For BLACKPINK, the Grammys’ newly created Asian Pop category has ironically become a narrow door to enter. The issue applies not only to the group’s latest release but also to the members’ solo music. With BTS and Stray Kids also absent, some of K-pop’s biggest representative acts are ultimately set to miss out on the category.
According to the official rules for the 69th Grammy Awards, the eligibility period runs from August 31 of last year through August 28 of this year.
The Recording Academy explained that recordings submitted to the Asian Pop category must make “meaningful” use of at least one Asian language. A few words, ad-libs, or short phrases are not sufficient, while recordings performed entirely in English are not eligible for the category at all.
BLACKPINK released their third mini album, DEADLINE, on February 27, featuring a total of five tracks. Four of them, with the exception of “JUMP,” are entirely in English. Billboard also recently noted in its Grammy nomination predictions that these four songs would not qualify for the Asian Pop category because of its Asian-language requirement.
“JUMP” does feature Korean lyrics, but it was not a new song first released as part of DEADLINE. The track had already been released as a digital single on July 11 of last year.
“JUMP” was also submitted for consideration at the 68th Grammy Awards. According to the official rules for the 69th Grammys, a track appearing on an album released during the current eligibility period is eligible only if that song was not submitted as a single the previous year.
The situation remains largely the same when BLACKPINK’s solo activities are taken into account.
Jennie was the most active member in releasing new music during the current eligibility period. Following “Less than a Lover” on July 24, she released the digital EP Fallen Angel on August 28. However, all of the songs on the project are in English, meaning they do not satisfy the Asian Pop category’s requirements.
In Jisoo’s case, AMORTAGE, released on February 14 of last year, included two Korean-language songs among its four tracks, but it arrived too early to fall within the eligibility period. “EYES CLOSED,” her collaboration with Zayn released on October 10 last year, falls within the qualifying period but is also entirely in English.
Jisoo’s more recent single “CLICK” was released on September 4, placing it outside the eligibility window.
The same applies to Lisa. Her Bad Angel, released in April this year, consists entirely of English-language tracks. “Goals,” the official World Cup song released in May, uses English, Spanish, and Portuguese.
Coincidentally, Lisa’s new song “SaWaDiKa,” which prominently highlights her Thai roots, was released on September 4. Even its title comes from a Thai greeting, but because it arrived after the eligibility period ended, it cannot be considered for this year’s Grammys.
Rosé’s releases also fall outside the required timeframe. “Messy” was released in May last year, followed by “On My Mind” in June, meaning both arrived before the current eligibility period. Her new song “New Trick,” meanwhile, was released on September 18 and therefore came too late to qualify.
The situation has also raised questions about what exactly the newly established Asian Pop category is intended to represent.
When announcing the category, the Recording Academy explained that Asian pop had grown into a major force in the global music industry and that genres including K-pop, J-pop, and Chinese-language pop deserved dedicated recognition.
Yet in its inaugural year, several of K-pop’s most symbolic names are absent. BTS did not submit any work for consideration at the 69th Grammy Awards, saying, “We hope music will be heard and loved for the music itself rather than being divided by region or language.” The original report characterized the decision as an effective boycott.
Stray Kids were also reported to have not submitted their work for consideration at this year’s Grammys. However, the group did not state whether their decision was related to the creation of the Asian Pop category.
With BLACKPINK’s English-language group releases failing to meet the language requirement and the members’ solo releases also running into either language or eligibility-date restrictions, several of K-pop’s biggest groups are now absent from the new category.
The first list of nominees for the Grammy Asian Pop category is therefore expected to serve as an important test of the award’s identity. If artists who make Korean, Japanese, Chinese, and other Asian languages central to their music take precedence over Asian artists targeting the global market primarily in English, the category could ultimately develop an identity very different from a simple “K-pop popularity award.”
On October 1 local time, the Recording Academy stated that after gathering feedback from members of the Asian music community, it had decided to proceed with the category as planned, adding that a substantial number of submissions had already been received for its inaugural year.
Sources: Nate