Analytic Dreamz: Notorious Mass Effect - "GRAMMYS MAY RE-WORK ASIAN POP CATEGORY AFTER BTS WITHDRAWAL"

Episode Date: August 17, 2026

Linktree: ⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/Analytic⁠⁠Join The Normandy For Ad-Free NME, Additional Bonus Audio And Visual Content For All Things Nme+! Join Here:⁠⁠ ⁠⁠https://ow.ly/msoH50WCu0K⁠⁠ In this segment of Notorious Mass Effect, Analytic Dreamz delivers a detailed breakdown of the Recording Academy’s decision to reconsider the new Best Asian Pop Music Performance Grammy category after BTS declined to submit its music for the 2027 awards. Explore the timeline from the June 2026 announcement through key August updates, BTS’s stance on recognition versus regional segregation, eligibility rules based on Asian languages, the group’s Grammy nomination history, recent K-pop milestones including Rosé and “Golden,” impacts on other artists like those under HYBE and Stray Kids, and the core debate over visibility versus potential boxing-in of Asian pop genres such as K-pop, J-pop, and C-pop. Analytic Dreamz examines the Academy’s response and what this means for Asian music representation.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/analytic-dreamz-notorious-mass-effect/exclusive-contentPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Shepard, promise me you'll tell them to subscribe for ad free content. Now, ladies and gentlemen, you already know that we have a lot to get into Aswin. Hey, hold on, man. Hey, y'all was talking. I do want to clarify something. Yo, how did I get interrupted by myself? The Asian pop category was created to celebrate the depth, diversity, and extraordinary growth of pop artistry coming out of Asia.

Hold on now. I know that ain't who I think it is. Are you telling me? No, you're telling me one of the most, what, notorious awards you could get is so late to putting out this inclusion, right? It's almost like they waited to BTS had their most successful year and they can actually get the album of the year to add these Asian categories so that if they snubbed them, they can actually win the Asian categories as well. You know, when it comes to that, I think that's very interesting as BMAs was on the ball early, right? 2019 introduced K-pop Asian-related categories. So if Grammys would have did it any of these other years instead of the year that they had their biggest output, I think the Army wouldn't be so upset.

But because you chose BTS' most successful year to implement the K-pop-slash-Asian-related categories win, objectively speaking, they could have won album of the year. They could have at least been a contender for song of the year. So it's almost as if you're trying to exclude them from the general main awards and give them their own subsection award wins just so you can snub them when it comes to the best album, the song of the year, et cetera. So that's why it's so upsetting for BTS fans because you waited to the biggest year to implement these changes. If you would have did any of these other years like these other award shows are doing, then you would have been fine.

But of course, you wanted to act like, oh, we're ahead of the curve, and that's why we're implementing this. No, my brother, you was trying to snub BTS. Somebody had to say it. You guys. See, that's the problem. Now, after me being very polite, after I was really interrupted by myself,

you know what I'm saying? All right, my fault. Let me get back to the point. So, once, you know, let me start off with, shout out to the supporters of the Clipping Channel. As of course, as you can see right here, the Clipping Channel, we went kind of, you know, we went kind of viral.

I ain't going to lie to you. And by kind of viral, I mean, this clip is going insane. and we're going to get to more about this in the second you know what i'm saying i know that ain't who i think it is so we're going to get into that in the next topic but obviously focusing on the specific topic as this this clip's doing pretty well i don't know if it's on here let me see yeah this clip as you can see right here uh shout to everybody who follows the clipping channel because as you can see you know it's really just a channel of clips you know what i'm saying all right my fault they must get that all right so with that being said ladies and gentlemen it's time to get to the ultimate topic

the only reason i played my past self as far as this particular topic is because I basically called it two to three weeks ago. Well, not two to three weeks ago. Let me, let me get the actual date. I basically called it July 30th, 2026, right? So August 17th, 2026, the CEO has came back around. What would you look at that? I know that ain't who I think it is. And basically said that the recording academy is reexamining its newly created best Asian pop music performance. Interesting. You guys. Now, of course, course, when you look at this specifically, this was the result of, of course, BTS having group economics with their fan base that's called the Army. BTS basically announcing it would not submit its music for the 27 Grammy Awards, right?

The CEO came out and basically spent two weeks with artists, industry figures and other stakeholders representing the K-pop, J-pop, C-pop, Indian music, and other Asian genres. Which, you know, over here, notorious mass effect. We cover all genres, by the way. So, you know, with that being said, the reason why I say that is because I'm very aware of this situation and why it's so prevalent when it comes to the Grammy specifically. Once again, the reason why I played my old self

is because I showcased all the awards one by one as far as the dates of K-pop category specifically being implemented. Now, of course, if you're ahead of the curve, that's one thing. I think what Grammys was trying to do to BTS is similar to what the Grammy's did to Kendrick Lamar when it came to McLemore when it came to, yeah, McLemore is a perfect example. Grammys and BTS was going down the road of McLemore and Kendrick Lamar. And what I mean by that is if BTS didn't see the play of Grammys choosing their biggest year

ever, once again, my oldest clip showed the dates of the other awards shows implementing the K-pop awards earlier as far as the past, in the past five years, right? the Grammys chose BTS as big as year ever and honestly it'll probably be one of the biggest albums ever in K-pop in history hopefully that's not a hot take if you don't know BTS had the biggest

first week sales of the year with like 637,000 first week the second closest is in like the 400,000 range it's not even close when it comes to BTS and their first week sales and of course the continued sales with the live Rory Rain tour so with that out the way the main reason why I say that is because they chose

the most successful year to implement this K-pop category and the highest percentage of chance for BTS to win best album of the year, best song of the year, etc. That's why everybody was upset. No, it's not BTS saying we don't want Asian representation because that's another thing I see on the internet.

