Grammys Got You Down?

The 2023 Grammys were a huge hit, leaving fans watching at home feeling excited, relieved, and also confused. With big awards with even bigger nominees, the outcome of the Grammys was destined to upset some people. Before the event, people speculated that either Adele or Beyoncé was going to be the star of the night. Beyoncé was set to break the record for most Grammys won. And she did. With three wins out of her nominations, Beyoncé broke the record of most Grammy wins with 32 wins and 79 nominations. Queen Bey made history, plain and simple. Having the most Grammys among the other huge stars is an amazing accomplishment that every singer dreams of achieving. Beyoncé isn’t the only one who had a historic night though…

Harry Styles performed on the Grammy stage, getting a standing ovation from Taylor Swift, his ex-girlfriend. Not only did he bring the house down with his amazing performance, but his album, Harry’s House, won Album of the Year. However, his victory caused some controversy among Beyonce fans. Some voiced their opinions during his speech, with one fan yelling, “Beyoncé should’ve won!” This incident mirrored what happened during the 2009 VMAs when Taylor Swift won an award over Beyoncé, only to have Kanye West interrupt her speech to voice his disagreement. I call it the Beyoncé Cycle. Harry’s speech did not soothe the hearts of these fans either. When he stated, “This doesn’t happen to people like me very often,” it annoyed people because he is a white man rather than a minority. Although Styles did not comment on this part of the speech directly, during the Brits where he won four awards, he said, “I am very aware of my privilege up here tonight.” This totally contradicts what he said at the Grammys, and fans have pretty much let go of what he said before. 

Now let’s talk about Song of the Year. This award was highly anticipated by fans of many different artists. The nominees included Taylor Swift, Adele, GAYLE, DJ Khaled, Steve Lacy, Lizzo, Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar, Harry Styles, and Bonnie Raitt–all big-name artists for an even bigger award. Fans of all the artists were excited to see who would win. Many thought that Beyoncé or Adele would win since they’re the biggest out of them all. But people would’ve been pleased with Taylor, Harry, Kendrick, or Lizzo since they are all well-known and their songs were more than exceptional for the year. The artist who won, however, was a shock. Bonnie Raitt snatched the Song of the Year award for her song, “Just Like That.” Everyone was shocked to their core at the ceremony, including Raitt herself. “Who even is she?” Tommy Lund, a Grammy enthusiast, said during his class discussion about the award show. Older music listeners are backing Raitt, saying that she was a big celebrity back in the day so she deserves the award. Many haven’t heard the song, but maybe with this new publicity, younger music listeners will turn on Bonnie Raitt. Who knows?

Lastly, the first transgender woman won a Grammy this year. Kim Petras was awarded Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for her song “Unholy,” featuring artist Sam Smith. Some were happy with the winner, but others were thinking that they should not have won. “Unholy” is a song that, in my opinion, became popular for all the wrong reasons. While the tune is catchy, it is a very unusual song. For popularity purposes, it definitely is a strong contender and honestly somewhat deserved the win. Whether people listened to the song because they loved it or hated it, they still listened. So clearly, it took the internet by storm in some way. 

In conclusion, people will always be upset at who won awards no matter what. Whether it be die-hard Taylor Swift fans who wanted the star to win because she would’ve revealed her new re-recorded album, or simply because some people have no idea who the winner is, the results of the winners will never be 100% accepted by all music listeners. “I am still upset that ‘Positions’ by Ariana Grande was robbed of Pop Album of the Year in 2020,” said Tommy Lund. So even though years have passed people still are upset at the outcomes. The important thing to remember when watching the Grammys, especially if you’re selected to be a seat filler, is to always be respectful of the winner when they are receiving their award. Even if you think your favorite artist was snubbed, it is not the winner’s fault. Now, go enjoy some music!