BTS Targeted With Racist Comments After SZA Tweets About The Members “Not Caring” About Her At Harry Styles’ Show

It all stemmed from a wrongly worded misunderstanding.

The BTS members have officially kickstarted their activities in the states, as they prepare themselves for their American promotions. They recently made their appearance at the 2021 American Music Awards, where they received three different awards—including the highly coveted grand prize, Artist of the Year.

BTS at the 2021 American Music Awards | Billboard

Despite their upcoming busy schedules, BTS members JungkookJimin, J-Hope, and V made sure to take a moment to enjoy their free time by attending Harry Styles‘ concert that was held on November 20, 2021 at the The Forum in Inglewood, California. The members were photographed by dozens of lucky ARMYs who were also in attendance.

BTS’s V, Jungkook, Jimin, and J-Hope at Harry Styles’ concert | @icecoldstyles/Twitter

The four members happened to sit next to Lizzo and SZA, and were captured showing off their kind greetings with one another. However, following the concert, the members became targeted with unwarranted racism due to a misunderstanding made by SZA and a now-deleted tweet.

BTS members with Lizzo | @BTS_twt/Twitter

The American singer, who was also in attendance at the show alongside Lizzo, was asked why she didn’t get a photo with the BTS members.

SZA | People

It was to this comment that SZA responded that while Lizzo “tried to introduce” her and the BTS members to one another, “they [BTS] didn’t care.” 

Now deleted tweet by SZA | @sza/Twitter

The wording choice of SZA’s “they didn’t care” was taken out of context, which then led to a series of racist comments targeting the BTS members. Different SZA fans began to defend the singer, as they referred to the K-Pop boy group using derogatory terms specific to the Asian population.

This SZA fan made a comment about the BTS members, calling them “stretched eyed gay boys” while blaming them for starting the global pandemic.

Racist comment | Twitter

Another SZA fan shared a tweet commenting on the language barrier between the two artists, as SZA is unable to “speak Chinese”—despite BTS being a South Korean boy group. They also made an ignorant comment regarding the members’ “small eyes,” again targeting the Asian community with the offensive comment.

Racist comment | Twitter

After these comments went public, ARMYs did not hold back and retaliated against the racism on behalf of the BTS members, as #LEAVEBTSALONE began to trend all over Twitter.

| Twitter

Thousands of tweets defending the BTS members began to pop up on Twitter, while some began to call out SZA on her alleged “lies.” According to dozens of different ARMYs who were in the attendance at the Harry Styles show, SZA was reportedly photographed getting a hug from V.

And while SZA shared an explanation, in a now deleted tweet, stating that she didn’t mean for the situation to become “negative,” BTS fans continued with their demands for an apology from the American singer.

SZA’s deleted explanation | @sza/Twitter

We truly hope that this is all just a misunderstanding and that it gets sorted out.

BTS