The Grammys came and went this year, and there is a lot to talk about. It showcases all the talented artists and singers through numerous performances and award showcases.
Every year, this award show has become a pipeline for criticism and online chatter. From major artist snubs, the same artist winning every year and conflicts that are happening in the world. This award show has become less about the awards and more about who showed up and who spoke up about what’s going on.
Grammys have been known to lose quality year after year. It’s not for lack of trying, but the viewership has nothing to do with the awards and more to do with who shows up and gets nominated. We live in a time where if Taylor Swift or Ariana Grande showed up, numbers would skyrocket. Which isn’t necessarily bad, but if they don’t go, it doesn’t bring as much attention.
For the people who won, instead of having an acceptance speech, they chose to speak out on what’s happening in the United States. I understand people watching this program try to escape from the harsh reality of what’s happening, but this is the reality, and people are getting hurt. Seeing artists care enough to speak up about current issues shows that speaking up can help solve them. Actions are louder than words, and anything helps.
A problem with this award show is the fact that it has become less about the awards and more about the performances in the show.
The most prestigious music award show, and only nine awards were showcased. I understand wanting to showcase the performances, but it is supposed to be an equal mix. I enjoyed watching the best new artists perform back-to-back so we could see why they were nominated and why they shouldn’t have been. Although having Bruno Mars perform twice was time wasted that could’ve been used to present another award.
These performances were very half and half. The best performance of the night, for me at least, was the Sabrina Carpenter performance. I loved the set and production used. It was very creative, and she always does big performances well. The second-place spot would have to go to Tyler, The Creator. I don’t listen to any of his music, but the way he performed and had a big production was a fun watch. The artist who I think had the third-best performance would have to go to Justin Bieber. Time and time again, he proves that he is one of the most talented artists we have. Although he was basically nude for the performance, it didn’t take away his shine and appeal, because he is a masterclass at singing and producing. It was cool to see him have this raw and touching performance.
“I supported pretty much every winner, but was honestly shocked that Lola Young won, given the fact that Manchild by Sabrina Carpenter was so popular.”- Rylie Connor, sophomore, film
Bad Bunny was awarded Album of the Year. I was so ecstatic and proud that he won. This win was one for the history books. He became the first artist to have a Spanish album win Album of the Year. Considering the current political climate, this award means a lot to the community he represents and his supporters.
“Thank God, Bad Bunny won for Album of the Year; he deserved it especially with everything that was going on at that time,” said Connor.
The record and song of the year awards took me by surprise, but not in a bad way. For record of the year, Kendrick Lamar and SZA won for their hit song “Luthor.” I honestly thought Lady Gaga was going to sweep the awards show, so seeing them win was cool. The biggest shock of the night was Billie Eilish winning Song of the Year. For those who don’t know, her song “Wildflower” was released in 2024 and then released as a single in the eligibility period of this year’s Grammys, and that is why it was able to get nominated.
There were a lot of nominees for best new artist this year. I think only a few of them made waves to be the best new artists. The winner was Olivia Dean, who, in my opinion, was the clear frontrunner. If she didn’t win, I would have wanted Leon Thomas or Lola Young.
There were many other winners and performances, but the Grammys just aren’t what they used to be. I wish we got to see more awards handed out and witness more reactions of artists winning. I like the best new artist segment with the back-to-back performances, but I just don’t think we needed that many performances in general. I did like the diversity of winners, instead of it being the same person winning every category.
