BTS boycotting Grammys over new category for Asian pop music

 

BTS objects the new category intended to recognize Asian pop music and performers.

For years, community platforms and advocacy circles have practically begged the Recording Academy to look past its Western-centric nose and acknowledge the absolute juggernaut that is Asian music. Now, the Grammys have finally done it. For the upcoming 69th Annual Grammy Awards in February 2027, they have officially rolled out a brand-new category: Best Asian Pop Music Performance.

Howeer, not everybody is cheering the distinction. Although the new category is meant to open the doors for more recognition of the music and performers from Asia, the news didn't sit well with BTS, the male singing group that first gained massive global recognition and popularity.

The seven-member group from South Korea, arguably the most popular musical group in the world, issued a joint statement:

“We have decided not to submit for Grammy consideration this year. We hope our music can be heard and loved for what it is, rather than being divided by region or language. We thank Army and everyone who has always stood by us.”

The "Army" BTS is referring to is their huge international fan base. 

For decades, the Recording Academy has operated under a predictable, institutional blueprint. Whenever a genre dominated by non-white or culturally distinct creators achieves massive global success, the Academy’s instinct is rarely to welcome them into the "Big Four" general fields. Instead, they construct a new, specialized category—a separate lane designed to keep the premier categories safely insulated.

We saw this play out when the Academy rolled out the brand-new Best Asian Pop Music Performance category, triggering a defiant boycott from global juggernauts BTS. The group flatly refused to submit their music, choosing to break out of the regional box before they could be locked inside it.

“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,” wrote Grammy CEO Harvey Mason.

“I do want to clarify something that seems to be getting lost in the conversation. The Asian Pop category was created to celebrate the depth, diversity and extraordinary growth of pop artistry coming out of Asia. The spirit of this new category is to shine a dedicated spotlight on these important artists. 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."

The creation of a new specialized music category isn't a new phenomenon. The institutional segregation of Country and Latin music shows that the Grammys have always used genre policing to preserve the default "purity" of mainstream Pop.

Preserving the Urban Pop ecosystem

To understand how the Grammys build these boxes, we have to look back at the genres that forced the Academy’s hand long before Asian Pop or Hip-Hop entered the equation.

In the early 20th century, the American music business explicitly separated commercial sounds by race and class, marketing white working-class music as "Hillbilly Music." When the Grammys launched in 1959, they completely ignored Nashville.

By 1965, as the genre evolved into Country and achieved immense commercial footprint, the Grammys finally relented and added dedicated Country fields. However, instead of integrating these massively popular artists into standard Pop categories, the Academy built a parallel universe. This strategy safely isolated Nashville's dominance, ensuring the primary Pop categories remained a sanctuary for a specific flavor of coastal, urban pop.

For decades, when a country star grew too massive to ignore (from Dolly Parton to Shania Twain), the country categories functioned as a buffer. The Academy could placate their commercial success without ever having to hand them the night's ultimate general field trophies.

Latin Music containment

The Academy’s historical treatment of Spanish-language and Latin music mirrors the exact language-based boundaries now being imposed on Asian Pop. Even though Latin music is deeply woven into the fabric of American culture, it took 26 years for the Grammys to introduce a "Latin Field" in 1984.

This move immediately created a systemic glass ceiling. Global icons capable of selling out stadium tours across the hemisphere found their art permanently restricted to subcategories like Best Latin Pop Album. They remained locked out of Album of the Year unless they recorded heavily or exclusively in English.

The structural exclusion became so acute that in 2000, the institution spun off the Latin Recording Academy (Latin Grammys). While celebrated by the industry, it offered the main American telecast a convenient excuse: it could omit Spanish-language performances and major nominees from its prime-time broadcast under the guise that they "had their own show."

Let’s be entirely real: this is a movie we’ve all watched before. Whenever a musical genre dominated by non-white, historically marginalized creators starts taking over the global charts and threatening the status quo of the "Big Four" categories (Album, Record, and Song of the Year, plus Best New Artist), the Academy's instinct isn’t to invite them to the main table. It’s to build them a separate kiddie table.

The practice widened when Rap and reggaie began earning big bucks with their sales. The historical playbook is clear:

• The Rap "Containment" (1989): When hip-hop became too massive for Madison Avenue to ignore, the Grammys cooked up the Best Rap Performance category. The catch? They refused to broadcast it on television. It triggered a historic boycott by DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince and Public Enemy.

