'Cause you brought out the best of me A part of me I'd never seen You took my soul wiped it clean

Come Over by BTS debuts at #3 on the UK Big Top 40, with just two days tracking 🇬🇧

There’s a lot to unpack here, and I’m going to say it directly. I dont care if I get cancelled but this needs to be said. For years, BTS were told they weren’t big enough, mainstream enough, or "Grammy material." Then they became one of the biggest acts in the world. They broke records, sold out stadiums across continents, topped charts repeatedly, and built a global cultural impact that few artists in history can match. And when they became too successful to ignore? The Grammys nominated "Dynamite" and "Butter"—both English-language songs. Let that sink in. The songs that got BTS into the major Grammy conversation were the songs that fit most comfortably into the Western industry framework. Yet BTS's discography is filled with critically acclaimed Korean-language music that has had enormous cultural and artistic impact. Now we have a "Best Asian Pop Music Performance" category. And before anyone calls that progress, let's ask the obvious question: why does there need to be a separate category at all? If Asian artists are good enough to dominate global charts, sell millions of records, headline festivals, influence culture worldwide, and compete with every major artist in the industry, then they are good enough for the same categories as everyone else. Inclusion isn't creating a separate lane after Asian artists prove they can win in the existing ones. Inclusion is treating them as equals. That's why BTS's lyrics in "Aliens" hit so hard: "어쩜 그래 shameless 예의를 차려 we aliens 해는 동쪽에서 risin' Aliens, aliens" No matter how successful some artists become, there are still systems and institutions that treat them as perpetual outsiders. And that's exactly why this conversation matters. Because when BTS were impossible to ignore, the response shouldn't have been to create another box and place Asian artists inside it. The response should have been to judge them by the same standards as every other artist competing for the biggest awards in music. ARMYs, we have a mission. Talk about Arirang everywhere. Put it in AOTY conversations. Put it in ROTY conversations. Write threads. Make edits. Share analyses. Start discussions. If we believe it deserves those nominations, then let's make enough noise that nobody can pretend it doesn't belong in the room. They ignored BTS until they couldn't. Let's make sure they can't ignore Arirang either.

I don’t know who needs to hear this, but the surprise song segment isn’t meant to be viewed as a performance. it’s a moment between bts and army, a chance to walk down memory lane together. they’re not trying to put on a perfect show during that part. they’re simply having fun, being themselves, and sharing those memories with us. so enjoy it for what it is: a special moment.

At first they weren’t mainstream enough. Weren’t global enough. Then bts became the most successful global act across the board, breaking barriers, records, claiming longevity and relevance and still they weren’t “enough”. They were instead used for their reach, used for their name and their global fandom. Now with Arirang, an album that has yet to reach its peak bc it’s quite literally peaking every single day, an album that has world-renowned producers who worked on it singing praises months after its release, an album about roots, identity, separation, overcoming adversity, resilience, reunion and legacy, an album only 3 months into its existence demanding the level of recognition that can’t be ignored. So, what do they do to acknowledge it? They create ridiculous categories in the name of diversity which to me feels like just a fancy word for exclusion.

Pace yourself. 2026 IFPI is almost at the halfway tracking point. We are not restricted by Williamboard and other chart rules. Consumption across the platforms available in your country. Everything you're doing helps. Keep pushing 🙏🏽💜

This is a beautiful take. Also, please note that the fourth paragraph is translated incorrectly: see the first comment for the actual English meaning. 💜

것 같다. 그럴수록 애들이 노래로 또는 여러 인터뷰에서 보여줬던 태도와 배려를 생각해볼 필요가 있다. 7명의 맴버가 좋아하는 것도 음역대도 다 다르지만 논쟁을 할땐 항상 이해를 해보려고 노력한다. 또 국가 성별 인종 성적취향의 차이로 차별과 혐오를 하지 않는다. 나는 방탄 처럼 아미들도

Exactly this. Let's not get swayed by the use of the word "foreign". K-ARMY call "foreign" those who we call "civilians". They are not ARMY. Let's go beyond the simple literal translation: we are all saying the same thing.

아미는 방탄소년단의 자부심입니다 아미를 위해 가시밭길쯤은 즈려밟겠다는 방탄소년단의 자부심이란 말입니다. 방탄소년단의 자부심이길 바라는 이들이 아미입니다. 우리는 그렇지 않은 것들, 무례하고 무질서하며 우리 관계를 팔아 득을 보려는 것들과 싸워야지요. 아미의 이름으로 연대합시다

In 20 days, BTS will perform at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for day one of two SOLD OUT concerts 🇬🇧

We can’t win if you guys don’t show up. Don’t let the result be regret; please download the Linc app and vote BTS ARMY. If you need tutorials, our voting fanbases has you covered or just ask me and I’ll link you. Let’s lock in.

Also this.👇

In the end, we all want the same thing: for BTS to be surrounded by people that genuinely enjoy and support them with warmth, love, and participation. 💜

We are mad as hell right now open.spotify.com/playlist/4w…

And always

💜 Boraami update 💜

🥴🫩 learnkoreanwithsel.com/alien…

📸 INSTAGRAM J-Hope story: Hope ✒️ It's from Samsung's head of mobile marketing thanking him for sharing his memories through his Samsung device. He also received a commemorative pin for the world tour.

They don't even bother hiding this. Pathetic.