Immediately after BTS announced that they would not submit their music for consideration at the 69th GRAMMY Awards next year, the group's iconic "Dynamite" and "Butter" performance videos from the 2021 and 2022 GRAMMY ceremonies simultaneously disappeared from the official GRAMMY website. Even articles previously published by Billboard and Rolling Stone containing links to the original videos on the GRAMMY YouTube channel now lead nowhere, as the videos are no longer available.
The removal of the videos at such a sensitive moment immediately fueled speculation that GRAMMY was "retaliating" against BTS for publicly boycotting the awards. As news of the removals spread, fans launched widespread backlash while artists around the world continued voicing their support for BTS. On social media platforms such as X (formerly Twitter), campaigns using hashtags like "Even if you erase it from your website, you can't erase history" and "ART HAS NO ALIENS" quickly gained momentum. Fellow artists including Tablo (Epik High) and "K-Pop Demon Hunters" director Maggie Kang also publicly supported BTS' bold decision.
After remaining silent for five days amid accusations that GRAMMY had "retaliated" against BTS, the Recording Academy finally addressed the controversy on August 4!
According to Kpop Herald, a Recording Academy representative reportedly stated that the removal of BTS' performance videos had nothing to do with the group's decision to boycott the GRAMMY Awards, but was instead due to expired licensing agreements. The representative explained that removing videos after licensing agreements expire is standard practice, as performance licenses typically last only one year or even less.
However, the explanation was quickly met with skepticism from fans. Many ARMYs argued that if this were truly "standard practice," the videos should have been removed years ago—not immediately after BTS publicly announced their GRAMMY boycott.
Specifically, the "Butter" performance disappeared from the GRAMMY website on July 19, shortly after BTS' World Cup Halftime Show, while the "Dynamite" performance was removed on July 28. Both videos had been available on the official GRAMMY website and YouTube channel since 2021 and 2022. If the so-called "standard practice" means licenses expire after about one year, the videos should have been taken down in 2023 or 2024, not four years later and precisely at this particular moment.
This inconsistency has led many fans to dismiss the Recording Academy's explanation as unconvincing. One fan immediately responded: "Do they really think we are fckng stupid? Those videos are from 2021 & 2022. They also hid them on their YouTube channel. We just streamed the Butter performance video a few months back to make it the most-viewed Grammy performance video. A. FEW. MONTHS. BACK..."
Another fan questioned: "Then how are videos of two SEPARATE years мιѕѕιиg? Exactly the two years BTS performed? @RecordingAcad you dodged the question." Meanwhile, other fans mocked the explanation with comments such as: "My nephew is 4 years old. He makes better excuses than this", "Is it me or is the math not mathing?", "Grammys keeps on lying to save face", "SURE MANURE those videos are more than 2 years old", "Stop hiding. Your face is revealed. Mask is gone. Shame on you",...
Meanwhile, during BTS' first North αмєяι¢αn concert since announcing their GRAMMY boycott, the group received overwhelming support from ARMYs worldwide after expressing their convictions and personal perspective through a meaningful lyrical change on stage. The most talked-about moment of the night came during RM's performance of "MIC Drop." In the final rap verse, RM altered the original lyrics and declared: "Haters gon' hate, players gon' play. We just live our lives and enjoy. We were born in кσяєα, that’s why they don’t know ‘bout us."
While the original lyric "Haters gon' hate, players gon' play" conveys the message of rising above criticism and prejudice, the addition of "Born in кσяєα" on this occasion more clearly than ever reaffirmed the group's roots and identity. Through their own music, BTS proudly declared where they came from while simultaneously calling for a music industry that is more open, inclusive, and free from bias.
Fans inside the stadium immediately responded to RM's revised lyrics with thunderous cheers. Countless banners supporting BTS could be seen throughout the venue, including "FXXX GRAMMYS," "WHO REALLY NEEDS WHO?" and "Proud Alien." Through these messages, fans expressed their belief that music should be judged equally without discrimination, while also showing their unwavering respect for BTS' decision.
