We all know and love the annual event known as the Grammys, which was hosted by comedian and writer Trevor Noah on Feb. 6. Hits and misses were made during this night, and social media has been a place where people have been sharing their thoughts and opinions. As every Grammys event is, this year hosted some of the most renowned and quite recently famous artists of our time.
Starting off with one of the “Big Four” categories, Album of the Year (AOTY) was won by Beyoncé for her album known as Cowboy Carter. Cowboy Carter was a message from Beyoncé herself who said it represented “the desire to break genre walls” which also frequently included references to Black rodeo stars and “Jolene” by Dolly Parton, where Beyoncé changed some of the lyrics to make them more relatable to her targeted audience, underrepresented people of color. But not everyone was too fond of this album winning AOTY and also taking the win for country album of the year. Many people formed the same opinion stating that Beyoncé wasn’t deserving of the award and that she probably bought her way into receiving the award.
“Honestly, I can’t even name one song off of Cowboy Carter,” said senior Natalia Banuelos. “Frankly, I didn’t even know she released an album this year at all. All I’ve been hearing everywhere are Billie Eillish’s songs like “Chihiro” and “Birds of a Feather,” so it was really surprising Billie didn’t win; like, I genuinely think it’s a rigged process.”
“There were so many other albums that could have and should have taken the country album of the year award,” Banuelos said. “Her songs and their rhythm just don’t flow in the way I’d like them to, and there were so many other talented artists that should’ve taken the win like Chris Stapleton.”
Luckily, AOTY is not the only important category according to many. “Not Like Us” by Kendrick Lamar took the win for Record of the Year and Song of the Year which was a joy and surprise to many. This was shocking to many since the entire song is a diss/insult towards Drake and his allegations. He first released the song in May and it continues to grow rapidly in streams today with its striking impact and well-crafted lyrics, where it broke multiple records on Spotify and is now considered one of the most awarded songs for its creativity and united lyrics. Not only did this song snatch the victory for these 2 categories, Lamar performed it during the Super Bowl Halftime which made even a bigger impact, considering the song jumped 430% in streams on Spotify.
As many people already fully know and love these artists who have been in the industry for quite some time, there were also artists that gained their fame recently who won their first awards during this night. First of all, Chappell Roan, a recent pop artist, won Best New Artist and even performed her most recent song “Pink Pony Club.” But something that left the audience and watchers surprised was when she expressed her opinion about how she goes against the entire decision making process of the Grammys. She gave her now renowned speech on how record labels should do better and how they should create a real change in the music industry. This is very significant considering all the artists that have continuously been, according to many online, snubbed of wins every year.
Next to Chappell, the very recent Doechii made a very significant effect with her taking the win for Best Rap Album for her album Alligator Bites Never Heal. Her victory is notable considering the very strong and impactful messages she effectively represents in her album. She wanted to convey the message that she’s finally “biting back” at everyone who ever doubted her career-wise and how she feels trapped within the industry and its toxicity.
With all these wins, the performances in between them just made them even better. For the talented live performances, the show displayed Sabrina Carpenter who performed her acclaimed songs “Espresso” and “Please Please Please” along with the fairly new duo, Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars who covered the legendary song “California Dreamin’” by The Mamas & the Papas. The most iconic performance in my personal opinion was Charli XCX who performed her hit songs from her album Brat known as “Von Dutch” and “Guess,” where she even featured models known as Alex Consani and Gabbriette.
The show ended up presenting everyone’s gratitude and gratefulness towards Los Angeles’ first responders and firefighters who recently risked their lives to save the citizens in Los Angeles. This really tied the event all together to make it known as the biggest night to recognize the world’s most talented and special musical artists ever. But one thing that was particularly strange about the advocates for the recent wildfires that happened in LA, the hosts were asking viewers of the Grammys to donate and support when there were hundreds of millionaire celebrities who attended the event who could easily donate from their own bank accounts.
Nevertheless, the event hosted some of the most talented and spirited musical artists of our generation, where millions enjoyed the event and the performances that were presented.
