THE HALLYU INVASION AND THAT SINGLE NOMINATION

 Well, congratulations to our boys (again).

After literally sweeping the American Music Awards and the MTV Europe Awards this year, our Bulletproof Boy Scouts aka Bangtan Songyeodan universally known as BTS, was given their second nomination for Best Performance by a Duo or Group by the Grammys. Period.

This was the same category they were nominated for last year (for their first all-English song Dynamite)  which they lost to Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande (Rain on Me). 

OK. One nomination for their rendition of their second all English song Butter, perhaps (together with Olivia Rodrigo's Good for You) the biggest summer song of 2021. 

One nomination.  

No Song of the Year. No Record of the Year. Not even Music Video of the Year for My Universe, the collaboration they did with Cold Play.  Just one nomination.

And that says a lot.

Well, yes: the hoity-poity would always cite that, uh, the American Music Awards is fan-based, fan-voted and a popularity contest.  Of course BTS would win considering the sheer size of a planet-wide fandom called ARMY.  Of course those votes would pour in ... just like YouTube feels nervous that there is some hocus-pocus taking place because of the unbelievable number of views their MVs receive just seconds before the launch, hitting millions on  the first day of uploading.  Something as good as that cannot be legit because it is simply not done or believed to be impossible. 

So the same goes for the Grammys --- or any serious award-giving body that is not fan-based or sales-biased.  

Yeah, right, you can have the biggest hit ... but we are talking about music as art here and not founded on consumerism.  Be that as it may, the impact of music is still and will always be the manner by which it affects the audience to indulge or even overdose on the consumption of the material.  That is why you LSS on melodies --- because a particular piece hits closest to you in the here and now and becomes part of that moment in your life when you look back and remember your life's timeline.

Or maybe it is because we have not yet reached that phase when anything from Asian popular artists can be considered serious.

But, no! Didn't Bong Joon Ho and Parasite run off with the Oscars in 2019?  Didn't Squid Game redefine the choice of the most viewed Netflix series in 2021?  Didn't Chloe Zhao receive the Oscars for Best Director last year?

Maybe let's push it further: yes, Lee Isaac Chung is a Korean American but Youn Yuh-jung took home the Best Supporting Actress, right?  

Or just consider all the Asian actors, not only Koreans, who are leaving their thumbprints in big Hollywood movies.  I am not talking about Steven Yeun or Sandra Oh ... but about Canadian Simu Liu (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings), Kumail Nanijani, Gemma Chan and Don Lee (The Eternals) or soon Park Seo Joon (The Marvels) --- and, yes, Nico Santo, Jojo Briones and Lea Salonga who have been working on American mainstream television and not only the stage.

It is encouraging that cinema and television ... as well as streaming platforms have embraced Asians not just for the sake of inclusive accommodation but as a recognition that --- hey, we are now important in the world order not only in terms of our economic clout but our wealth of talent and depth/scope of cultural histories.  

The definition of Asian has gone beyond Chinese and Japanese --- but the diversity of the cultures within the region as well. Hollywood has stopped portraying Asians as buck-toothed yellow-faced characters who are best fit for roles of servants or operating laundromats.  They can now be superheroes --- both in front and behind the camera.

Then there is the Grammys that gave a powerhouse group of seven Korean boys one nomination and did not even take a peek at the significance of Blackpink or the entire KPop phenomenon within their precious consideration.  

Perhaps it is because in the eyes of that discriminating few, Asian popular music is novelty --- like PSY's Gangnam Style --- and never to be taken seriously much less deserving of such holy recognition.

Whatever.  But when recognition is given by those who are out of the loop, out of touch, out of sync or ... (hopefully not) protecting the sanctity of musical territoriality, then should we even take this seriously?  I mean ... who cares?  So with that single nomination, I wish our boys the best of luck --- but I have stopped expecting.

Like so many others, I am more excited about their music than their trophies. 

After all, the thrill is all about the happiness in the moments when music sweeps you off your feet ... and not the so-called prestige in the judgment of an authorized few.

BTS AND ARMY: WHEN THE GLASS CEILING IS BROKEN

 So here I am again, writing about them.  I couldn't help it: today is a great day for Asian musical artists. The glass ceiling was broken. 

BTS won all the trophies they were cited for in the American Music Awards. This time around, they went beyond the Favorite Duo or Group category (which they won for three years in a row) but bagged not only the Favorite Pop Song ( for "Butter" ) and the grand prize, Artist of the Year.

What made the victory all the more delicious was the roster of talents they were listed vying for the biggest honors: Taylor Swift, Arianna Grande, the Weekend, Drake and the latest pop darling, Olivia Rodrigo. 

Yes, the win is measured by the number of fan votes and not by a select group of judges whose assessments are based not on how much influence a song has in terms of mass popularity --- but some criteria that floats up there in the air. The AMAs is about fandom and the impact the music of an artist leaves to his audience.

But one thing has been proven today: the fandom of these seven boys from South Korea is ... uh, humongous and historic.  The sheer number and power of their ARMY is unparalleled.

Here you have a group of "non-Westerners" who Chris Martin described as having a relationship founded on "brotherhood" claiming the throne of literally being the World's Biggest Band today. 

There is reason to celebrate --- not only their achievement as the first Asian musical act to warrant such popularity --- but the fact that they brought a new sense of universality to popular music. They brought the world of fans together ... regardless of geography, culture and language or "because we come from different sides."

You have people all over the world singing to their songs even though they do not speak or understand the Korean language.  

You have people in awe of their musicality and professionalism but more so their dedication to their work and how they practically kill themselves to deliver an inspired and inspiring performance. 

Call it part of the training of idols in their country --- but regardless of how you brand their showmanship, the trophies they brought home tonight prove the greatness of their journey. No one ever imagined any Asian to be on that stage giving an acceptance speech.  But it happened.  And the door has been opened --- and it can and will happen again.

These were the boys who were passing out flyers in the streets to get people to watch their concerts.  

These are now the forces in music whose contribution goes beyond hit songs, tireless web interactions with their fans or creating reality shows to create an virtual relationship with their fans. 

These are also the quiet philanthropists who do not make a big deal out of their acts of charity but would prefer to do it silently, with anonymity ... and irrefutable sincerity.

These are the Bangtans who have spent more than eight years living and training together and whose growth from gangly boys to giants in their field provide a narrative of beautiful and deserved success. You don't have to be part of their ARMY to realize how they shed a beam of hopeful light, color and happiness to a world that has been diminished to shades of gray.

I write this to end my day because I am happy.

I am happy because there is a beautiful story about seven boys who were put together, worked hard, went through hell, lived through so much undeserved hate then worked again --- very hard to be good at what they were doing. Not only by sheer talent but unwavering persistence, they brought together people of all ages and colors and faiths with their music. They bring us joy just by being who they are.

When Park Jimin posted his video  bowing to his fans thanking them for their success tonight, you know exactly why these boys are there.  

Because they are doing what they are meant to do --- and they are doing it to make millions of people (like me) very happy. Because they are loved.

I purple you.