fans-BTS boycott

▲ K-pop supergroup BTS is seen in this photo provided by BigHit Music. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

▲ This image is captured from the "KPop Demon Hunters" director Maggie Kang's Instagram page. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

SEOUL, July 30 (Yonhap) -- Fans of K-pop supergroup BTS and several celebrities have voiced support after the band said it would skip the upcoming Grammy Awards apparently in protest over the U.S. Recording Academy's creation of a new Asian pop category that critics say risks segregating non-Western artists.

The group announced the decision on social media Wednesday, voicing hope that music could be "heard and loved for what it is, rather than categorized by region or language."

The boycott was followed by a surge in streaming activity from the group's fanbase, known as ARMY.

"Aliens," a track from BTS' fifth studio album "Arirang," reached No. 1 on the iTunes Top Songs chart in 78 countries and regions Thursday, according to music industry sources.

The song, which uses the metaphor of outsiders to describe the group's experience as Koreans on the global stage, includes lyrics about creating its own standards and embracing difference.

Industry observers said the chart performance reflected resonance between the song's message and the band's stance on the Grammys.

On social media platform X, fans used hashtags including "#WeStandWithBTS" and "#Proud_of_BTS" to express solidarity. ARMY has previously mobilized streaming campaigns to support BTS at key moments, including propelling the 2018 track "Anpanman" to the top of U.S. Billboard's World Digital Song Sales chart in December 2025 ahead of the band's long-awaited return with all seven members.

Support also came from public figures. Epik High's frontman Tablo backed the decision Wednesday, followed by Maggie Kang, the Korean Canadian director of the Netflix animated film "KPop Demon Hunters," who shared news of the boycott on social media with a clapping emoji.

American producer Mike Will Made It, who worked on "Aliens" and another album track, also posted "BTS Aliens" in support.

The U.S. Recording Academy has defended the new Asian pop category after BTS' announcement. In a statement released on Wednesday (U.S. time), Chief Executive Harvey Mason Jr. said the category was intended to increase recognition for artists from the region, not to marginalize them.

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