K-Pop fan wars erupt after Blackpink’s Rose, Lisa MTV VMA wins; BTS ARMY pushes Lights back to US charts

It was the best of times for Blinks, and still the best of times for ARMYs—because BTS is back. Even though Jimin couldn’t snag the Best K-Pop award at the recent MTV VMAs, fans aren’t exactly sulking. Blinks are busy celebrating the girls’ wins, especially Rosé and Lisa, with some even declaring on Twitter that “Rosé paved the way”—a phrase usually reserved for BTS, long credited with opening doors for Korean artists in the West.

Naturally, K-Pop Twitter is at war again. The spark this time? Lisa, Doja Cat, and Raye winning Best K-Pop for their track Born Again. ARMYs argued that the song was entirely in English, with none of the performers actually being Korean. Others clapped back, pointing out that no one seemed to complain when BTS took home awards for Dynamite. The difference, weary ARMYs noted, is that BTS is fully Korean.

As the tweets got nastier, ARMY decided to channel their frustration the way they always do—by charting songs. Out of nowhere, BTS’s Lights climbed back into the U.S. charts. It wasn’t an anniversary or a birthday, leading even fans to laugh at themselves: “Were we just bored?” But when ARMY unites to push a track, they’re unstoppable. Need proof? Remember when BTS left for military service and ARMY resurrected their debut single No More Dream—in December, no less, when Mariah Carey usually rules supreme?

For ARMY, disappointment always finds its cure on the charts. And now, there’s even more reason to celebrate: the boys are back from L.A., where they’ve been quietly working on a new album and planning next year’s tour.