Many opinions said that the male singer "lacked respect for BTS" when talking about the global influence of Korean music but did not mention this group.
In an interview broadcast on December 11 with Rose (Blackpink), Bruno Mars shared about the success of the collaboration song APT. and the impact of this song in bringing Korean culture to global audiences. Bruno Mars compared APT. to PSYs Gangnam Style, saying that these are rare products that create a strong spread beyond the Korean border.
According to Bruno Mars, Gangnam Style was once a special phenomenon when a song entirely in Korean could conquer the international market. He also expressed his admiration for Rose, saying that the female singer introduced Korean culture to audiences who had never been exposed to K-pop, including himself. Bruno Mars commented that this was a "magic" experience that he had never felt before.
However, this statement quickly caused controversy in the K-pop fan community, especially BTS fans. Many opinions say that Bruno Mars' only mention of "Gangnam Style" and ignoring BTS is unfair, because BTS is considered an artist who plays an important role in bringing K-pop to global status over the years. A group of fans said that Bruno Mars "erased BTS' influence" and made a statement that was a taken- away from the group's contribution to the music industry.
On social networks, the wave of criticism quickly spread. Some BTS fans called for a boycott of Bruno Mars by blocking his music on Spotify and stopping supporting music products in the near future. The male singer's personal page also appeared many angry comments, asking him to apologize and admit BTS' role as a "paving way" for K-pop in the international market.
On the other hand, some neutral opinions say that Bruno Mars is only sharing personal feelings in the interview, without any intention of downplaying or denying BTS' achievements. However, controversy continued to escalate and became a hot topic of discussion in the international music fan community.
