If there is any indication that
Korean Pop Music, or K-Pop, has become an indelible portion of music that is
being listened to in the US, then it is seen in the Best K-Pop category of MTV’s
Video Music Awards (VMA’s), in the same fashion as the Best Latino Artist category
has been part of the show since 2010 (barring absences in 2014-17). The VMA’s
have only started awarding K-Pop acts last year, but it has been highly
anticipated by fans, particularly of the first (2019) awardee: boy band BTS. As
expected, the K-Pop juggernaut is a nominee again for 2020, with more categories
besides.
Forbes reports that BTS has no less than three nominations for the
upcoming 2020 MTV Video Music Awards, much to the rejoicing of their fandom “Army,”
to be sure. They were among the nominees announced in Thursday of last week,
July 30. Getting another nomination for the Best K-Pop VMA is a given already,
but the fact that BTS is also in the running for two other “mainstream”
categories is a surefire sign that the group stands as a virtual equal to the rest
of the primarily American acts that stand to win an award.
Vying with BTS and their February-released
song “On” for MTV’s Best K-Pop are Exo (“Obsession”), (G)I-dle (“Oh My God”),
Monsta X (“Someone’s Someone”), Red Velvet (“Psycho”), and TXT (“9 and Three
Quarters [Run Away]”). As far as nominees go the selection is formidable in the
category. But BTS is also in the running for Best Pop (against 2019
collaborator Halsey, Taylor Swift, and a Lady Gaga-Arianda Grande duet, among
others) and Best Choreography. For the third category the focus should be more
on BigHit’s The Lab and Son Sung Deuk which choreographed the “On” MV; but
really, BTS gets spotlight.
When BTS’ “On” got on the
Billboard Hot 100 it reached the Number 4 spot, said to be the highest any
K-Pop act ever got on the rankings. The feat is remarkable enough since the
whole thing was happening during the strictest lockdown of the COVID-19
pandemic. Speaking of which, the 2020 MTV VMAs will be held live this coming
August 30 at NYC’s Barclays Center, the first event at that venue since the
pandemic erupted. Even further, there will be performances in outside locations
across New York’s boroughs in testament to their resilience. It is still a
question though if BTS (or many nominees) could be there to receive their VMAs
should they win.
Image courtesy of BTS Bomb
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