On February 2, 2025, a multitude of singers, rappers, producers, composers, and a host of other musical greats of all genres gathered at Crypto.com arena in LA to commemorate the music of 2024 with nominations, awards, and performances from the industry’s best.
Among the winners were Chappell Roan for Best New Artist, Sabrina Carpenter’s “Espresso” for Best Solo Pop Performance and Short n’ Sweet for Best Pop Vocal Album, Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter for Album of the Year, and Charli XCX’s Brat for Best Dance/Electronic Album.
The award show night was full of highlights in both awards and performances. Sporting an eccentric blue jumpsuit, Best New Artist nominee Benson Boone gave an electric performance of his hit song “Beautiful Things”. Best pop vocal performance winner Sabrina Carpenter performed two songs from her Short n’ Sweet album, “Espresso” and “Please Please Please.”
A win that surprised no one was Chappell Roan for Best New Artist after her meteoric rise to the top of the charts with the popularization of her album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwestern Princess. The Missourian singer-songwriter used her acceptance speech to address healthcare for music artists, urging them to “offer a livable wage and healthcare to artists.”
Speaking from experience, she shared how her previous record label, Atlantic Records, dropped her, leaving her with no medical care. In her fiery speech, she called out such record labels:
“If my label would have prioritized artists’ health, I could have been provided care by a company I was giving everything to,” she said. “Record labels need to treat their artists as valuable employees with a livable wage and health insurance and protection.”
The biggest winner of the night by a number of awards was rapper Kendrick Lamar, who won five Grammys for his infamous Drake-diss track, “Not Like Us.” Winning Best Rap Performance, Song of the Year, Track of the Year, Best Music Video and Best Rap Song of the Year was a high point for the Compton native, whose new album GNX was just released and had just performed at the Superbowl LIX Half-Time Show.
However, a devastating low point for many viewers was that the night lacked recognition for Billie Eilish’s beloved album Hit Me Hard and Soft, which walked away with no Grammys at all. Stunned, Billie fans were quick to defend the artists, assuring that this album was no less deserving than her previous albums.
“Billie was robbed. She had one of the greatest albums of all time and she received nothing,” complained Kristen Schmid, a sophomore.
Even those who weren’t fans of Billie Eilish acknowledged that she deserved way more than she was given that night.
“I don’t listen to Billie, but I still think she should have won,” remarked freshman Sarah Lav.
Some had choice words about the Album of the Year winner, Beyoncé, and her country album, Cowboy Carter. The fact that a pop singer won with a country album, while Billie lost with a critically acclaimed pop album upset many.
“Billie should have won album of the year, why did Beyoncé win two? Billie Eilish’s album Hit Me Hard And Soft has 300 million more streams than Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter does in total,” complained senior Nina Zifchak.
However, some students were less critical of Beyoncé and acknowledged her longevity in the industry as a factor in her victory.
“I think Album of the Year was a tough choice, and even though Cowboy Carter wasn’t the most popular, I think it was the best musicality-wise, that and Billie’s album Hit Me Hard And Soft, but I think Beyoncé has been waiting for that album of the year grammy since Renaissance and Lemonade,” commented senior Sam Mazariego.
Another artist who surprisingly won no awards was Taylor Swift, to the disappointment of many but the elation of some.
“I genuinely think Taylor Swift deserved to lose,” remarked senior Patrick Kelly. “I wouldn’t say it was even top five albums this year. I wasn’t even a huge fan of Cowboy Carter, but I just really did not like The Tortured Poets Department. I was just happy as long as Taylor Swift didn’t win. I’m not even hating on her, it just wasn’t a good album from her.”
Whether you loved the losers, hated the winners, or didn’t care at all, the Grammys are undeniably a huge night for the music industry. Every year, viewers tune in, clinging to the hope that their favorite artists will someday receive the recognition and gilded gramophone that they deserve.