Korean group BTS (Bangtan Sonyeondan) recently took the stage for the 2026 FIFA World Cup halftime performance. What was supposed to be a highly anticipated international stage sparked discussion after the show due to their live singing and English pronunciation, even drawing malicious and discriminatory criticism.
Performed at the World Cup Halftime Show on July 19th
According to the original report, BTS performed on stage at the World Cup halftime show on July 19th (KST). BTS's official account also posted on X, tagging phrases like "Today's Bangtan" and "FIFA World Cup 2026."
The performance received mixed reactions regarding vocal delivery. However, beyond discussions about vocal quality, BTS also faced more malicious, and even discriminatory, criticism. The original report noted that many people used this performance to attack the members' English pronunciation when singing lyrics; ironically, the criticized song, “Permission To Dance,” is itself an all-English track.
Some Posts Directly Attacked English Pronunciation
On X, some posts directly targeted BTS's English proficiency with clearly aggressive language.
Other posts used discriminatory terms to comment on the performance.
Still other posts described the singing as "gibberish" and other terms, continuing to focus on English pronunciation and lyric delivery.
The original report highlighted that BTS's World Cup halftime show not only sparked mixed reviews for their live vocal performance but also made the members' English pronunciation a focal point of some online criticism.
