ARMY are calling out iHeartRadio host Brian Grimes and his team after they called BTS fans ‘annoying’ for sending in song requests.

iHeartRadio host Brian Grimes has issued an apology after BTS fans, collectively called ARMY, slammed him and his fellow hosts for calling the group’s fans ‘BTS Nerds’ and ‘annoying’ for sending in requests to play the group’s songs.

Earlier this week, Grimes came under fire for venting his anger against ARMY on Twitter. In a now-deleted tweet, Grimes claimed that the more ARMY requested him to play ‘Left and Right’ – by Jungkook and Charlie Puth – the more he would resist putting the song on radio. 

“I swear on all that is holy if the #BTSARMY doesn’t stop with the spam messages to the radio station about playing ‘Left and Right,’ I will go out of my way to NEVER play it, and I really like Charlie Puth.” he tweeted. 

Needless to say, this didn’t sit well with ARMYs. The fanbase proceeded to not only call out Grimes but also pulled out receipts showing iHeartRadio hosts allegedly being biased towards BTS fans in general. 

Posting said clips, Twitter user @Carrie_army called Grimes and his prejudice ‘unnecessary’, saying: “In a time when radio is dying your DJs are insulting people who are actually engaging and tuned in. Then to say they won’t play a song because they hate the fans? That’s just immature and unprofessional.” 

In the clip posted, Johnny Magic and Brian Grimes are heard calling ARMY ‘BTS nerds.’ Magic then says: “You’re not doing your group a service by doing that. It’s very annoying to us because we have to clean all of that stuff out.” 

“I’m going to go out of my way to not play it,” Grimes adds. 

“It’s a bit overboard, it really is.” says Magic. 

The Twitter user then went to share screenshots of her conversations with Grimes. In said conversation, Grimes first says that he doesn’t decide what is played on air, followed by claims that he was being ‘sarcastic’. 

In later conversations, however, Grimes did apologise. He then published an official apology on his Instagram page, mirroring much of what he told user @Carrie_army. 

“I am sincerely sorry that what I said upset people and made them feel attacked,” Grimes said in his statement. “I refer to myself as a “nerd” about things I love all the time, so I didn’t realise it would come across like such a negative thing.” 

Grimes continued: “It was put best to me that I made that comment ‘in a bubble’ which is true… and I didn’t give consideration to what it sounded like to those that don’t know who I am and what I am about. That’s something I can and will correct moving forward.” 

Grimes also addressed his remarks about going out of his way to not play BTS songs. “As for the comment that I would go out of my way to not play them… that was out of line… I also apologise for that… I would never do anything to undermine an artist of any kind.” 

For more on this topic, follow the Asia Pop Observer.

Check out Grimes’ apology to ARMY:

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