The 67th Annual Grammys Awards made waves once again on Sunday, Feb. 2. Hosted by South African comedian and writer Trevor Noah, beloved artists wore their best outfits and gave long-awaited musical performances. The Grammys were a night of music and festivity that marked the evolution of the music industry.
Female pop artists dominated the “Best Pop Solo” performance category. The “Best Pop Solo” performance went to “Bodyguard” by Beyonce, “Birds of a Feather” by Billie Eilish, “Espresso” by Sabrina Carpenter, “Good Luck Babe” by Chappel Roan, and finally “Apple” by Charlie XCX. Junior Vincent Brunette commented on what he thought of the pop performances: “I personally enjoyed Charlie XCX’s performance. I felt her stage presence [was] very good and entertaining…I think she should have won ‘Album of the Year,’ instead of Beyonce’s Cowboy Carter.”
With respect to the “Best R&B Album” category, audiences were generally pleased with the winners. The “Best R&B Song” award category included “After Hours” by Kehlani, “Ruined Me” by Muni Long, “Burning” by Tems, and “Saturn” by SZA. “I loved SZA’s performance. Her music is so good, and many teenage girls can relate to her lyrics, including myself,” explained freshman Annabella Errico.
The “Best Rap Song” category featured lesser-known artists such as Rapsody and Hitboy who gained a glimpse at the limelight for their latest hit “Asteroids.” Other well-known artists such as Gorilla, Future, Kanye West, Ty Dolla Sign, Playboi Carti, Rich the Kid, and Kendrick Lamar had the honor of winning in this category. Lamar’s infamous diss track “They Not Like Us” dedicated to pop artist Drake earned him a win in this category. Additionally, Lamar dominated the Grammys this year, also winning “Record of the Year.”
For country music lovers, the “Best Country Solo Performance” category started off with the iconic Chris Stapelton. Stapelton won this category with his song “It Takes a Woman,” and with a commanding and strong performance. “Chris Stapelton strongly deserved to win this category. I love his music, and I have been listening to him for years now,” junior Kaitlin Manasakis explained. “His music is authentic and emotional, which is something I feel most artists lack. This award is well deserved,” Manasakis added. Other artists and songs in this category included “A Bar Song” by Shaboozy, “I Am Not Okay” by Jelly Roll, “Architect” by Kacey Musgraves, and “16 Carriages” by Beyonce. “I think Kacey Musgraves had a great shot at winning this category, but I am still confused how Beyonce even ended up in this category. I honestly have never heard anyone speak highly about Cowboy Carter,” Manasakis mused.
Lastly, the “Artist of the Year” nominations received mixed reviews. Beyonce’s album Cowboy Carter received much criticism, with many shocked that it received the title of “Album of the Year.” Junior Nycollet Altamirano said, “I believe that this year’s winner, Beyonce, is undeserving of the award. In my opinion, pop artist Billie Eilish was robbed of the title of ‘Best Album of the Year.’ She put her heart and soul into that album and was far more deserving of the title than any other singer.”
Overall, the 67th Annual Grammy Awards was marked by new talent, music, and celebration. Newer artists such as Sabrina Carpenter had the honor of winning their first-ever award, and older artists like Beyonce continued to shine. However, the night was not complete without its fair share of criticism and mixed reactions towards the results.
