even by this definition bts would be kpop, no? I mean that really depends on how you define idol music I suppose but if we're going with "music performed by idols" bts are idols. https://twitter.com/iknowplacesmp6/status/1208998018516684800

they went through auditions and training just like their peers. they're from a company that has produced multiple idol groups. they go on kpop shows and have won kpop awards and have broken kpop records.

if people say their music isn't idol music simply bc they help write and produce, that's true about tons of idols now so that's a super outdated definition and not an accurate way of looking at the kpop industry as a whole.

idol/artist discourse has been around forever so yeah there are still people who have the idea that idols cant be artists, but those 2 things definitely aren't mutually exclusive at this point.

and the reason people saying "bts aren't kpop" is an issue is bc it's either due to a weird prejudice against idols and pop music in general (i.e. kpop music isn't REAL music)

or it's due to wanting to distance them from the industry for xenophobic and racist reasons. people will say they aren't kpop as a way to be like "oh they aren't like all those other asians! they're unique and they think for themselves!" which is clearly a problem

often fans who hate kpop will convince themselves they like bts bc "they aren't kpop, they're above that" which then allows them to excuse their xenophobia/racism towards the rest of the industry so it's frustrating seeing that talking point over and over again here on twitter

and bc this discourse comes up often I have seen Asian fans (Korean and non-Korean) express that white western fans specifically saying that is something they take issue with for all of those reasons.

and this is true! people outside of korea tend to use kpop as an umbrella term for all korean music which isn't accurate but bts are an idol kpop group. https://twitter.com/iknowplacesmp6/status/1208998020257333251?s=19

just bc they've gotten to a level no one in the industry has reached before doesn't mean they're suddenly not kpop and people who view it that way clearly have some sort of bias they need to reevaluate