It comes as no surprise that the Grammys have once again snubbed some of the year's most prominent talents.
The rap categories are completely lacking in women nominees, despite Megan Thee Stallion, Young M.A., Tierra Whack and Missy Elliot achieving some of 2019's biggest successes in the genre. Meanwhile, Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, Solange, Bruce Springsteen, and Tyler, The Creator were all overlooked for Artist of the Year consideration (though the latter is nominated for Best Rap Album), and Ari Lennox, Summer Walker, DaBaby (who allegedly wasn't considered because he has previously released "mixtapes"), and Lauv were among a of the few rising talents disregarded for "Best New Artist." Goldlink—who has been nominated for Grammy's in the past but whose brilliantly amalgamative Diaspora album wasn't considered for any award this year—sounded off on Instagram. "The lack of relevance you have just solidifed [sic] today is unbelievable," he wrote. "I've just gotten to a point after three years of being silent on this topic, that my value is much beyond what closed door establishments have been giving us."
While The Academy's disrespect this year feels particularly brash, we can take comfort in the fact that award shows are increasingly meaningless, white-washed, and more out of touch with culture as time has gone on. Let's dive back into (some of) the Grammy's biggest f*ck ups from over the years and find some cynical comfort in the the Grammy's mediocrity, since they shouldn't be regarded as any determinant of popular culture.
For some millennials, Maroon 5's "Best New Artist" win over Kanye West in 2005 was one of the first times we felt a need to destroy the patriarchy. While no one could have predicted that Maroon 5 would dissolve into a "karaoke version of themselves," the disregard for Kanye West at (what many called) his breakout moment would forever breed resentment in our little hearts. At least we got this laughably awkward interview out of the whole thing.
The following year, Kanye West was once again dismissed for Album of the Year in favor of the lukewarm, watery alt-rock of U2. To clarify, How to Dismantle An Atomic Bomb was a perfectly fine album, but it fails to hold up in comparison to the cultural significance of Kanye West's Late Registration. Bono was a nice guy about it and made sure to recognize Kanye's brilliance as he accepted his fifth Grammy of the evening, but as South Park would later perfectly describe, Bono's never ending victory laps in seemingly every medium grow quite tiresome. Couldn't you just let Kanye have this one?
MUMFORD & SONS WIN ALBUM OF THE YEAR GRAMMY, SAYS AWARDS DON'T REALLY MATTER
The Pop-Folk wave of the 2010s was at its peak in 2013, and Mumford & Sons had fully accepted their roles as the sub-genre's torch bearers. But at its core, 2013s Babel had a very specific and one-sided contribution to music. The band has since dissolved into tepid carbon copies of themselves, while Frank Ocean has become one of the most culture-defining artists of our time. Channel Orange was the start of that journey, and it remains a torchbearer in its own right, regardless of what the Grammys believed.
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2013: Fun Over Frank Ocean
Are you sensing a trend yet? What Vulture described as "whiter than a powdered donut," pop-trio Fun's sophomore album Some Nights was the most vanilla release of the year, and the band would announce an indefinite hiatus a short time later. Frank Ocean, meanwhile, would never be eligible to be nominated for "Best New Artist" again.
The 2014 Grammys were some of the most agonizing in recent memory. Kendrick Lamar's debut Good Kid, M.A.A.D City had captivated a nation and served as an evolutionary pillar in music history. As Kendrick ruminated on his personal struggles with identity, violence, life and death, Daft Punk reunited and cranked out an album of easy-listening pop. Random Access Memories is a fine album, but it would go on to be known as "that album with 'Get Lucky' on it," while every track on Good Kid would be thrust into the upper echelon of Hip-Hop fame and redefine the genre.
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2014: Macklemore Over Kendrick Lamar
Macklemore
The snub heard round the world. Kendrick Lamar was all but guaranteed the award for "Best New Artist" in 2014, but when Macklemore was instead handed the award, everyone, including the emcee himself, called bulls*it on that one. In the following weeks, Macklemore would make the situation worse by sending what is now the notorious apology text to Kendrick and share it on Instagram. Fans were quick to recognize the self-serving nature of it all. Macklemore wanted us to know he was sorry, of course not sorry enough to do anything substantial like gift Kendrick the award or call out The Academy itself, but sorry enough to send a text reminding him he lost. The moment would leave Kendrick's career unaffected, while Macklemore's would soon crumble.
Beyonce's self-titled album changed the way the music industry thought about artist promotion. Album release dates would become a thing of the past as a result of her groundbreaking work, but Beck's album was good, too. So, is that why Morning Phase overtook Beyonce for AOTY? The world will never know. Kanye West had the right idea in protesting this time around.
No, seriously, are you seeing a trend here? Anyways, 1989 was a fine album; some may argue it was Taylor Swift's best. It dominated the charts for months on end and had a relentless presence on both radio and in pop culture. But To Pimp a Butterfly served a higher purpose. It was more than a commercial titan; it was a socio-political call for unity, and while it may not possess the physical accolades that 1989 does, it's as perfect as a work of art can be. The loss served as salt in an already open wound, as Kendrick's political anthem "Alright" had already lost out to Ed Sheeran's "Thinking Out Loud" earlier that evening.
Adele Wins Album Of The Year | Acceptance Speech | 59th GRAMMYs
In one of the most divisive wins in Grammy history, many believed Adele's 25 to be a worthy recipient of "Album of the Year" in 2017, but the Bey Hive was furious that Lemonade wasn't given its due, and even Adele knew that the award was not hers to receive. In conclusion, the Grammys are racist.
