BTS ARMY Call Out Billboard For A “Racist” Now-Deleted Tweet
Billboard recently released an article about BTS Suga‘s upcoming new variety show, SuChwiTa. Although the article itself is simply promoting Suga’s solo activities and advertising his first guest RM‘s upcoming solo album Indigo, fans are calling out Billboard for their continued treatment of BTS.
BTS continually top Billboard‘s charts, showing their incredible global popularity and continuously setting new records.
But although BTS and K-Pop as a whole have become more prevalently featured in Billboard‘s charts, K-Pop fans are continually calling out the magazine for discrimination against Korean artists.
Most recently, fans voiced their frustration with Billboard‘s new event, The-K Billboard Awards. Advertised as an event that aims to highlight “the dazzling achievements of K-POP artists based on the Billboard charts,” fans were displeased that Billboard felt it necessary to have a separate award show dedicated to Korean artists.
BTS’s ARMY were especially upset due to a statement made by Bik Hwang, the executive director of the 2022 K-Culture Festival, which launched The-K Billboard Awards. Despite BTS being active and continually achieving new levels of success, Bik Hwang suggested that they were looking “to find the next BTS.”
This is part of our mission to find the next BTS. We will not limit our nominees to the festival attendees. Instead, we will strictly adhere to Billboard’s points system and honor winners by visiting their studios if necessary.
— Bik Hwang via The Korea Times
Different K-Pop fandoms have also continually boycotted Billboard‘s magazines. In 2021, ARMY boycotted a magazine that featured an exclusive BTS cover story and photoshoot after the interviewer directly asked BTS about chart manipulation, specifically their fan’s involvement.
Through above-board means, ARMY has long exploited loopholes in music chart rules (including those of Billboard) to propel BTS singles’ performance.
— Billboard
Although BTS fans had hoped that Billboard‘s article would highlight BTS’s immense success, they found the actual interview questions unacceptable, arguing that Billboard wouldn’t have asked any other artists those types of questions.
Now BTS ARMY are again calling out Billboard, not for content in the article about Suga’s new variety show, but for the initial image Billboard used. Rather than using a picture of BTS’s Suga, Billboard tweeted the article, which featured an image of GOT7‘s Youngjae.
As of now, Billboard has deleted the tweet and changed the image to one of Suga from PROOF.
But ARMY, who are well-practiced at taking quick screenshots, are frustrated by the wrong image, believing that given how many times Billboard has covered BTS, there should be no excuse for using a wrong image.
In even more appalling news, @billboard just used a photo of a different Asian person who is not even a member of BTS to headline an article about BTS Suga & RM. The racism is *unreal* here. pic.twitter.com/NWOcaVBBez
— PurpleRibbonARMY SLOW (PRA Project in Hiatus) (@PurpleRibbnARMY) November 29, 2022
Before publish any article please do research twice this is not SUGA. This is Youngjae from GOT7. At least respect every artist.
— Coco (@Coco45600055) November 29, 2022
Billboard really take every opportunity to be racist, cause at this point after all you’ve done over the years and the amount of times you’ve covered bts, this is racially motivated https://t.co/jgwChAO7mo
— Lily ⁷ 🌪 (@btsloyalist) November 29, 2022
i’m telling you, that billboard “mistake” was no mistake, it was done on purpose because you never see them do this with justin bieber and the kid laroi who could actually go for brothers … why do they only do this with bts?? i have an answer: RACISM.
— zoë⁷ 🐥 (@KISSUGAMORE) November 29, 2022
Fans are calling out Billboard for “being racist [toward] and mistreating” BTS, given the pattern of “disrespect.”
billboard’s vendetta against bts is truly insufferable
— 🐻❄️⁷ l toronto armys📌 (@userbfIy) November 29, 2022
all this blatant disrespect and unprofessionalism by billboard is only done towards bts like we see right thru ur shit. i despise them sm
— nessa ☽⁷ 💙 (@nessapjm) November 29, 2022
U have known BTS for years this is for sure not a mistake this is so disrespectful not the first time u did something like this we are so tired of u guys being racist and mistreating them
— Shru⁷ (@bangtinyboyys) November 29, 2022
billboard can rott in hell for their blatant racism, unprofessionalism and disrespect towards bts nobody can tell me this wasn't intentional
— sya⁷ 🌊 D-2 (@pjmrya) November 29, 2022
And although the tweet has been deleted, fans still demand answers from Billboard.