• The Caribbean Box (1985): Reggae music got its own dedicated category (Best Reggae Recording) to "honor" the genre. In reality, it effectively functioned as a glass ceiling that kept icons like Black Uhuru safely away from the mainstream Pop categories.

• The Global Restructuring (2024): Following the undeniable explosive rise of Afrobeats and Amapiano on the global stage, the Academy introduced Best African Music Performance. While framed as a celebration, critics noted it neatly packaged the sonic output of an entire, hyper-diverse continent into a singular box.

Bad Bunny's album was awarded Grammys in Best Album and Best Latin Album categories.

View from the edge

Fans of BTS  and K-pop are not buying the corporate spin. There is a fine line between a dedicated spotlight and a strategic barrier. When an artist achieves the highest streaming numbers on Earth and completely shifts the landscape of modern pop culture, they belong in the Album of the Year conversation — not shunted off into a language-restricted side lane.

“I also want to be very clear," Mason continued in defense of the Grammys. "Submitting music in a genre category such as Asian Pop, or Jazz or Country does not exclude an artist from also submitting and being considered in the General Field categories, including Record of the Year, Album of the Year and Song of the Year,” he continued. “Those categories remain open to any eligible recording, regardless of genre. Recognition in a genre category and recognition in the General Field are not mutually exclusive. An artist can absolutely pursue both.”

Indeed, the latest example of how musical artistry can pass over the categories occurred last year when Bad Bunny made history by winning Album of the Year for DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS, marking the first time an all-Spanish-language album won the Recording Academy's top prize. In addition, the album also won Best Musica Urbana.

Bad Bunny made history in 2026 by winning Album of the Year for DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS, marking the first time an all-Spanish-language album won the Recording Academy's top prize. He won three awards that night in total.

The year before that, at the 67th Grammy Awards in 2025, Beyoncé won three Grammy Awards for her album COWBOY CARTER, including Album of the Year and Best Country Album.

BTS made a bold statement with their withdrawal but in so doing, the group is missing out on almost certain Grammys for the group's  fifth studio album, “Arirang,” in March following the completion of the members’ mandatory military service.

Ironically, BTS' withdrawal opens the door for other groups from Asia such as South Korea's Black Pink, Stray Kids and Ateez; and the Philippines' SB19 and Bini.

Nevertheless, BTS just gave the music industry a masterclass in self-worth: if an institution refuses to respect your artistry without putting a regional label on it, sometimes the most powerful thing you can do is walk out the door.

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news, views and chismis from an AANHPI perspective, follow me on Threads, on X, BlueSky or at the blog Views From the Edge. If you find this perspective interesting, please repost.

Asian and Asian American artists' AMA wins signal changing music industry

K-Pop sensation BTS won major recognition at the AMA awards show.

Asian and AAPI artists dominated the American Music Awards, smashing records and rewriting the narrative on mainstream music's biggest night. From K-pop global icons to R&B heavyweights, the Asian American and Pacific Islander community didn't just show up—they swept.

Here is how our community made their presence known at the AMAs:

In the midst of their first tour since fulfilling their mandatory military service, the global phenomenon BTS continued their historic AMA legacy, adding three more massive trophies to their collection:

• Artist of the Year
• Best Male K-Pop Artist
• Song of the Summer for their track "SWIM"

Filipino-Puerto Rican superstar Bruno Mars continues his reign as an R&B powerhouse, dominating the genre categories with major wins:

• Best Male R&B Artist
• Best R&B Album for The Romantic
• Best R&B Song for his track "I Just Might"

Next-Gen AAPI trailblazers take the stage

The night also belonged to first-time AAPI voices and collaborative powerhouses who broke barriers in the general fields:

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• The Singing Voices of HUNTR/X (Featuring Korean-American vocalists Ejae, Audrey Nuna, and REI AMI): Took home the coveted Song of the Year, Best Vocal Performance, and Best Pop Song for their breakout track "Golden". Singer EJAE also secured Best Soundtrack for “KPop Demon Hunters”.

• KATSEYE: The recognition as New Artist of the Year cemented the Kpop-inspired girl group's rising global presence. The group won Best New Artist, Best Music Video, Breakthrough New Artist.

• Raja Kumari: She shattered glass ceilings as the first artist of Indian origin to win an AMA, recognized for her stellar collaboration on the track "Renegade (We Never Run)."

