BTS leader RM appeared to take a swipe at the Grammy Awards during a recent concert, according to a report from Koreaboo. The remark comes as the group’s decision to sit out the awards ceremony continues to generate discussion across music media.
Koreaboo, which first covered the moment, did not specify the exact wording of RM’s comment or the date and location of the show. The outlet framed the statement as a seeming reference to the Grammys, though it stopped short of confirming an explicit target. The report ties the moment to the broader boycott that BTS has been publicly associated with in recent weeks.
The boycott has sparked a wave of commentary beyond fan circles. Elle India argued that BTS stepping away from the Grammys says more about the Recording Academy than about the band itself. The New Indian Express quoted three-time Grammy winner Ricky Kej saying that, in light of the boycott, winning the award would feel insulting. Rolling Stone India went further, calling the newly introduced Asian pop category an illusion of inclusion that fails Asian artists. The Conversation echoed that critique, suggesting the “Asian pop” label itself is part of the problem.
These reactions point to a growing consensus among critics and musicians that the Grammys’ treatment of non-Western acts remains symbolic rather than substantive. BTS’s absence, in this view, forces a reckoning with how the awards define and value global music.
What to watch next: whether the Recording Academy responds directly to the boycott or adjusts its new category criteria before the next ceremony.
