The 67th annual Grammy Awards, which took place on Sunday, Jan. 2, were equal parts unexpected and exciting. This year’s ceremony featured impressive performances and shocking awards, marked by memorable moments such as pop superstar Taylor Swift “throwing it down” with a wine bottle in hand. There is a lot to unpack within this year’s awards, and I am going to break down all the key moments to keep you informed of the results and the unserious internet points the ceremony produced.
Starting well before the start of the show, the red carpet brought about lots of drama when Kanye West showed up with his wife, Bianca Censori, who was almost completely nude, wearing a see-through dress designed by West himself. After this ridiculous and degrading stunt, the couple got into their car and left, as they technically were not invited, sparking yet another West internet rant. In an attempt to recreate West and Ty Dolla $ign’s collaborative “Vultures 1” album cover, the outfit was an utter failure and only brought more strength to his rapid decline in popularity.
First-time attendees Sabrina Carpenter, Chappell Roan and Doechii stole the show with their creative and innovative performances. Carpenter offered an equally comical and impressive medley of her hit singles, “Espresso,” “Please Please Please” and “Taste,” adding a distinct jazz flair to the songs. Following her performance, she won the award for Best Pop Vocal Album, a long-awaited dream for Carpenter. Chappell Roan gave an explosive performance of “Pink Pony Club,” featuring a giant on-stage pony and dancers covered in clown makeup. It is no shock that she took home the award for Best New Artist after her accelerated rise to fame this year—including garnering the biggest crowd in Lollapalooza history. During her speech, Roan took the opportunity to call out big labels, urging them to provide better care for small artists. Doechii’s performance was by far the best of the night, featuring a euphoric set of “DENIAL IS A RIVER” and “CATFISH.” This performance marks Doechii as a potential new rap superpower, solidified by her win for Best Rap Album—the third woman ever to secure the award after Lauryn Hill and Cardi B. This year’s ceremony was particularly huge for new artists in the industry, offering immense hope for future nominees. Awards this season displayed more variety than usual, showcasing diverse themes of music and artists from different backgrounds.
Beyoncé finally achieved her long-awaited Album of the Year win with “Cowboy Carter.” Though she holds the record for most wins in Grammy history, Beyoncé has never secured this pivotal award despite being previously nominated four times. Earlier in the evening, she took home the award for Best Country Album, a shock which she commented on during her speech: “I was really not expecting this.” Her triumphs have sparked immense discourse online, where many viewers feel she did not deserve the awards. I believe, however, that her wins were well-merited, both for the excellent, genre-bending album that “Cowboy Carter” is and to celebrate her long-standing career as a whole. The album’s win holds significance as well, as it weaves in the singer’s personal career development with the history of Black country music, especially growing up as a Black girl in Texas.
Kendrick Lamar smashed several categories with his infamous Drake diss track, “Not Like Us.” Lamar, who took home both Song and Record of the Year, comedically screamed “MUSTARD!” into the mic upon accepting his awards. Lamar winning both awards was shocking, especially due to the tough competition within the category, which featured Billie Eilish, Taylor Swift and Beyoncé. On top of that, Lady Gaga randomly debuted her new single, “Abracadabra,” through a credit card advertisement during the Grammys. The song is an ode to “Old Gaga,” returning to her roots of strong vocals, enunciation and intense production. Her Grammys attendance was not amiss, as she and Bruno Mars took home Best Pop Duo Performance for “Die With a Smile.” Other highlights included Benson Boone doing flips off a piano amidst a voice crack and an earnest tribute to Quincy Jones performed by Cynthia Erivo and many other great performers.
Surprisingly, both Billie Eilish and Taylor Swift did not win any awards for their respective albums. At the show, Eilish gave a mellow performance of “Birds of a Feather” and Swift nonchalantly stepped on stage to present Beyoncé with Best Country Album. Perhaps their runs as Grammy sweethearts have ended, but I am positive we will witness more award-winning albums and songs from them in the future. Both Swift and Eilish have been unstoppable forces in the industry, slamming charts and streaming records, and their popularity will continue to result in awards.
Charli xcx won three awards in smaller categories—her first Grammy wins ever—for her extremely influential album, “BRAT.” After ruling “Brat Summer,” Charli’s reign continued during her performance, which featured internet celebrity models Alex Consani and Gabriette carrying the essence of brat with an on-stage rave showcasing flying underwear (which was later donated to a women’s shelter). Charli’s influence on the sound and style of popular music is revolutionary, and these wins were destined since her start as an artist.
Altogether, this year’s awards were exceedingly busy, and somehow sitting through the four hour show was bearable for once. Optimism for the future certainly shined through, and I am excited to see where the music scene goes from here. The popular sound is definitely shifting, and perhaps the awards will start to celebrate niche artists more frequently. The winners this year were justified and celebrated, but it is easy for some to be disappointed when each category was heavily packed with talent. Whether you are a long-time critic or a loyal fan, this year’s Grammys proved, at least for once, that music’s biggest night can still surprise us.