The 63rd annual Grammy Awards was held on Sunday, March 14, even though this year posed some challenges due to COVID-19. Attendance was limited to those who were nominated or involved with a performance. However, this show also coined “face mask fashion” and had some unforgettable moments. Hosted by late-night talk show host Trevor Noah, the Grammy Awards was one of the first award shows to be held in person since the pandemic began.
This year’s show was not afraid to shine a light on current social issues. They shared the spotlight with businesses that were struggling to stay afloat due to the pandemic, and touched on the efforts of the Black Lives Matter protests. They emphasized the contributions of women in the music industry and honored late, great performers who died in the past year.
Beyoncé, who won four awards on Sunday, has accumulated a total of 28 Grammy Awards in her career, surpassing country artist Alison Krauss for the most wins by a female artist.
Taylor Swift is also now tied with Stevie Wonder, Frank Sinatra and Paul Simon for winning album of the year three times, most recently with her pandemic album, “Folklore.” This also makes her the first woman to accomplish that feat.
Megan Thee Stallion rocked the house with her medley of “Body” and “Savage Remix” as well as her hit song “WAP” with Cardi B. This performance sparked some controversy given its sexual nature, although neither artist seems to be the slighted bit fazed by the criticism. Megan Thee Stallion took home best new artist as well as three awards for her duo with Beyoncé in the “Savage Remix.”
Song of the year went to “I Can’t Breathe,” performed and written by H.E.R. This powerful song discusses the Black Lives Matter protests and the murder of George Floyd.
Billie Eilish, alongside her brother Finneas O’Connell, took home record of the year for “Everything I Wanted,” making it the second year in a row the duo brought home this award. The entirety of her acceptance speech was about how Megan Thee Stallion should have won, emphasizing that she had an incredible year. Eilish also did this last year, when she expressed how Ariana Grande should have won.
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“You had a year that I think is unstoppable,” Billie said in her speech. “Genuinely, this goes to her.”
Some fans believe that The Weeknd’s well-received album “After Hours” should have received nominations, especially with his record-breaking single, “Blinding Lights.” This snub came shortly before The Weeknd performed during the Super Bowl LV halftime show, (which caused the conflict because he couldn’t perform at both) and since then, the Canadian singer-songwriter decided to no longer submit his songs for awards. People will always argue that their favorite artists got snubbed, but did the Recording Academy go too far this time? To read more about that Grammy controversy, click here.
Though this year is unlike any other, the Grammy Awards provided a little bit of normalcy as we were able to celebrate the talented artists in the music industry and the work that they still put out in the time of a global pandemic.
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