• During their acceptance speech, the Filipino American Sophia Laforteza took a moment to acknowledge the artists who helped pave the way for globally minded groups like Katseye. “We want to give a special shout-out to BTS tonight for inspiring us to represent our culture at a global scale,” she said , closing her speech with “Maraming, maraming salamat!”

During KATSEYE's acceptance speech, Filipino American member Sophia Laforteza took a moment to acknowledge the artists who helped pave the way for globally minded groups like Katseye. “We want to give a special shout-out to BTS tonight for inspiring us to represent our culture at a global scale,” she said , closing her speech with “Maraming, maraming salamat!”

Perhaps the emotional highlight of the evening was the reunion of the Black Eyed Peas. Fergie reunited on stage with will.i.am, Taboo, and apl.de.ap to accept the newly created AMA for Best Throwback Song for their 2009 hit, "Rock That Body."

During the AMA show, Black-Eyed Peas' Apl.de-ap thanked the group's Filipino fans.

 Apl.de.ap gave a proud shoutout to Filipino fans during the broadcast, stating, “Thank you to all the fans around the world who voted for this song, ‘Rock That Body.’  “Maraming salamat, mahal ko kayo, mabuhay ang Filipino.”

        FYI: For the complete list of AMA winners, click here.

Fergie, who left the group in 2018 for a solo career, gave a sweet shoutout to her 12-year-old son Axl and told the group she was "so happy to be reunited again with my brothers."

The announcement of their award was greeted with a standing ovation and sparked a social media frenzy hoping for a permanent reunion but no announcement about getting back together was forthcoming.

View from the edge

Forget the days when a global act would score a flash-in-the-pan debut, only to plummet into obscurity the following week once the superfans stopped clicking. In 2026, our community is exhibiting some serious staying power on the Billboard charts, and the mainstream industry has no choice but to change the way it counts the numbers.

Mega-groups like BTS are proving that international acts possess long-term commercial endurance. Their 2026 track "SWIM" didn't just spike upon release; it went on to become the longest-charting song of the year in the Top 10 of both the Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. US charts.

Over on the Billboard Hot 100, the trio of Asian American powerhouse singers EJAE, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami (the voices behind Netflix's K-Pop Demon Hunters) completely took over the airwaves. Their anthem "Golden" locked down the #1 spot for eight weeks, a history-making run that deservedly earned them Billboard’s 2026 Women of the Year honors.

KATSEYE, performed 'Pinky Up' at the AMA show.

Instead of waiting for traditional Western record labels to slowly "incubate" or introduce foreign acts to the American public, a new wave of mobile-first fandoms is launching artists onto the charts instantly. Multilingual groups like KATSEYE, Stray Kids, and aespa are landing on U.S. streaming charts on day one, erasing the historic "lag time" between overseas success and American recognition.

The sheer volume of global streams has forced major trade publications to adapt. With platforms altering data collection metrics to track 360-degree, multi-platform engagement, our digitally native, highly organized fandoms are leading the charge in how modern chart success is measured.

Groups like BTS are attracted thousands of fans in Mexico City in short notice to an appearance with Mexico's President and during their California stops on their worldwide tour, the group had their diverse fans singing along in Korean.

The Billboard 200 albums chart is increasingly occupied by hybrid localized acts. By mixing Western pop styling with international production and multilingual lyrics, these cross-border entities are proving that multiculturalism is highly marketable to general American audiences.

The best example of this international fusion was when  R&B artist Bruno Mars joined Black Pink's Rose for their international hit APT.

Change in the music industry, in terms of representation, is occurring at the speed of light. It can't come soon enough. Now, if only the Grammys will catch up to the international nature of the music industry.

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news, views and chismis from an AANHPI perspective, follow me on Threads, on X, BlueSky or at the blog Views From the Edge. If you find this perspective interesting, please repost.

Hello Grammys! 2026 looks like a big year for Asian and Asian American music artists

From to[ left, clockwise: Bruno Mars, Olivia Rodrigo and BTA area releasing albums this year.

The 2027 Grammy race is already heating up, and it’s looking like a historic year for Asian representation at the top of the charts. With blockbuster releases from Olivia Rodrigo, Bruno Mars, and BTS, the "model minority" myth is being traded for "musical powerhouse" reality. 

