BTS didn't win a Grammy, but that's OK because 'Dynamite' isn't even their best song

The K-pop group were nominated for the first time in the Best Pop Duo/Group Performance category

BTS will probably win a Grammy one day, but it shouldn't be for 'Dynamite', says our writer. AP File

Dynamite is a lot of things.

The first English-language single released by BTS in August 2020 debuted at No 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was the biggest debut on Spotify in the same year. It was also the lead single on the K-pop group's fifth album Be, and helped earn the band its first Grammy nomination, in the Best Pop Duo/Group Performance category.

While hopes were high that BTS could make history with a Grammy win, becoming the first K-pop ensemble to do so, those were dashed when Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande's Rain On Me won on Sunday at the 63rd annual Grammy Awards.

In a way, it wasn't all that surprising. For all the things that Dynamite is, there's one thing it arguably isn't: one of BTS's best songs.

It may be an unpopular opinion, but Dynamite, while uplifting and catchy, also feels generic, a bit bland and even uninspired at times.

There was a lot of hype surrounding the track when it released, because it featured the group singing in English for the first time. And they should be applauded for doing such an admirable job. But was the song good enough to win a Grammy? As proven at Sunday night's event, the answer is no.

Had they won, it might have even been a disservice to the group, who have been releasing music since 2013. One could even argue that if past singles such as Boy With Luv, Mic Drop or Idol could have been nominated, they would have fared far better in the category than Dynamite. 

Songs don't necessarily have to be sung in English to be nominated for a Grammy, although the majority of them are. Since the first Grammy Awards in 1959, only one non-English song has won Song of the Year and Record of the Year: the Italian track Nel Blu Dipinto di Blu (Volare) by Domenico Modugno.

If there's any group out there that could potentially break this streak and be nominated for a non-English speaking track, however, it would be BTS. And I, for one, believe it'd be better if it were for a song that embodied who they are and what's made them so popular around the world; not one that seems to cater specifically to a Western audience.

So while it's disappointing that they didn't make history, there's still hope for what the future could bring.

After all, it's clear the world has taken notice of how brilliant the South Korean music scene is and, at some point, The Recording Academy will realise it, too.

Scroll through our gallery below to see BTS through the years: