Let me make this super-duper uber-clear: It doesn’t matter that Beyoncé misplaced the album of the 12 months Grammy in 2023, in addition to in 2017, 2015 and 2010.
In fact Renaissance was the perfect album of the final 12 months and most critics deemed it such. However relating to the Grammys, and nearly all of its voters, artists like Beyoncé gained’t ever win and that’s high-quality.
As a result of on the finish of the day Beyoncé is Beyoncé — a famous person singer and dancer who has developed with every album she has launched. She has achieved the unthinkable. She has defeated the chances. She has damaged the Web. She has rewritten historical past. She has modified the sport.
The explanation albums come out on Fridays as an alternative of Tuesdays? Beyoncé did that. Artists deciding to shock drop music and never pre-announce releases? Beyoncé once more. She’s one of the crucial spectacular visible artists however was nonetheless in a position to launch a groundbreaking and daring album with out accompanying music movies or movies.
I knew Queen Bey had no probability of profitable album of the 12 months for Renaissance — after years of protecting the Grammy Awards and predicting winners, it was clear she was going to lose. The voters don’t respect the type of artwork Beyoncé presents. As an alternative, they’re embarrassingly conventional — you’ll get golden factors for strumming a guitar or banging on the drums, however for the epic runs Beyoncé sings on “Plastic Off the Couch”? Nothing. For the artful lyricism on “Heated”? Nothing. For the complexities and intricacies of “Church Woman,” a tune you’ll be able to shake your ass to and reward the Lord above, on the identical time — not a rattling factor.
That’s simply it — individuals like Beyoncé and all of hip-hop, primarily Black and Brown people — don’t get technical factors relating to Grammy votes. The voters don’t perceive the lyrical element. They don’t perceive the cadences. They miss the epic metaphors. They discover the creative beats noisy and disruptive and assume the profound singing is loud and obnoxious.
And right here’s the factor — they in all probability by no means will perceive the music.
It’s why you’ll see Bruno Mars — an especially gifted singer, songwriter, producer, guitarist and drummer — be the closest factor to a R&B star win album, tune and file of the 12 months in the identical 12 months. It’s why Beck, a performer, multi-instrumentalist, engineer and producer, will succeed over Beyoncé. It’s why U2 will prevail over Kanye West and Mariah Carey’s still-fire comeback album The Emancipation of Mimi. It’s why Arcade Hearth will beat out Eminem, and Robert Plant and Alison Krauss will get extra votes than Lil Wayne. It’s why Unhealthy Bunny may actually dominate your entire world and be decreased to 3 Grammy nominations, solely to win a single award in a Latin music class.
The Grammys have made some modifications to its voting physique — even requiring older voters to indicate they’ve latest credit in music to maintain their membership. They’ve added 2,000 new members final 12 months however that doesn’t imply a factor when 11,000 individuals have a say. Modifications had been made, however a serious overhaul is critical to right the voting tradition of the awards present.
Possibly that can occur. It in all probability gained’t. And we don’t care — as a result of profitable a Grammy is cute, nevertheless it’s not for the tradition.