Here’s how these AAPI icons are shaping the musical landscape:

Olivia Rodrigo: The Filipino American phenom

• The Project: You Seem Pretty Sad For a Girl So in Love (dropping June 12, 2026).

• The Vibe: Rodrigo continues to be the voice of a generation. By leaning into the "sad girl" trope through her unique Fil-Am lens, she’s proving that Gen Z vulnerability has no borders.

• Grammy Odds: Currently sitting at 79.5% to land an Album of the Year nomination. Expect the Academy to shower her with love; she isn't just a pop star, she’s a blueprint for young Asian Americans navigating heartbreak and fame.

• Touring: Currently on her Motion World Tour, which runs through 2026 and into 2027.
• • April 2026: Hits major US cities like New Orleans, Atlanta, Orlando, and Miami.

  
  

  • Summer 2026: Moves to Chicago, Montreal, Toronto, New York, and eventually Europe (Vienna, Berlin, London).

  
  

  • 2027: The final leg heads to Tokyo and Johannesburg.

Bruno Mars: The hapa king of soul

• The Project: The Romantic (released Feb 27).

• The Vibe: Bruno Mars—who proudly carries Filipino and Puerto Rican heritage—reminds us why he’s a perennial Grammy favorite.

• Grammy Odds: A massive frontrunner with 90.4% odds for an AOTY nod. If "I Just Might" continues its chart dominance, Mars could easily sweep the "Big Four," cementing the legacy of Asian-Latino artists in the R&B pantheon.

• Touring: Embarking on "The Romantic Tour," a 71-show stadium run.

• Kickoff: April 10, in Las Vegas. 

  Schedule: Spans North America and Europe, including stops at Wembley Stadium (London), MetLife Stadium (New Jersey), and SoFi Stadium (Los Angeles). 

  Conclusion: October 14, in Vancouver.

BTS: The Global gold standard

• The Project: ARIRANG (released March 20).

• The Vibe: This isn't just a comeback; it’s a cultural shift. Now that they've completed their military service, the group is back to prove that Korean-language tracks belong on every major stage.

• Grammy Odds: Currently a dark horse at 6.1%, but they are "the whole package" and a win would be the ultimate vindication for a group that has consistently broken barriers for Asian artists.

• Touring: Launching the Arirang World Tour, an massive 82-date run.
• • 
    
  • Kickoff: April 9.

  
  

  • Duration: The tour will keep them on the road through March 2027.

  
  

View from the edge

Outside of K-pop Demon Hunters' "Golden," which won at the Grammy's and the Oscars, and Chinese Icelander Laufey, it has been a dry couple of years for AANHPI artists. This year, there will be a stronger Asian and Asian American presence when the awards season comes around with these big-name artists releasing albums and sceduling tours at the same time. They may very well be competing against each other in various categories. such as Album of the Year or Song of the Year.

Looking forward: The 2027 Grammys and the Billboard Music Awards won't just be about the music — they’ll be celebrations of a global Asian identity that is impossible to ignore.

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news, views and chismis from an AANHPI perspective, follow me on Threads, on X, BlueSky or at the blog Views From the Edge. 

Filipino American Steve Lacy Moa wins his first Grammy

Steve Lacy Moya performs his hit song "Bad Habit" at the Grammys.

An Asian American musician and singer won his first Grammy Sunday evening. Steve Lacy Moya won a Grammy for Best Progressive R&B Album for his album "Gemini Rights."

The win for Best Progressive R&B Album marked Steve Lacy’s first-ever victory at the Grammy Awards. The Filipino American artist received two past nominations (for his work with his band, Internet) and three additional nominations at the 2023 Grammys. 

STEVE LACY MOA

Lacy was not so lucky in the other three categories he was nominated: Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Pop Solo Performance. However, he did perform his hit song, “Bad Habit,” at the awards show,

Lacy is a 24-year-old, Filipino and Black, bisexual, singer, songwriter, guitarist, and producer born and raised in Compton, south of Los Angeles.

Other Grammy nominees of Asian descent, BTS, H.E.R., Nora Jones and Grayson Villanueva, did not win in their categories. It was the third straight year that the wildly popular K-pop group BTS was nominated for a Grammy but failed to win.

FYI: For a complete list of the Grammy winners and other highlights, click here.

Filipino American Olivia Rodrigo, who won a set of Grammys in 2022, did not have new songs or albums in 2022, but she made an appearance to present the Best New Artist award to Samara Joy.

