BTS fans call out Korea Music Awards judge over RM’s album snub; say, 'This has to be a joke'

BTS RM

Fans of BTS are speaking out after RM’s acclaimed solo album Right Place, Wrong Person was left off the 2025 Korean Music Awards (KMA) nomination list. The omission shocked many, especially after the album was praised by critics for its boundary-pushing style and introspective lyricism.

Now, a KMA judge has explained the decision, but fans aren’t getting it.

In an interview with Ling Rong Dang, music journalist and KMA selection committee member Jo Hye Rim addressed the reasoning behind the snub. She stated that RM’s album posed a challenge to the judges because its genre was difficult to define.

“There are often songs that are not selected because the genre is ambiguous,” Jo explained. “In the case of albums that aim for the alternative genre, such as those by RM or Balming Tiger, even though they are great albums, there were many internal concerns about selecting them because they do not fall into a clear genre.”

She added that rigid genre distinctions often become an obstacle, especially when evaluating innovative or genre-defying music.

Jo’s comments, which were also shared on Instagram, spread rapidly across social media platforms—sparking widespread criticism from BTS’s fanbase, ARMY.

Many fans argued that RM’s album doesn’t lack genre—it represents a fusion of alternative hip-hop, neo-soul, and poetic introspection, which should have been celebrated, not sidelined. They also pointed out that Right Place, Wrong Person embodies contemporary music’s fluid identity, and deserved recognition for its artistic risk and innovation.

Others slammed the KMA for sticking to outdated genre classifications, saying such limitations stifle creativity and undermine artists who push the envelope.

How can a music critic not know how to label an albumIt was obviously alternative if not it's label by type of genre that occurs the mostThis excuse is so stupid joon needs to start promoting outside that industry https://t.co/bLdmSL4SQL

Namu (@namjoonkimbaby) April 23, 2025

Music experts can't figure out the genre of the album???? This has to be a joke https://t.co/KoqLhKMUwHpic.twitter.com/nQS2Mm6la6 yun_7 (@polar_nighttt) April 23, 2025

RMs album wasn't selected because it's 'genre ambiguous'? Sounds like you've only been listening to mediocre music.Namjoon breaks free from those boundaries, constantly pushing beyond current trends and standards, creating music that looks to the future.Musics value shouldn't https://t.co/cZQMspOAVi

s (@s74023966) April 23, 2025

so namjoon is not getting the recognition he deserves from the korean music industry as a solo artist cuz hes innovative and ahead of his time and hes not getting that from the westren music industry either cuz they boxed him into kpop https://t.co/FqJ3PkdSNYpic.twitter.com/iTsYICigWB STOP THE RAIN (@OURKlVE) April 23, 2025

Released on May 24, 2024, Right Place, Wrong Person marked RM’s second solo project following Indigo (2022). The album received strong critical praise for its reflective storytelling and sonic experimentation.