All seven members of BTS announced on July 29 that they will not submit music for the 69th Grammy Awards, which take place on February 7, 2027. Six weeks earlier, the Recording Academy created a Best Asian Pop Music Performance category, and the decision withdraws ARIRANG, the group's first album after all seven completed military service, from contention in every category including Album of the Year. The Asian pop award covers performances originating from or widely recognised within Asian markets, including K-pop, J-pop and C-pop, with meaningful use of one or more Asian languages. 텐아시아 framed it as region being placed ahead of genre, producing recognition that keeps Asian music at the margins of the main awards. The gap is visible in a detail Billboard pointed out: SWIM, the group's English-language single that debuted at number one on the Hot 100, would not have qualified for the Asian pop category regardless, because it fails the language requirement.