Members of the South Korean pop group BLACKPINK are, left to right, Rosé, Lisa, Jennie, and Jisoo.
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May is Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month. All month long, Behind the Headlines will celebrate the accomplishments and heritage of Asians and Pacific Islanders.

Blackpink is an all-girl K-pop (Korean pop) music group that gained international fame in the late 2010’s. K-pop is a term used to describe music and artists originating in South Korea’s popular music industry. The most prominent K-pop acts generally are boy bands and girl groups with 5 to 10 members, but there also are smaller acts and many K-pop soloists. K-pop groups usually are formed and managed by entertainment companies that seek out talented individuals to present as artists after long periods of training. Many K-pop idols also pursue acting, modeling, and other careers.

Blackpink became known for its dancing, fashion, vocals, and eye-catching music videos. Blackpink is also known for its base of devoted fans, called “Blinks,” made up primarily of young women all over the world. Blackpink’s music combines elements of rap , hip-hop , pop, and electronic dance music (EDM). The group’s vocals are mainly in Korean, but it also has lyrics in English and Japanese.

Blackpink was formed by the South Korean music executive and record producer Yang Hyun-suk, also known as YG. The four members of the group are Jennie (born Kim Je-ni), Jisoo (Kim Ji-soo), Lisa (Lalisa Manoban), and Rosé (Roseanne Park). The group’s first release was a single titled Square One (2016), which included the songs “Boombayah” and “Whistle.” Since then, Blackpink has released many successful recordings. The group’s debut album was the mini album Square Up (2018). In June 2018, Blackpink became the first all-female K-pop group to reach number one on Billboard magazine’s “Emerging Artists” chart. Later that year, the group released its first full-length studio album, Blackpink in Your Area.

Blackpink’s popularity spread through the video-sharing website YouTube . In 2018, the group released a music video for the song “Ddu-Du Ddu-Du.” It reached 1 billion views on YouTube. The viral video also helped Blackpink to become the first K-pop group to reach 20 million YouTube subscribers, in March 2019. In 2020, Blackpink released its second studio album, The Album. It included the collaborations “Ice Cream,” featuring Selena Gomez , and “Bet You Wanna,” featuring Cardi B . The group has also collaborated on singles with other performers, including Lady Gaga .

Members of the South Korean pop group BTS are, left to right, front row: Suga and V. Back row: J-Hope, RM, Jin, Jimin, and Jungkook.
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BTS, also known as Bangtan Boys, is a South Korean pop music group that gained international fame in the mid-2010’s. The group is known for its expressive vocals, stylish image, sharp dance moves, and strong fan base and social media presence. BTS combines elements of rap, hip-hop , pop, and EDM. The group also is known for its lyrics about the challenges that young people face. The group’s vocals are mainly in Korean. It also performs lyrics in English and Japanese.

The members of the group are J-Hope (born Jung Ho-seok), Jimin (Park Ji-min), Jin (Kim Seok-jin), Jungkook (Jeon Jeong-guk), RM (Kim Nam-joon), Suga (Min Yoon-gi), and V (Kim Tae-hyung). BTS was formed by the South Korean music producer and record executive Bang Si-hyuk. The group’s first single was “No More Dream” (2013). The song deals with the pressures many young Koreans feel from their culture and society. Since 2013, the group has released many successful recordings. The band’s first full-length studio album was Dark & Wild (2014).

In 2017, BTS released the popular EP (extended play recording) Love Yourself: Her. An EP contains several songs but is not considered a full-length album. The EP’s songs “DNA” and “Mic Drop” became the first tracks by a Korean group to be certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). RIAA presents a gold record to an artist who sells 500,000 copies of an album. The group’s single “Idol” (2018) also became a huge hit. That same year, BTS became the first K-pop (Korean pop) group to reach number 1 on Billboard magazine’s “Billboard 200″ music chart, with its album Love Yourself: Tear (2018).

In 2019, the video for the group’s single “Boy with Luv” (featuring the American singer-songwriter Halsey) became the most-viewed debut in the history of the video-sharing website YouTube. The group’s full-length studio album Map of the Soul: 7 (2020) also reached number 1 on the “Billboard 200.” Later in 2020, the group released the single “Dynamite,” making BTS the first South Korean pop act to debut at number 1 on the Billboard “Hot 100″ chart. It was also the first song the group recorded entirely in English.

BTS also has worked on projects with other musicians, including the American rap musician Nicki Minaj, the American electronic musician Steve Aoki, and the American rap musician Desiigner. In addition, some BTS members have released solo recordings.

