K-Pop is aiming for the Grammy Awards, the most prestigious music awards in the United States. At the 68th Grammy Awards, Korean artists including Rosé and Cats Eye have made a significant presence, proving that they stand at the center of global popular music. From Rosé's mega hit song 'Apartment' with Bruno Mars to Hive's ambitious project Cats Eye, and the Netflix animation 'K-Pop Demon Hunters', they have all been nominated, signaling the 'golden time' for K-Pop.
The biggest highlight of this awards ceremony, taking place on February 2 (Korean time) at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, is undoubtedly BLACKPINK's Rosé. Rosé has been nominated in a total of 3 categories, including 'Song of the Year' and 'Record of the Year' for her collaboration with Bruno Mars on 'Apartment (APT.)', as well as 'Best Pop Duo/Group Performance'. Rosé is the first K-Pop solo artist to be nominated for a Grammy's main award, and this marks the first nomination for a female K-Pop artist in history.
Rosé's 'Apartment' achieved an outstanding performance, ranking 3rd on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, the highest position for a K-Pop female solo artist, and charted for 45 weeks. Local prediction site Gold Derby has rated Rosé's chances of winning in the 'Best Pop Duo/Group Performance' category very highly. Especially, Rosé is expected to perform on stage as the first K-Pop solo artist at this awards ceremony, raising anticipation.
The impact of the song 'Golden', featured in the Netflix animation 'K-Pop Demon Hunters', is also significant. Sung by the virtual girl group HuntRix, this song has been nominated in an impressive 5 categories, including 'Song of the Year'. 'Golden', which has proven its social impact to the extent of being utilized in American politics, is being mentioned as a strong candidate for the main award 'Song of the Year', ready to become a surprise winner.
The global girl group Cats Eye, a collaboration between Hive and Geffen Records, has also been nominated in 2 categories, 'Best New Artist' and 'Best Pop Duo/Group Performance', proving the success of Hive's global strategy. Entering the Grammy nominations just one year after their debut is regarded as a successful case of the globalization of the K-Pop production system.
This Grammy Awards holds special significance as K-Pop artists are making a major return after 3 years since BTS. The world is focused on whether they can lift the first 'Golden Gramophone' trophy in the popular music category, surpassing the previous records of Korean winners limited to classical fields like Jo Su-mi. The fact that many K-Pop figures, including Bang Si-hyuk, the chairman of Hive, are active as voting members is also a positive sign.
At the 68th Grammy Awards, where the status of K-Pop has never been higher, global music fans are focusing on the new history that Korean artists like Rosé and Cats Eye will write.
