BTS Will Be the First Korean Act to Perform at the Grammy Awards
It’s official. After weeks of speculation, BTS will be performing at the 2020 Grammy Awards. In doing so, the group will become the first Korean act to perform at the awards show.
BTS will perform in a collaboration stage with Lil Nas X at the Grammys
On Jan. 22, Variety reported that BTS would join Lil Nas X onstage for a performance at the 2020 Grammy Awards.
“Sources say that he’ll be joined onstage by Diplo, BTS, Mason Ramsey and Billy Ray Cyrus, though neither the label or the Recording Academy have confirmed a lineup,” Variety reported.
The Recording Academy confirmed the lineup on Jan. 23.
“In keeping with the tradition of presenting signature ‘GRAMMY Moments,’ the Recording Academy has announced two special segments to take place on the 62nd Annual GRAMMY Awards. The first, ‘Old Town Road All-Stars,’ will feature current nominees Billy Ray Cyrus and Lil Nas X joined by BTS, Diplo, Mason Ramsey, and other surprise guests,” the Grammy Awards website confirmed.
In July 2019, RM of BTS collaborated with Lil Nas X to make “Seoul Town Road,” a remix of Lil Nas X’s viral hit, “Old Town Road.” Lil Nas X released several remixes of the song, and the remix featuring Cyrus was nominated for Record of the Year and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance at the upcoming Grammy Awards.
The remix with Cyrus peaked at No.1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and remained there for a record-breaking 19 consecutive weeks. The song was also the first song in 2019 to be diamond certified by the Recording Industry Association of America. It was also the first song in RIAA history to reach the required certification so quickly.
The group will make history with the performance
BTS has already made history at the Grammy Awards once before. In 2019, the group was nominated for Best Recording Package and presented the award for Best R&B. They became the first ever Korean act to make an appearance and present at the awards show.
Performing as part of the “Old Town Road All-Stars” medley will take BTS’s past accomplishments up a notch. There are also still a few days left for the Recording Academy and Big Hit Entertainment to confirm if BTS will have a solo stage at the Grammy Awards.
Whether they do or not, BTS will make history on Jan. 26, 2020 as the first Korean act to perform at the Grammys. The group will also become the first and only Korean act to have ever performed at the American Music Awards, Billboard Music Awards, and Grammy Awards.
BTS promised they would be back in 2020
After their historic 2019 appearance, BTS promised they would be back on the Grammy stage.
“Growing up in South Korea, we always dreamed about being on the Grammy stage. Thank you to all of our fans for making this dream come true,” RM said. “We’ll be back.”
With their upcoming performance, the members of BTS are making their dreams come true and making history. They have gone from presenting at the awards show to performing, a representation of how every year they improve on their accomplishments from the past year.
With every new accomplishment, BTS proves their longevity and worldwide impact. While it is a shame Recording Academy voters did not recognize BTS’s artistry and impact with nominations this past year, changing the status quo against gatekeepers takes time. Until that day comes, BTS will continue making music and making history.
