By Ezae Darby
Did anyone watch the Grammys this year? Yeah, me neither. And no, TikTok clips of Doechii’s performance do not count. This year’s showing, much like the previous four years, was lackluster and disappointing for many fans who frankly expected more from the annual ceremony and its creators.
The Grammys is an award show that’s broadcasted on television every year and celebrates the achievements of musicians worldwide throughout different genres of music. The star-studded, humorous, and culturally-invigorating award show has been at the forefront of pop culture for decades and continues to remain a staple in the world of music and entertainment.
Different celebrities are chosen to host the event every year, and some of the past hosts include Alicia Keys, Whoopi Goldberg, Billy Crystal, LL Cool J, and Queen Latifah. Singers, songwriters, and musicians alike all gather at this event annually with the hopes of having their work gain public recognition on one of the brightest stages that Hollywood has to offer.
This year’s show did celebrate one particular breakout star: Doechii. Following her surge in popularity throughout the last year, Doechii took home the award for Album of the Year (AOTY) with her widely-loved album, “Alligator Bites Never Heal.” According to Billboard, her project has reached the Top 10 for top r&b/hip-hop albums this year and has been extremely well-received by fans following her performances on shows like “The Late Night Show with Steohan Colbert” and “NPR’s Tiny Desk” series.
While surprising for some, others knew that Doechii’s time was bound to come long before Mr. Morale crowned her as the next champion of the rap game. Only two women before her have won this award; a female win in this genre was long overdue. To commemorate this massive achievement and call out everyone who downplayed her abilities, the 26-year-old artist dropped the track “Nosebleeds” the day after the ceremony and even quoted Kanye West’s iconic 2004 Grammy acceptance speech to put the icing on the cake.
Most notably, Kendrick Lamar was in attendance, and he did not leave empty-handed. The 22-time Grammy winner added five more to his collection by the end of the event. Despite his vicious lyrical battle with Drake during their short-lived beef, his victory was indisputable amongst TDE and OVO fans alike.
Even while the rap game seemed to be getting its props this year, one of the most exciting winners of this year was the 26-year-old pop artist, Chappell Roan. Her femme-queer-positive pop has captured the attention of fans everywhere, with Roan getting the chance to open for Olivia Rodrigo on the critically acclaimed GUTS tour in 2024. The midwestern princess proved to be on par with some of the best new acts in the genre, even beating out the “Espresso” queen herself, Sabrina Carpenter, to take home the award for best new artist.
However, even with the amazing atmosphere that this year’s show possessed, the Grammys still have a long way to go. The show’s viewership took a stark decline of 9% since last year’s show, which brought in the biggest audience for them since 2020. On top of that, the shroud of backlash that the award ceremony has built up since the 2010s has ceased to fade.
The Recording Academy, a music organization that recognizes and celebrates music creators, is responsible for creating the Grammys and has not been let off the hook so easily. The lack of diversity amongst their membership thrown in with the exclusion of black artists from pop categories has caused quite a bit of controversy over the last couple of decades. A hip-hop/rap album has not won AOTY in over 20 years. These biases have even pushed large artists like The Weeknd to no longer submit their work to The Academy for consideration after his 2019 hit single, Blinding Lights, was overlooked by the organization.
There were mixed reactions by fandoms in response to this years award winners. One debate surrounded Beyoncé taking home AOTY for her country-debut album, “Cowboy Carter,” which was a first-time occurrence for the artist. This was her first time taking home the award.
However, young fans everywhere were in shock over Billie Eilish’s AOTY loss being that she was not only the second-most streamed pop artist in 2024, right behind Taylor Swift, but for the critical acclaim over her third studio album “ HIT ME HARD AND SOFT.” There has not once been a year since 2019 where Billie hasn’t dominated the charts and last year was no different. That being said, Beyoncé is still one of the most iconic women in the history of pop and her first steps into the world of country music were nothing short of bold and innovative.
So, the following question remains: Do the Grammys still suck, and what would we have done if Doechii didn’t win? I guess we’ll never know.