Featuring several of K-pop’s biggest names out of the running – in addition to BTS, BLACKPINK’s four all-English songs of the month for February DEADLINE will not qualify due to the Recording Academy’s rule that nominees “must make significant use of one or more Asian languages” – the race is wide open to potential nominees for the first year of the much-discussed new Asian pop performance category.
While Stray Kids’ Korean label JYP Entertainment shared on Friday, October 2 – a day later Billboard first published this story – that the group had not submitted their work for consideration at the upcoming Grammy Awards, Billboard had initially put forward three of its songs as contenders for the category, led by the fan-dedicated single “STAY,” released in March. Stray Kids’ US label (Republic Records) and other representatives did not respond. Billboardpreliminary investigations into the group’s submission projects.
aespa, “Lemonade”
The K-pop quartet spent this year of eligibility building their notoriety in the United States with debuts at Lollapalooza, a North American arena tour through the fall, as well as collaborations with Anderson .Paak, Becky G and Ty Dolla $ign. This pulsating electronic pop track sung in English and Korean culminates in a bridge showcasing harmonies from Winter and Ningning before the production stops before a series of belts from Winter.
Kenshi Yonezu, “Iris Outside”
Kenshi Yonezu
Yohji Uchida
A truly experimental piece that connects flashes of piano, brass and drum’n’bass under the theatrical vocal attack of Yonezu (the 35-year-old is the sole author, composer, producer, arranger and programmer), the opening theme of the Japanese blockbuster. Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc reached number five on the Billboard Global 200, the highest peak for a Japanese-language song to date, and spent 14 weeks atop the Japan Hot 100. “Jane Doe,” Yonezu’s duet with the J-pop legend and Hearts of the Kingdom singer Hikaru Utada for the film’s closing theme, could be an interesting second submission option.
Miist and Narada Michael Walden, “It’s Too Late to Love You (Chinese and English Edition)”
Miist is a former accountant of Chinese origin who reached the top 25 of Billboardthe Adult Contemporary chart with the original version of this song; Walden is a three-time Grammy winner and legendary producer known for his work with Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey, among others. But on this power-pop ballad, the generationally different artists (Walden also sings) complement each other perfectly, carrying the same melody in Mandarin and English. Miist announced this submission and explained its support for the new category in a guest column for Billboard.
SB19, “Visa”
The pop group became the first Filipino act to play Lollapalooza this summer, months after “Visa”‘s top 10 debut BillboardWorldwide digital song sales chart. Written and co-produced by frontman Pablo, the percussive track draws inspiration from the visa rejections the band faced during their world tour and addresses the obstacles Filipinos face working and performing abroad (it also name-checks Olivia Rodrigo and Bruno Mars, both of Filipino descent). Sony Music Philippines confirms the submission.
Stray children, “STAY”
Even if Stray Kids refrains from submitting its application for 2027, here’s why Billboard originally viewed the group as a contender: While its biggest hits “This & That” and “Do It” would have been eligible (they peaked at Nos. 38 and 68, respectively, on the Billboard Hot 100), Stray Kids’ March release, “STAY,” would have been the more emotional choice as a Grammy submission. The harmony-heavy track is dedicated to the Stray Kids fandom of the same name – who would probably find it a particularly sweet victory.
This story appears in the October 3, 2026 issue of Billboard.
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