The Grammy Awards tend to spark conversation, confusion, and celebration. In this recap, I evaluate the outcomes of the night’s biggest categories, considering impact and quality. Do you agree with my declarations?
Record of the Year and Song of the Year – “Not Like Us” by Kendrick Lamar
Record of the Year recognizes the recording of a track, by recognizing not only the artist but also the producers and engineers who “contribute to the recording.”
Opinion: Deserved. “Not Like Us” was the nail in the coffin of the infamous Drake vs Kendrick beef that defined an era of rap. This feud was so culturally significant that members of the rap community were likening it to the infamous Biggie vs Tupac feud of the ’90s. Produced by Mustard, “Not Like Us” embodies the sound of West Coast Hip-Hop, and the aggressive atmosphere created in the production amplifies Lamar’s lyrics. With its bold callouts and clever wordplay, “Not Like Us” was a commercial and radio success, as well as a triumphant end to Lamar’s feud with Drake.
Best New Artist – Chappell Roan
In the academy’s terms, those eligible for the Best New Artist title must have released an album during the eligibility year that “first establishes the public identity of that artist or established group as a performer.” In clearer terms, the Best New Artist winner should have released an album in the last year that projected them into public consciousness and made an identifiable mark on the music landscape.
Opinion: Deserved. Chappell Roan achieved her breakout moment with her song “Good Luck, Babe!”, which was also nominated for Record and Song of the Year, and Best Pop Solo Performance. Other acclaims for this song include being named one of the best songs of the first half of the 2020s by Pitchfork and peaking at No. 1 on the Billboard Top 100. She also had the largest daytime crowd in the music festival Lollapalooza’s history, with a whopping 100,000+ people. Chappell Roan did not leave the ears or eyes of all Americans in 2024, as she traversed major festivals and late-night shows, each marked by viral moments or looks. Chappell Roan made a meteoric rise in the music industry, far above her other competitors in this category (including Khruangbin, Sabrina Carpenter, Shaboozey, Doechii, Teddy Swims, Benson Boone, and Raye) all while advocating for both her privacy and for those who don’t have her stage. She used her influence for good, amplifying the voices of the queer community as her voice was amplified.
Album of the Year – Cowboy Carter by Beyonce
This award recognizes and honors “a collection of songs that demonstrate artistic achievement, technical proficiency, and overall excellence.” To be eligible, the album must have at least five new full songs.
Opinion: Deserved. Cowboy Carter marked Beyonce’s venture into the genre of country. Her twists on the classics paid homage to the genre, while also allowing her to integrate her unique sound. For decades white artists have staked claim to the country music genre, despite country’s roots in African American blues. Sparked by country music’s rejection of her after her 2015 performance at the CMA’s, Cowboy Carter tells the story of reclaiming the black roots of country music and of America as a whole. Her covers of beloved songs like “Jolene” and “Blackbird” emphasize her talent as an artist. While I do believe that the track list is a bit too long, and there were some songs I was not in love with, that does not detract from the message that Beyonce is trying to say with the album. “AMERIICAN REQUIEM”, in my opinion, is one of the best displays of the deep musical complexity Beyonce can achieve. Through Cowboy Carter’s wins, Beyonce made history as the first black woman to win Album of the Year since Lauryn Hill in 1999, and the first-ever black woman to win Country Album of the Year.
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance – “Die With a Smile” by Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars
This award recognizes a collaborative pop performance between two artists, rather than the presence of a lead and secondary vocal performance.
Opinion: “Guess” by Charli xcx ft. Billie Eilish was snubbed. Die with a Smile was a good song, simply put. I feel that the most novel aspect of this song was the unexpectedness of Lady Gaga as a collaborator; however, Bruno Mars has been on a bender (for lack of a better word) of collaborating with high-profile female artists, spanning genres. Looking back, “Die With a Smile” is a blip in his releases and collaborations from the past year. After its radio run, it quickly ran out of cultural impact and relevance and was kind of ‘millennial-ized.’ It was not a creative, interesting, or innovative piece of pop music compared to “Guess”. Personally, I believe “Guess” was much more deserving of this award. The entire BRAT remix album was innovative, adding a new twist on the deluxe album format, and Billie Eilish’s feature genuinely made the song better. It embodied the criteria of this award and has remained in the music collaboration zeitgeist for far longer than “Die With a Smile”.
Best Rap Album – Alligator Bites Never Heal by Doechii
This category recognizes an album where at least 50% of playing time features newly recorded rap performances.
Opinion: So deserved. Doechii has been in the game for a long time without mainstream audiences even realizing it. This album exemplifies Doechii’s storytelling ability, as well as her unexpected and catchy delivery. Every word she raps is expressed with intention and infused with so much character. This album displays her maturity and the growth she’s had in the rap game, and this award is so deserved given her displayed hunger to excel. She’s on the road to mastery if she’s not there already.
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