On Feb. 2, the Grammy Awards took place at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, presented by the Recording Academy of the United States. The Grammy’s is held to recognize outstanding achievements in the music industry. Previously, I wrote an article sharing my predictions of the winners; now, I will follow up on my original opinions.
Music released between Sept. 16, 2023, and Aug. 30, 2024, was eligible for submission to the 2025 Grammy Awards. Registered media companies and Recording Academy members then make submissions for Grammy consideration through the online entry process. According to the Recording Academy, they can receive more than 20,000 eligible entries during a Grammy season. There are then two rounds of voting by the Recording Academy voting members. They first determine the nominees for the specific Grammy Award categories and then determine the ultimate Grammy winners.
On Nov. 8 2024, the full list of nominations for the 67th annual Grammy Awards was announced. Originally, I exclaimed that Chappell Roan’s “Good Luck, Babe!” was most deserving of the coveted Song of the Year category. This is because of the cutting lyrics, her crystal-clear voice, her driving drum beat, and her catchy tunes.
Roan ended up receiving six Grammy nominations: Album of the Year, Song of the Year, Record of the Year, Best Pop Solo Performance, Best Pop Vocal Album and Best New Artist. While I was surprised that Roan did not receive the award for most of these categories, she walked away winning Best New Artist. To win the category, Roan beat Sabrina Carpenter, Benson Boone, Shaboozey and Doechii.
The song that ended up winning Song of the Year, and additionally Record of the Year, was Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us.” Song of the Year is an award for the integrity of the songwriting and composition of a song. Record of the Year is an award for the integrity of the production and creation of the recording. “Not Like Us” shows off Lamar’s lyrical prowess in an upbeat, catchy, and humorous way. However, I didn’t realistically think it would win Song of the Year. Oh, how wrong was I?
I’m glad that Lamar got an award, and I think “Not Like Us” was a social phenomenon for this year. However, I don’t find it fair that this work awards him five wins this year. His more notable works, such as “To Pimp a Butterfly” and “Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City” didn’t receive awards in the years they were released.
Additionally, another well-deserved win goes to Doechii for Best Rap Album for “Alligator Bites Never Heal.” This makes her the third woman in Grammys history to win the category since its introduction in 1989, following Lauryn Hill and Cardi B. During her acceptance speech, Doechii fought back tears, calling out to other Black women and girls, “You can do it. Anything is possible.”
The Grammys kept music lovers and critics alike on their toes with a surprise performance from The Weeknd, Lamar’s sweep, performances by Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan, Doechii’s historic win, Cowboy Carter winning Album of the Year, and Taylor Swift and Billie Eilish coming home empty-handed.