Fans can go to great lengths to defend and protect their idols.
And fans of South Korean idols are known to be in a different level, if compared to other fans of idols in most parts of the world. And when it comes to fanbases, there is none that is really quite like the BTS' "ARMY".
ARMY, which stands for "Adorable Representative M.C. for Youth," is a fandom name for fans of BTS.
Supportive and protective over J-Hope, Jimin, Jungkook, Kim Seok-jin, Suga, RM and V, angry ARMY poured onto social media networks to criticize the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards after the their K-pop idol lost the award for the Best Pop Duo/Group Performance to Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande, who won for their “Rain On Me” collaboration.
After the superstar group lost the award for their song “Dynamite”, The ARMY literally made numerous hashtags trending on Twitter, including #scammys and others.
2021 marks the second Grammy nomination for BTS, but the group's first for their music.
In 2020, RM once said that BTS “would like to be nominated and possibly get an award...I think the Grammys are the last part, like the final part of the whole American journey.” BTS was the first-ever Korean act to ever perform at the Grammys.
However, fans started losing confidence later, part of which after knowing that BTS was set to perform much later in the evening.
Many started thinking that The Grammys are actually using the band's massive popularity for ratings only, and without having to award the band.
If BTS won The Grammys, it would have been a historic first and a global phenomenon. And when the band lost, despite like what most people have expected, the ARMY started targeting their anger to The Grammys.
“BTS doesn’t need The Grammys but The Grammys need BTS #scammys,” one ARMY tweeted. “The old men at the #scammys agreeing on using BTS and Harry Styles for views and then not giving them their much deserved awards,” wrote another. “Rain on me? Really? I’d rather drown. Anyway, get Dynamite to 1B!! #scammys,” tweeted another.
“I should’ve have seen it coming #Scammys2021 #scammys I got my whole ass excited just to BTS getting scammed by the Grammys, but congrats to Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande to best pop Duo/Group!,” wrote another viewer.
On the red carpet, addressing the ARMY directly following their loss, BTS said that
This Grammys has been under fire for numerous times, and many other celebrities and singers have also expressed their dislike with The Grammys.
Most notably, they are people who weren't nominated, and also the ones who definitely shouldn't have been.
Those people include Zayn Malik to Eminem, Salt-N-Pepa, Frank Ocean, The Weeknd, Justin Bieber, Kanye West, Drake, Jay Z, Kid ‘n Play, Public Enemy, DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, Slick Rick, Russell Simmons, Lil Wayne, 50 Cent and some others.
Even Ariana Grande herself had expressed her dislike when she famously pulled out of the 2019 ceremony over a disagreement with The Grammy producers. However, she won her first award that year, and was awarded the Best Pop Vocal Album for Sweetener.
“Fuck,” she tweeted after knowing that she won.