Grammy's taking away this category would hurt Asian artists. And to those people, I know that ain't who I think it is. Well, you've been at. You know what I'm saying? all my coverage of K-pop demon hunters.

I know that ain't who I think it is. All my coverage of Jenny from Black Pink. I know that ain't who I think it is. All my coverage of straight kids. All right, my fault. Basically, I've talked about numerous amount of times how K-pop artists were getting rejected by the Grammys. And then you come to realize

they started to slowly but surely actually put Asian artists in popular categories such as Jenny from Black Pink. As if you don't know, she was nominated for Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and best pop duo slash group performance just last year, right? Golden from Black Pink, I mean, golden from a K-pop Demon Hunters, which is the Netflix movie, right?

But the soundtrack is way better than a movie. Somebody got said, you know what I'm saying? I mean, I'm not trying to upset the K-pop Demon Hunters, but somebody, you know, enough time has passed. We can now say officially the soundtrack is miles ahead when it comes to quality level versus the storyline. But anyways, with that being said, um, Golden from Netflix's K-pop Demon Hunters,

importantly earned K-pop's, well, no, it did when the first Grammy for K-pop, right, taking best song written for visual media. So the thing that a lot of people who want Asian representing, the people who want Asian representation, what they are missing is that they've been represented in the general categories. K-pop is not hip-hop in the sense of we have a cultural identity. K-pop is a plethora of genres all put into one, which is one. why it's called k-pop hip-hop is very specifically rhythm um it's very specifically rhythm and

poetry as far as lyrical aspects being the emphasis of hip-hop and the way that we have as far as putting a have a sense of innate ability to put words together right when it comes to k-pop they're specifically taking from a lot of different genres and then you have k-pop it's not as cultural unique as hip-hop hopefully it's not hot-tick So anyways, the reason I say that is because because of so many genres in the midst of K-pop, having its own category in itself is separating Asian from pop artists, right? That title in itself is already separating Asian from pop artists. Why will we allow other award shows to do it when now you have the power to speak out

and have actual Asian artists competing in general fields like Jenny from Black Pink, like K-pop Demon Hunters? actually won basically a general award for its best song written for visual media. So anyways, people who are giving to take that, oh, doing away with these categories will end with less agent representation or obviously not paying attention. Straight kids literally has one of the biggest first week sales of 2026. They just came out with an album called This and That. It sold 362,000 first week.

So people are just not paying attention to the field and how. other people are reporting on it as you know of course you don't have to tune in to me if you don't want to but i've covered every genre to know that people are ignorant to the point where these type of larger-than-life storylines that come out as far as the gramees versus btas makes it seem like bts is hating on other asian artists when actually it's opposite so anyways the main thing that i was wanting to get to uh aside from that is that Grammys are considering taking away the Asian categories, but they haven't done it just yet because I looked it up. A lot of accounts was coming out randomly saying they officially did it. I looked into that. I researched it and basically using credible sources. They basically said no, nothing's been confirmed yet. So yeah, as far as the Asian categories, it still remains under consideration.

It is not officially canceled. And this is via billboard. So when talking about Grammys versus BTS It's really a larger discussion Because to bring up K-pop demon hunters once again I know I was on the ball You know when it comes to saying that Let me see if I can find it hunters

Here we go I know I was on the ball We're talking about BTS having the biggest first week sales With Ariang because I basically seen the hiatus I've seen how they did individually with John Cook VJ Hope etc And then I'm coming together with AriRang I just knew it's going to be the biggest

its first week sales of 2026, right? And then, of course, I was on the ball again when it came to early coverage about K-pop Demon Hunters. You know, it's almost like I'm actually doing my job, you know what I'm saying? Oh, come on, Drusky. Come on, Drusky. They ain't got to do all that, man. But definitely make sure to rate this five stars.

As K-pop Demon Hunters specifically, when I started that coverage, I talked about how it was so successful. As far as the soundtrack, the soundtrack was so successful that it officially was Netflix his most successful soundtrack ever, like of all time. And safe to say, Netflix has been around for quite some time. So with that being said, now when you look at the aspect of Asians being excluded because of this category going away, I don't think so. And honestly, I do believe they

could do this in any other year as far as implementing this aside from this year because It's as if, it's like if, um, Grammys had a specific category for the goat, you know what I'm saying? Is it okay? I got my dope on me. Right when he put out views. Because I think views statistically speaking is as big as first week sales ever. Most like, objectively speaking, Drake's biggest first week sales ever was with views.

It's like if the Grammys came out and made a, you know, like a specific category under hip hop for Drake specifically when he could have won the big hip hop awards. It's like if they came out with a light skin award. You know what I'm saying? my fault but basically you get the point like oh um i don't know i don't know what type of award it would be but basically it's like if they did that on the year well at the year when uh drake released state care that's a similar situation from bt s versus uh grammies now with that being some other things i was going to get into because of course with btsb being emaculent as an artist uh themselves we have to get into the next situation that i can't wait to talk about because my guy chris brown

he just does you know he knows no limits man i know that ain't who i think it is that man is unhinged he is an unhinged individual so that being sam that's the main thing i was wanting to get at just to confirm it has not been officially uh done away with as far as the asian category but they are considering it and it's simply because of y'all support in um the army base but of course the Asian fan base specifically because when you look at it, group economics is a real thing. And I think this is one of the biggest and most positive examples on how we can cause change together. So that being said, click my link to show you in my bio to follow me on my social medias.

And of course, if you're on Spotify, comment down below, which artist do you believe should be nominated for the general awards now that BTS is out of the running?