After BTS and Stray Kids, BLACKPINK is also out of the Grammys' Asian pop race — and English is the reason
With no track eligible under the language rules, the group joins a list of absences that has Korean media talking about a 'watered-down' Grammy.
Foto: Sports KyunghyangBLACKPINK will not compete in the new Best Asian Pop Music Performance category at the 2027 Grammys. According to South Korean media, the 'Deadline' EP, released Feb. 27, has five tracks, four of them entirely in English — and the Recording Academy requires an Asian language to be used 'meaningfully', not just in stray phrases or ad-libs. The only song with Korean lyrics had already been submitted last year and therefore cannot compete again.
The solo careers don't help either: Jennie's and Lisa's releases within the eligibility window (Aug. 31, 2025, to Aug. 28, 2026) are in English — Lisa's also in Spanish and Portuguese — and Rosé's new material came out on Sept. 18, after the cutoff.
The absence adds to that of BTS, who declined to submit music because they disagree with dividing music 'by region or language', and Stray Kids, who also sat it out. The Grammys, however, have said they will keep the category unchanged after consulting leaders of the Asian music community. Korean outlets are already describing a 'watered-down' race without K-pop's biggest names.
