By Grace Hogsten
Copy Editor
Every year, the Grammys take social media by storm, filling everyone’s feeds with clips of its iconic performances and news about who won which awards. With over 90 categories, the awards show seems to create a never-ending list of wins and nominations.
Over the course of the night, Taylor Swift’s tenth studio album, “Midnights,” received two awards: Best Pop Vocal Album and Album of the Year.
During her acceptance speech for the former award, Swift announced her next project: her eleventh studio album “The Tortured Poets Department.”
“I want to say thank you to the fans by telling you a secret that I’ve been keeping from you for the past two years, which is that my brand-new album comes out April 19,” Swift said.
The latter award is a historic win; Swift is the first artist ever to win Album of the Year four times.
To many critics and casual viewers alike, naming “Midnights” Album of the Year seems to be a lazy choice — a decision to praise the artist rather than the album. Even some self-proclaimed Swifties criticized the win.
“Anyone who knows me would call me a Swiftie. I loved Midnights. So, so much. It shouldn’t have won Album of the Year. There were so many other amazing albums in that selection, ones which were more deserving of that title,” Twitter user @inmordien said.
Olivia Rodrigo’s sophomore album “GUTS” was also nominated for Album of the Year, but despite her success at the 2022 Grammy Awards, she left this year’s ceremony empty-handed.
Nevertheless, viewers still enjoyed a performance from Rodrigo during the show. She sang her single “vampire” while fake blood ran down her face and the backdrop behind her.
Miley Cyrus performed her hit single “Flowers” and won her first two Grammy Awards for the track: Record of the Year and Best Pop Solo Performance.
While performing “Flowers,” Cyrus said, “Why are you acting like you don’t know this song?” This humorous moment garnered audience interaction and viral attention for Cyrus and her song.
However, not all Grammy winners are here to stay.
Supergroup boygenius — composed of artists Lucy Dacus, Phoebe Bridgers, and Julien Baker — took home their first three Grammys, winning Best Rock Performance and Best Rock Song for “Not Strong Enough” and Best Alternative Music Album for “The Record.”
Unfortunately for their fans, the group recently announced their hiatus, according to Billboard. While the singers achieved great success together and still have a close relationship, the project seems to have run its course for the time being.
Another performer, SZA, won Best Progressive R&B Album for “SOS,” Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for “Ghost in the Machine” with Phoebe Bridgers, and a songwriting credit on Best R&B Song “Snooze.”
SZA’s long-awaited sophomore album “SOS” wowed audiences by showing “the breadth of SZA’s enormous talent,” according to Time.
The singer performed the massively popular “Kill Bill,” which may not have won any of its three nominations, but garnered plenty of attention throughout the year, even rising to No. 3 on the top 100, according to Billboard.
One of the night’s most notable performances was Tracy Chapman and Luke Combs’ rendition of Chapman’s 1988 song “Fast Car,” which won Best Female Pop Vocal Performance when Chapman originally released it.
Combs was up for Best Country Solo Performance for his cover of the song, and he invited Chapman to sing it with him. After only six hours of rehearsal, according to Entertainment Weekly, the two delivered a duet that enamored viewers and encouraged them to re-listen to both versions of the song.
The collaborative performance garnered lots of attention — and for good reason. Chapman lives a private life, and does not let just anyone use her music, according to Entertainment Weekly. Combs professes a lifelong love for Chapman’s music and a great regard for her artistry.
“Tracy, I want to send my sincerest thanks to you for allowing me to be a part of your moment…We were all in awe of you up there and I was just the guy lucky enough to have the best seat in the house,” Combs said in an Instagram post.
The category of Grammy winners can seem insular, but the Best New Artist award offers a fresh face and highlights a highly talented, up-and-coming performer.
At age 34, Victoria Monét won her first three Grammys: Best New Artist, Best Non-Classical Engineered Album, and Best R&B Album.
According to CNBC, “Monét had been working behind the scenes for more than a decade, writing hits for other performers while record labels and executives declined to put her in the spotlight.”
Monét’s success may be new, but her hard work and talent are not. After making such a splash with her debut, the singer has plenty of people loving her work and waiting to see what she will release next.
From its celebration of well-known artists to its acknowledgement of new performers, this awards show is an event to watch. The Grammys remain a symbol of musical success and popularity that cannot be ignored, and the ceremony gives us a snapshot of this year’s progress in music.
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
Photo Caption: Tracy Chapman returned to the stage for the first time in years to perform a duet of her song “Fast Car” with country singer Luke Combs.