BTS, beyond validation

We have decided not to enter the Grammys this year. I hope that music can be heard and loved for what it is, rather than being divided by region or language.”–BTS (translated)

BTS made waves when they announced that they would not submit their work for consideration for next year’s Grammy Awards. Many pointed out that this may be related to the Grammys’ recent announcement of a new category, Best Asian Pop Music Performance. The category is polarizing because even as it seems to be more inclusive by creating a category for Asian artists (which BTS would have been a shoo-in for), it is also a way to segregate artists based on ethnicity and nationality.

News outlets around the world generally viewed BTS’ move as positive and inspiring. However, there were fellow Asians and Asian Americans who expressed disappointment, emphasizing that they wanted to have a “seat at the table.” My friends, who are generally BTS fans, observed that colonial mentality might be at play in the way some viewed the new category as a positive step and as an easier way to gain Western validation. The discussion then shifted to self-reflection as they asked how they would know whether colonial mentality was influencing their choices and, if so, how to undo it.

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Colonial mentality is a form of internalized oppression where there is an uncritical and automatic rejection of Filipino traits and values and an uncritical and automatic preference for Western traits and values. This can show up, for example, in how we value Western award shows like the Grammys. What we like or dislike does not necessarily invoke colonial mentality; it is the automaticity of it. Since we have internalized how colonizers view us, we see ourselves as inherently inferior to them.

The opposite of colonial mentality, however, is not merely the reverse. The uncritical and automatic rejection of anything Western is still, ultimately, a colonial influence, but this time a reactionary force. I would argue that the true opposite of colonial mentality—and the way through it—is self-validation.

Learning to validate ourselves is an essential component in therapeutic growth. It is a common misconception that the goal of psychotherapy is to provide validation to clients. It is not the goal but the method: we model validation so that clients will learn to do it for themselves. Once they do, then external validation is no longer necessary. It ceases to be a motivation behind their actions and choices. When people consider themselves as worthy of being loved and realize that they are likewise capable of fulfilling it, they then feel safe enough to take on meaningful risks, embrace setbacks, and make unpopular choices in the service of growth.

Self-validation becomes the antidote to colonial mentality because we no longer feel inferior. In fact, we no longer need to compare. We do not depend on Western validation to define what we are capable of. Once decoupled from colonial mentality, we can finally be truly free to decide who we are as individuals and as a nation.

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For more than a decade, BTS explored themes of identity and self-love, with a trilogy of albums called “Love Yourself,” culminating in the lyrics of Epiphany: “I’m the one I should love in this world.” Through their music and their broadcasts, they openly grappled with their identity as artists versus idols and tried to make sense of expectations coming from fans and the industry, as well as those (sometimes harsher) expectations coming from themselves.

BTS’ decision to not submit to the Grammys signaled their next stage of growth. They demonstrated self-validation by being sure of their worth—and the worth of Asian artists—and no longer needing the validation of a Western award to prove that they’re good enough.

It is not that we need to reject external validation; it’s just that it is not needed. It is a bonus, not the core. We do not have to do away with awards altogether, but it becomes truly optional.

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We do need to be cognizant of the reality that validation is a form of social currency. Being approved by gatekeepers opens doors; it buys us more opportunities, resources, and social capital. Not everyone can afford to reject the conditions that come with external validation.

This is why BTS had to be the one to do it. They’ve amassed enough cultural capital that they can opt out of a rigged game and still survive. ARMY, as their fans are called, have described this as “building a wall” so high that no attacks from the outside can hurt them. With a dedicated fan base that supports them unconditionally, they can do without the Grammys and still thrive musically and commercially.

And so, the challenge of undoing colonial mentality is to be our own ARMY, a community that loves each other unconditionally and cheers for our growth. Colonial mentality tells us that we are inferior and that our worth is contingent on Western validation. BTS reminds us that we deserve better. The work of decolonization begins when we believe it ourselves.

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aatuazon@up.edu.ph