Two Sunday nights ago was the 67th Grammys, and after switching between three channels to find the actual live show, I’ve got mixed feelings. Several of these artists had a serious impact on my generation’s culture within the past year, and I think I ought to tell you what I think was a bop or a flop based on that.
Bop: Chappell Roan won best new artist
Between Chappell Roan and Sabrina Carpenter, I would’ve been happy with the winner either way, as I listen to both but also have had experience arguing with people on the internet about the two pop-stars and who deserved the win. Roan, however, gave us “HOT TO GO,” “Pink Pony Club,” “Casual” and “Good Luck, Babe!” giving her a clear advantage in my eyes for a quantity of more popular hits than Carpenter. However I’m still glad Carpenter won in her own ranks of Best Pop Solo Performance and Best Pop Vocal Album.
With Roan’s biggest hit “HOT TO GO,” so many of my coworkers would break out into that song. It’s catchy, I’ve seen it all over my socials, and you can’t not spell out the letters with your hands.
Not to mention, her speech and performance at the Grammys both caught my attention. Her speech called upon the music industry to offer artists a more liveable wage, which I applaud having known plenty of people in the music industry. The second, her performance got a range of critiques on TikTok about it being “too woke to watch.” Personally, I thought it was AWESOME!
Roan’s vocal range combined with her wardrobe are an unstoppable force. Not only has she inspired safe spaces and raised countless amounts of money for various causes, but she also looks wonderful doing it and is a true icon of our time.
Flop: Benson Boone did a lot but it wasn’t actually interesting
Benson Boone is most popular from viral reels with his song “Beautiful Things,” as the backtrack for transition trends. However, he came to the Grammys, brought insane energy, flipped around on stage, and went home with nothing.
What’s worse? Everyone on the internet immediately started judging him for his outfit choice. The actual performance felt like too much, and I think he overdid it. If that isn’t a flop, I don’t know what is.
Though I credit his ability to flip, it seems besides his outfit and viral “wardrobe adjustment,” that’s all I really got out of it, as did the internet.
Bop: Kendrick Lamar won a lot but it was more about the Drake memes
Kendrick Lamar won five awards for his most popular single of the year “Not Like Us.” When he walked on stage, everyone was singing the song. This is important to mention because several memes have circled around about Drake’s reaction to these moments, as the song was written as a diss on him. The crowd sang along to the lyrics “tryna strike a chord/and it’s probably A minor.”
Once Lamar arrived at the microphone, he said, “Hey Drake,” which also has caused an INTENSE stir of meme-culture. I personally applaud him for his winnings, and the way he called out several popular figures within the industry for predatory behavior. We don’t need those types of people in any industry.
I will also add, Lamar picked up his Grammy awards one Sunday, then one week later, he performed at the Super Bowl half-time show, which was in and of itself filled with symbolism and is already being sweated on socials.Talk about covering all his bases!
Flop: Taylor Swift won nothing Swifties should beware
Unlike Kendrick Lamar, Taylor Swift had the complete opposite luck. Losing in all six categories she was nominated for, and then worse, her boyfriend Travis Kelce’s team losing at the Super Bowl. Meanwhile, fans are fan-girling over pictures of her and Sabrina Carpenter at an after party.
If I’m being honest, though her dress was beautiful, I’m glad she didn’t win anything for her recent album THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT. With her song “So High School,” this past year got an insane amount of internet coverage, mainly for its lyrics “You know how to ball, I know Aristotle/Brand new, full-throttle/Touch me while your bros play Grand Theft Auto” I fear it was a horrible downgrade from the usual swift-ness she’s had. I mean, that last lyric? What is that? Yuck! And with the lyrics about Charlie Puth to the 1830s, I worry for her songwriters I mean yikes.
If I was a Swiftie, I’d also fear her next album would be about losing a ball game, given her track record of writing songs about her boyfriends. No thanks, I’ll stick to my Carpenter and her Dutch Brothers Expressos instead of that album.
So, overall the Grammys had ups and downs, new fashion quirks emerged (as they tend to do at any-place with celebrities and a carpet), and the performances were either 100% giving or were just … .weirdly missing pizazz. A bravo to those who won, and a “Well, there’s always next year!” to those who didn’t!
