As BTS returns from a multiyear military service hiatus, its sights are once again set on the global music market — specifically the United States. The group has already topped Billboard’s singles and albums charts and claimed major American pop music honors, including at the American Music Awards, Billboard Music Awards and MTV Video Music Awards.

Korean boy group BTS appears at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards in Las Vegas, April 3, 2022. (AP-Yonhap)

Yet one trophy still eludes the seven-member boy group: the Grammy Awards, widely seen as the highest honor in U.S. popular music.

Following the release of its long-awaited album “ARIRANG” last Friday, attention is already focused on whether the record could finally deliver BTS the Grammy Award the members have long sought. Some critics say the album even radiates that ambition.

“The album appears to show BTS’ determination to move beyond its familiar image as a boy band,” said Lim Hee-yoon, a pop music critic. “With the American market clearly in its sights, the group’s desire for a Grammy is evident.”

BTS has so far earned five Grammy nominations. The group first broke into the awards in 2021, when “Dynamite” was nominated for best pop duo/group performance. It was nominated again in the same category the following year for “Butter.”

In 2023, “Yet to Come” received a nod for best music video, while BTS’ collaboration with Coldplay on “My Universe” helped secure nominations for album of the year and best pop duo/group performance.

The ambition for a Grammy has only intensified as BTS continued to sweep other major awards. In 2020, the group topped Billboard’s singles chart with “Dynamite.” The following year, it won Artist of the Year at the American Music Awards.

“There’s a saying that no tree remains standing after 10 blows of an ax, but hoping for a Grammy after only two attempts may be too much to ask,” Suga said in 2022, after BTS came away empty-handed despite consecutive nominations.

Yet the first Grammy honor for a K-pop act ultimately went to “Golden” from the Netflix animated film “KPop Demon Hunters.” For a group widely seen as the kings of K-pop, the remaining point of pride now naturally lies in winning the award that has long eluded them.

BTS’ Grammy ambitions are clearly reflected in the lineup of composers and producers behind its latest album, “Arirang.” Among the 48 overseas production staff who took part in the record, eight are Grammy winners. The album’s two leading contributors, Ryan Tedder and Diplo, have each won three Grammys.

The list also includes Grammy winners El Guincho, known for his work with Spanish star Rosalia, and Mike WiLL Made-It, who has previously worked with Kendrick Lamar.

The broadly positive reception from foreign media appears to offer an encouraging early sign in BTS’ road toward a Grammy. Rolling Stone UK described the new album as “K-pop perfection” and awarded it five out of five stars.

The Hollywood Reporter called it “without a doubt BTS’ most experimental album to date,” while the BBC said the group’s return was “significant in and of itself.”

Not all of the reviews were unreservedly glowing, however. Music website Consequence noted that the album’s latter half, after “SWIM,” “gets a bit uneven.”

Despite strong reviews and the precedent set by “Golden,” the road to the Grammys remains a steep one for K-pop artists. For starters, they must overcome the deep-rooted bias the awards are often seen as holding against K-pop acts, especially idol boy bands.

Jung Min-jae, a pop music critic, said the Grammys have not traditionally held idol boy bands or girl groups in especially high regard.

“As for ‘ARIRANG,’ while it is still too early after its release, there is no clear consensus yet that the album is such a masterpiece that it could break those unspoken norms,” he added. (The Korea Times)