Doechii becoming the third woman ever to win Best Rap Album? Beyoncé finally winning Album of the Year? Chappell Roan calling out record labels and speaking about health insurance at length? Lady Gaga kinda doing blasphemy again? I prayed for times like this.
On Sunday, the 67th annual Grammy Awards were held at Los Angeles’ Crypto.com (bleak!) Arena. It didn’t take long for critics to laud the ceremony’s “wild versatility” as the 225-minute program paid tribute to (and fundraised for) the Angelenos who’ve lost everything in the wildfires, packed in a host of ambitious performances, and, most importantly, didn’t play one single of the winners off the stage with a poorly-timed music cue.
Dare I say that for the first time in many years, it wasn’t a total pain to remain awake until midnight for the final award of the show, “Album of the Year.” And for fans of the girlies, it felt like a much-needed party at a time when our current administration is showing every day that they are decidedly not fans of the girlies.
Beyoncé went and made history (once again), winning three awards including Album of the Year, bringing her total number of trophies to 35. Doechii put on a show-stopping performance, became the third woman to ever take home the gold in the Best Rap Album category, and delivered a rousing acceptance speech dedicated to the Black women and girls watching: “Don’t allow anybody to project any stereotypes on you that tell you that you can’t be here, that you’re too dark or that you’re not smart enough or that you’re too dramatic or you’re too loud. You are exactly who you need to be, to be right where you are and I’m a testimony.”
In the pop category, Lady Gaga added to her collection of Grammys, winning for “Die With A Smile” in the Best Pop Duo/Group Performance. Not only did Mother Monster drop a whole new music video for her forthcoming single, “Abracadabra,” and a new Nurtec advertisement, she also received a standing ovation after she paid tribute to queer and trans fans in her acceptance speech: “I just want to say tonight that trans people are not invisible,” Gaga said. “Trans people deserve love. The queer community deserves to be lifted up.” All that and she’s singlehandedly getting Bruno Mars out of debt. Women really can do everything.
gaga is always at her best when she’s vaguely catholic
In another highlight from the night, Gaga’s successor, Chappell Roan, won her first Grammy for Best New Artist and had some words of her own for record labels.
“I told myself if I ever won a Grammy and I got to stand up here in front of the most powerful people in music, I would demand that labels and the industry profiting millions of dollars off of artists would offer a livable wage and health care, especially to developing artists,” Roan read from her journal. “Because I got signed so young, I got signed as a minor. When I got dropped, I had zero job experience under my belt, and like most people, I had a difficult time finding a job in the pandemic and could not afford health insurance.”
“It was so devastating to feel so committed to my art and feel so betrayed by the system,” she continued. “If my label would have prioritized artists’ health, I could have been provided care by a company I was giving everything to.”
chappell roan is why it’s important we have talent who arent nepo babies – bc you know a famous director’s daughter isnt gonna get up there and talk about health insurance!!!
Finally: “Labels, we got you, but do you got us?” You know what? Hell yeah.
Meanwhile, other big winners like Charli XCX brought out Gabriette, Alex Consani, and Julia Fox and made it rain underwear, and Sabrina Carpenter resurrected physical comedy, and Kendrick Lamar (who is obviously not a girl but is the most important practitioner of the kind of pettiness I hope all girls are studying) permanently ended the plague that is Drake, I think.
Oh, and Taylor Swift didn’t announce another album.
I prayed for times like this.
Fresh off her Grammy wins, Beyoncé announced her Cowboy Carter tour stops which are all just major cities…when I’m sure a number of her fans have yet to pay off their credit card debt from attending the Renaissance tour. Yay! [People]
Speaking of: Billy Ray Cyrus congratulated Miley on her win for “II Most Wanted” in the best country duo/group performance category via Instagram. Talking to your child via social media? Conservative dadcore. [Daily Mail]
Did Kanye West get kicked off the red carpet? Or did he leave all on his own? Does anyone actually give a shit??? [TMZ]
Kind of obsessed with the fact that Bradley Cooper keeps winning Grammys but still hasn’t taken home an Oscar. [The Hollywood Reporter]
Of course, Khloe Kardashian is weighing in on the AP reporters who snubbed Babyface…[Page Six]
Lorne Michaels on whether Saturday Night Live has ever banned an artist from performing: “We’ve never banned anyone. We’re way too crass and opportunistic. If something’s hot, we’re going to go for it and have it on.” [Just Jared]
