"Ariana Grande Is a K-Pop Killer" Beat BTS and Rosé for Grammy Award 'Grande Barrier' [K-EYES]

*This content was translated by AI.

BTS in 2021 and Rosé in 2026...K-pop stars beat candidates in the same category

*[K-EYES] is a segment that introduces K-content, K-culture, and global perspectives on K-everything

At the 68th Grammy Awards held on the morning of the 2nd (Korea Standard Time), "APT," sung by Blackpink Rose with Bruno Mars, failed to win the Best Pop Duo/Group Performance category, which led to an interesting response among global fans. It is the expression "Ariana Grande, K-pop Killer Ariana, the k-pop killer."

Entertainment media Sportskeeda reported the phrase as a title, expressing that Ariana Grande has become a kind of "barrier" for K-pop artists to advance to the Grammys.Behind the appearance of this joke is the fact that Ariana Grande has prevented two consecutive K-pop artists from winning the award in this category.

Five years ago, in 2021, BTS BTS was nominated for the Grammy Best Duo Pop/Group Performance category for "Dynamite," seeking its first Grammy Award for K-pop. However, she missed out on the trophy by Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande's "Rain on Me Rain On Me."

And in 2026, Rosé's "Apartment APT." was nominated for the same category. Bruno Mars was with the world's greatest partner, and he was nominated for three categories, including Song of the Year and Record of the Year. But again, the winner was Ariana Grande. Winning the trophy with Cynthia Erivo with the movie 'Wicked' OST 'Defeating Gravity Defending Gravity'.

As the news spread, interesting reactions poured out on social media.

One fan said, "It's not because Ariana won her third unexpected Grammy, but that BTS and Rosé both lost to Ariana... You two can't fight each other anymore...I'm sorry, but this is funny," he said, pointing out the ironic situation.

In fact, this category has been mentioned in some fandom debates, but now both BTS and Rosé have been defeated by the same artist.

The Grammy threshold is still high

There were unprecedented numbers of K-pop-related candidates at the awards ceremony. In addition to Rosé's "APT," Netflix animation "KPop Demon Hunters" OST "Golden" was nominated for the same category, while girl group KATSEYE's "Gabriella Gabriella" by Hive and Geffen Records competed.

In particular, "Golden" was also nominated for Song of the Year, attracting attention, and eventually won the "Visual Media Best Song Written for Visual Media" and "the first Grammy Trophy related to K-pop." Lee Jae-jae EJAE and Black Pink producer Teddy participated in the composition.

But awards in major categories still haven't been made. Rosé did not win in all three categories on the day. However, he was the first K-pop solo artist to stand on the Grammy stage.

The global influence of K-pop continues to grow, but the wall of the Grammys is still high. And a joke about Ariana Grande standing in front of the wall has emerged as a meme among fans.

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*This content was translated by AI.