During his monologue, host Trevor Noah surprised Adele by introducing Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson to her at her table. The British singer had earlier expressed that she's never met the Samoan American action star but he was the one celebrity she'd like to meet.

Later in the evening, Johnson presented Adele with the award for Best Solo Performance for her song "Easy on Me."

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow @DioknoEd on Twitter.

Asian American artists up for Grammy awards

GABRIELLA SARMIENTO WILSON

Asian Americans will have a presence at today's Grammy awards despite the absence of perennial favorite, Filipino American Bruno Mars.

H.E.R., aka Gabriella Sarmiento Wilson, won't repeat last year's  feat when she won four Grammys. This year the Filipino American performer teamed up with Mary J. Blige for their recording "Good Morning Gorgeous," which was nominated for Record of the Year, Best R&B song and Album of the Year. H.E.R was also nominated for taking part in "Intimidated" with the DJ, Kaytranda, which received a nomination for Best Dance/Electronic Recording.

Another Filipino American, Steve Lacy, earned four nominations for his song "Bad Habit," the the categories of Best Progressive R&B Album, Best Pop Solo Performance. He will also go up against H.E.R. and Blige in the Record of the Year and Song of the Year categories.

Lacy will also be one of the performers for the awards show.

Grayson Villanueva's song "Nobody Like U," for the animated film Turning Red. was nominated for Best Song Written For Visual Media.

Indian American artist Nora Jones  had her album, “I Dream of Christmas (Extended),” nominated for Best Pop Album.

The immensely popular South Korean boy band BTS was nominated for the third straight year. This year the K-pop group was nominated in three categories: Album of the Year, Best Music Video and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance.

For the past two years, BTS was nominated for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance but failed to win the recording industry's top recognition. It not certain that the seven-member group will attend the award ceremonies in Los Angeles.

Missing from this year's Grammys is Filipino American R&B performer Bruno Mars, who has won a total of 15 Grammys by himself and in partnership with Anderson Paak as Silk Sonic. He and Anderson Paak withdrew their hit album from Grammy consideration even though many thought it would be a top contender.

Olivia Rodrigo, the Filipino American songwriter and singer, who won three Grammys in 2022 including Best New Artist, will be among the presenters. Dwayne Johnson, one of Hollywood's most popular actors, will also be a presenter.

FYI: The 65th annual Grammy Awards will air exclusively on CBS on Sunday, beginning at 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET. If you have cable (or an HDTV antenna), simply check your local listings for channel information to watch the show. The ceremony can also be streamed live by signing into CBS.com.

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow @DioknoEd on Twitter.

BTS confirms that they will serve in the South Korean military

K-pop's biggest star, BTS, will not avoid military service in South Korea.

K-pop supergroup BTS will serve in the South Korean military, says the boy band's management organization Big Hit.

Even though most of their songs are in Korean, the seven-member boy band has turned the world of entertainment on its head since its debut in 2013. BTS was the first South Korean musical group to win Grammy's and to make it to the top of the music charts in the US market.

Monday, South Korean music label Big Hit Music announced that the boy band will be going ahead with mandatory military service, starting with its oldest member Jin. Where then, does it leave the band and its fans?

Big Hit, says that BTS plans to come back together as a group "around 2025," after all seven members complete their service.

"Since the creation of BTS over ten years ago, the band has risen to international success, broken records, and catapulted K-Pop into the global stratosphere," Big Hit's statement reads in part.

"Big Hit Music has focused to the milestone moment when it would be possible to respect the needs of the country and for these healthy young men to serve with their countrymen, and that's now."

Big Hit says that the first BTS member to enter the military will be the group's oldest performer: Kim Seok-jin, who is known as Jin. The 29-year-old plans to enlist as soon as his solo project is rolled out later this month.

“Group member Jin will initiate the process as soon as his schedule for his solo release is concluded at the end of October. He will then follow the enlistment procedure of the Korean government. Other members of the group plan to carry out their military service based on their own individual plans,” stated a Big Hit press release

According to the Associated Press, Lee Ki Sik, the commissioner of South Korea’s Military Manpower Administration, told members of parliament on October 7 that it’s “desirable” for the seven BTS members to enlist for mandatory military service to ensure fairness in the system.