American musician Jon Batiste
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For the 64th time, musicians gathered in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Sunday, April 3rd to celebrate the past year‘s music. The Grammy Awards are presented by the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences. South African comedian and television personality Trevor Noah hosted the awards show. American jazz pianist Jon Batiste won album of the year for “We Are,” in addition to 4 more of the 11 awards for which he was nominated. R&B duo Silk Sonic won record of the year for “Leave the Door Open.” American singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo won three awards. She walked away from her first Grammy Awards after winning best new artist, best pop solo performance, and best pop vocal album. Doja Cat and SZA won best pop duo or group performance for “Kiss Me More.” Although Kanye West was not in attendance, he and Jay-Z won best rap song for “Jail.” In the rock genre, the Foo Fighters stole the show—winning best rock performance, best rock song, and best rock album only a week after the loss of their drummer Taylor Hawkins. Billie Eilish performed “Happier than Ever” wearing a T-shirt with the photograph of Hawkins. BTS performed their hit song “Butter” with a James Bond theme. Justin Bieber, Olivia Rodrigo, and Lil Nas X performed among other artists.

American entertainer Olivia Rodrigo
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The Grammy Awards are presented annually in the United States to honor excellence in the recording arts and sciences. Grammys currently are awarded in more than 80 categories in pop, rock, country, jazz, blues, gospel, folk, rap, Latin, and classical music, as well as engineering, producing, and music videos. Lifetime achievement awards are also presented by the Academy to performers who, during their lifetimes, have made creative contributions of outstanding artistic significance to the field of recording. Winners receive awards modeled after an old-fashioned record player called a gramophone. The term Grammy comes from the word gramophone.

American musician Billie Eilish in concert
Credit: © Ben Houdijk, Shutterstock

To be eligible for a Grammy, recordings must have been released during a one-year eligibility period defined by the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences. Members of the Academy and record companies submit entries, which are screened for eligibility and category placement. The Academy’s voting members nominate five finalists in each category. Members then vote for the winners. The Academy consists of musicians, producers, and other recording professionals.

Members of the South Korean pop group BTS are, left to right, front row: Suga and V. Back row: J-Hope, RM, Jin, Jimin, and Jungkook.
Credit: © RB/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images/Getty Images

The first Grammys were awarded in 1958. Since 1971, the Grammy Awards have been presented on a live television special. Today, the special is watched by many millions of viewers throughout the world. In 1997, the Latin Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences was established as a separate organization with its own awards ceremony. The first Latin Grammys were awarded in 2000. Latin Grammys recognize excellence in international Latin music in more than 45 categories. Latin Grammys are selected by voting members of the Latin Recording Academy and follow many of the same rules as the other Grammys.

American rap artist Lil Nas X
Credit: © Denise Truscello, Getty Images

Members of the South Korean pop group BTS are, left to right, front row: Suga and V. Back row: J-Hope, RM, Jin, Jimin, and Jungkook.
Credit: © RB/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images/Getty Images

The South Korean pop music group BTS made history this month—and not because they shattered another sales record. The oldest member of the group, Kim Seok-jin—known as Jin—turned 28 on December 4. According to South Korean law, men must complete 21 months of military service once they turn 28, if not sooner. But on Tuesday, December 1, South Korea’s National Assembly revised the country’s Military Service Act to allow K-pop stars to postpone their military service until they turn 30. (K-pop is a term used to describe music and artists originating in South Korea’s popular music industry.) Under the law, K-pop stars who have been awarded government medals for spreading South Korean culture can apply to postpone military service. BTS won one of these medals in 2018.

BTS, also known as Bangtan Boys, gained international fame in the mid-2010’s with the help of the video-sharing website YouTube. The group is known for its expressive vocals, stylish image, sharp dance moves, and strong fan base and social media presence. The music of BTS combines elements of rap, hip-hop, pop, and electronic dance music (EDM). The group also is known for its lyrics about the challenges faced by young people. The group’s vocals are mainly in Korean, but BTS also performs lyrics in English and Japanese.

BTS originally stood as an abbreviation for Bangtan Sonyeondan, Korean for Bulletproof Boy Scouts. The initials were later also said to stand for Beyond the Scene. The members of the group are J-Hope (born Jung Ho-seok), Jimin (Park Ji-min), Jin (Kim Seok-jin), Jungkook (Jeon Jeong-guk), RM (Kim Nam-joon), Suga (Min Yoon-gi), and V (Kim Tae-hyung).

BTS was formed by the South Korean music producer and record executive Bang Si-hyuk. The group’s first single was “No More Dream” (2013). The song deals with the pressures many young Koreans feel from their culture and society. Since 2013, the group has released many successful recordings. The band’s first full-length studio album was Dark & Wild (2014).

In 2020, the group released the single “Dynamite,” making BTS the first South Korean pop act to debut at number 1 on the Billboard “Hot 100″ chart. It was also the first song the group recorded entirely in English.