‘Born in Korea, they don’t know about us’: BTS RM’s Mic Drop moment after Grammys removes their videos

Last week, all seven members of BTS took a firm stand: They opted out of the Grammys race this year, owing to the introduction of the Asian Pop category. While this brought on numerous debates around the world regarding the inclusivity of the Grammys, BTS went ahead and performed at their Arirang concerts in New Jersey, blithely.

During BTS’ performance of Mic Drop, RM dropped the familiar but suddenly very fitting lines: “Haters gonna hate, and we players gonna play. Born in Korea. That’s why they don’t know ’bout us." For the unversed, the song had always been their anthem, when it came to calling out their critics and trolls.

This response was met with hoots and cheers from the audience.

ARMY has been celebrating the decision since it was announced, with some fans even turning up in crowds carrying placards dismissing the Grammys.

BTS's relationship with the Grammys goes back, all the way to 2021.

In 2021, they became the first K-pop act to receive a Grammy nomination, earning recognition for “Dynamite” in the Best Pop Duo/Group Performance category. They later received nominations for Butter and Yet To Come, breaking new ground for Korean artists on one of music’s biggest stages. And, yet they still didn't win, despite topping charts for over ten weeks. It infuriated the ARMY base, who even coined the term 'Scammys'. The confusion and rage became even more widespread when Jungkook, whose song Seven dominated charts for weeks, didn't even get nominated.

This year, the Grammys introduced the 'Asian Pop' category. Sharing a statement through the Instagram Stories of all seven members, BTS had said the decision was rooted in its belief that music should not be judged through geographical or linguistic divisions.

“We have decided not to submit our music to the Grammys this year,” the group said. “We hope music can be heard and loved as music itself, rather than being divided by region or language.”

The septet also expressed gratitude to its fans, thanking its official fandom ARMY and supporters around the world.

After their announcement, Grammys removed BTS' videos following boycott. The Recording Academy, the host of the Grammy Awards, has sparked backlash after removing historic performance videos of BTS from its official website. Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr, said in a statement on Instagram, "I am saddened to hear that BTS has chosen not to participate in the Grammy Awards process this year, but as a music creator, I understand and respect their decision," he wrote.

He argued that the category was designed to broaden recognition rather than create barriers.

"The Asian Pop category was created to celebrate the depth, diversity and extraordinary growth of pop artistry coming out of Asia," Mason Jr. said. "More categories mean more artists' work is recognized. It's never to divide, but to expand who is recognized by our 15,000 Grammy voters."