Under South Korea's mandatory conscription system, the country requires all able-bodied men to serve at least 18 months in the armed forces by age 28, because of the ongoing threats from North Korea. South Korea is technically still at war with North Korea. This is because the 1950-53 Korean War ended in an armistice and not a formal declaration of an end to the war by either side.

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow @DioknoEd on Twitter.

BTS meets with President Biden to talk about inclusion and against anti-Asian hate

SCREEN CAPTURE / MSNBC

BTS held a brief press briefing before meeting with President Biden.

For a brief period Tuesday, the White House was the center of the BTS universe as the world's most popular K-pop band met with the most powerful leader in the world.

The seven-member boy band visited the White House to share their message against the anti)Asian epidemic.

Before meeting President Biden, the group met with the White House press corps

"Today is the last day of AANHPI Heritage Month, we join the White House to stand with the AANHPI community and to celebrate," band member Kim Seok-jin said through a translator.

The translator interpreted for Jimin, who said, "We were devastated by the recent surge of hate crimes including Asian American hate crimes. To put a stop on this and support the cause, we'd like to take this opportunity to voice ourselves once again."

"It’s not wrong to be different. I think equality begins when we open up and embrace all of our differences," added Suga.

The White House’s official video of a BTS-less briefing last Thursday, for instance, had garnered fewer than 16,000 total YouTube views as of Tuesday afternoon.

The White House’s official video of a press briefing usualy garners about 16,000 viewers. As BTS took the sstage, viewership shot up to 310,000.

BTS' meeting with the President in the Oval Office was closed to general media apparently because Biden's social media team wanted exclusive coverage. 

WHITE HOUSE

The wildly popular K-pop group, BTS, met with President Biden in the Oval Office.

During the brief meeting, the group expressed their dismay at the continuing hate directed at AANHPI and thanked him for signing the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act earlier this year.

In return, the President thanked BTS for their work and the use of their enormous platform to work against the anti-Asian attacks and xenophobia.

The group's visit with Biden was the latest example of this White House leveraging the power of celebrities to bring attention to key priorities. Last July, Olivia Rodrigo was enlisted to help promote COVID-19vaccinations.

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow @DioknoEd on Twitter.

K-pop's BTS to meet with President Biden

South Korean pop group BTS.

Worldwide music artists BTS will be paying a visit with President Biden May 31 to "discuss Asian inclusion and representation" and the alarming rise in anti-Asian attacks, according to the White House.

"President Biden and BTS will also discuss the importance of diversity and inclusion and BTS’ platform as youth ambassadors who spread a message of hope and positivity across the world," the White House said.

The visit with the popular K-pop boy band will be in conjunction with the White House recognition of Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month which concludes May 31. The group members are RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jungkook,

“President Biden has previously spoken about his commitment to combating the surge of anti-Asian hate crimes and signed into law the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act in May 2021 to provide law enforcement with resources to identify, investigate, and report hate crimes and ensure that hate crimes information is more accessible to AA (Asian-American) and NHPI (Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander) communities. President Biden and BTS will also discuss the importance of diversity and inclusion and BTS’ platform as youth ambassadors who spread a message of hope and positivity across the world. Additional details to follow,” the statement continued.

Since the beginning of the pandemic in 2020, there have been over 11,000 hate incidents against AANHPI, according to Stop AAPI Hate, which began collecting reports of anti-Asian incidents in March 2020.

Anti-Asian American hate crimes rose 339% in 2021, according to the preliminary results from the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University, San Bernardino.

BTS, which popularized the music genre known as K-pop, is known for its philanthropic endeavors and its huge, rabid fan base known as The Army.

During the 2020 Presidential campaign, BTS fans used the power of social media to reduce attendance at some of Donald Trump rallies.

As the Atlanta spa shootings where six Asian women were killed in 2021, the group tweeted: "We have endured expletives without reason and were mocked for the way we look," they added. "We were even asked why Asians spoke in English."

"We cannot put into words the pain of becoming the subject of hatred and violence for such a reason," the statement continues.

"Our own experiences are inconsequential compared to the events that have occurred over the past few weeks.

"But these experiences were enough to make us feel powerless and chip away at our self-esteem."

The group concluded by offering their "deepest condolences to those who have lost their loved ones." 

It is not the first White House visit by music artists of Asian descent. Last year, pop sensation Olivia Rodrigo, a Filipino American, visited Biden to help encourage her fans to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow @DioknoEd on Twitter.