BTS boycott of Grammys sends B-side 'Aliens' to No. 1 on iTunes charts in 78 countries

Amid BTS's declaration of a boycott against the Grammy Awards, the group's song "Aliens" surged to No. 1 on iTunes' Top Songs chart in 78 countries. Fans appear to have rallied behind the track's message — lyrics in which BTS describes itself as "aliens," emphasizing its identity as Koreans distinct from Westerners.

According to music industry sources Thursday, the B-side "Aliens" from BTS's fifth studio album topped iTunes' Top Songs chart in 78 countries. It is unusual for a B-side, rather than a title track, to reach No. 1.

The song captures BTS's thoughts and aspirations about its identity as a Korean act on the global stage. Its lyrics carry the message that the group will forge its own standards and that its differences in appearance and outlook are precisely what make it special. In the track, BTS also takes a pointed jab at the Western mainstream music market for doubting their success, with a lyric that translates roughly as: "You with your oversized eyes say —"

The song's sudden climb to the top is widely attributed to BTS announcing its boycott of next year's Grammy Awards on Wednesday. The group said it would not submit its fifth studio album "Arirang" (ARIRANG) or any of its music for consideration at the 69th Grammy Awards, and went on to say, "We hope music is heard and loved as music itself, rather than being divided by region or language."

The immediate trigger for the boycott was the Recording Academy's recent announcement that it would create a new "Best Asian Pop Music Performance" category. The category, targeting K-pop and other Asian music, sparked immediate debate over whether it represented inclusion or segregation.

The Grammys have long been seen as particularly stingy toward K-pop. BTS presented an award in the best R&B category at the 2019 Grammys and was nominated for three consecutive years starting in 2021, but never won. This year, Rosé's "APT." went home empty-handed, and the KPop Demon Hunters original soundtrack "GOLDEN" took home only one award — Best Song Written for Visual Media — leaving fans disappointed.

In response to the boycott, the Recording Academy issued a statement Wednesday under CEO Harvey Mason Jr.'s name, expressing regret. "We were saddened to hear that BTS has decided not to participate in the Grammy Awards, but we understand and respect their decision as music creators," the statement said.

The statement also offered a clarification, saying the new Asian pop category "was created to honor the depth, diversity and excellence of pop artistry coming out of Asia. This category is meant to shine a special light on important artists. ( … ) It is not meant to separate — it is meant to expand the recognition available to artists by our voting membership of 15,000 Grammy voters."

Mason also explained that submitting music to a genre category such as pop, jazz or country does not disqualify an artist from the general field categories — Album of the Year, Song of the Year and the like. "Artists can absolutely pursue both at the same time," he said.

He added that the Grammys "will continue to broaden our membership and the scope of our recognition, and to listen to the voices of the global music community, regardless of region or language."