Billboard's main album chart, the Billboard 200, nine times, marking the most number-one entries for a group after the Beatles.
All eight members also hold Grammy voting rights.
The BBC reported that the boycott by Stray Kids would be a significant blow to the Grammys.
As two leading contenders have announced consecutive boycotts, attention is now turning to the possibility of other K-pop artists joining in.
Hongjoong, the leader of the group ATEEZ, recently stated in an interview with Variety, "Personally, I (somewhat) sympathize with BTS's move," adding, "I also want to think about that issue myself."
The Grammys sparked major controversy last June by announcing the creation of a new category, "Best Asian Pop Music Performance" (hereinafter Asian Pop), which separately classifies music from Asian regions such as South Korea, China, and Japan.
Critics pointed out that despite K-pop already gaining global popularity and entering the mainstream music industry, creating a special category instead of main categories was a way of segregating it.
In particular, BTS immediately declared a boycott, stating, "We hope that music will be heard and loved for what it is, rather than being categorized by region or language."
While the Grammys initially appeared to step back by suggesting the Asian pop category could be modified, they have since hardened their stance again. Arguing that voices supporting the creation of the Asian pop category were stronger, they reaffirmed that the category will be awarded as planned at next year's ceremony.
(Photo: Yonhap News)
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