The 65th Annual Grammy Awards was full of shocks and surprises for not only viewers, but also the audience present at the awards. There were some questionable and offensive jokes, but also some heartwarming speeches. Not to mention, Beyonce made her influence even more powerful by earning the title of most Grammys won, with 32 total wins.
I watched most of the show, and I was blown away by the winners in multiple instances. These are my top three shocks at the 2023 Grammys.
1.Bonnie Raitt winning song of the year.
Let’s just say, before watching the Grammys, I had no idea who Bonnie Raitt was, and I had never heard her winning song, “Just Like That.” Her reaction to winning was very genuine and sweet, but in a category with Harry Styles, Taylor Swift, Lizzo, and Beyonce, I was not expecting to hear her name called. In my opinion, “All Too Well- 10 minute version,” by Taylor Swift, was the song of the year. Not just because I am a Swifite, but also because it is hard to make a 10 minute song and people can actually listen to all the way through. It also takes some serious skill to be able to make a person feel every emotion possible with just one song. Although I think it is a major accomplishment for Raitt to beat that many incredible artists, I felt like there were better songs in that category. (Not to mention, Swift has been nominated for song of the year over five times, and has never won.)
2. Trevor Noah shoots some questionable jokes at Harry Styles.
It is common knowledge that the Harry Styles fanbase is very passionate. However, Grammy host Trevor Noah hit Styles with a joke that threw him off balance for the rest of the night. In an article from Variety, Noah said, “Women throw their panties at this man and then he puts them on and looks better in them then they do. He’s the sex symbol of the globe especially now that they have killed off the green M&M.” Styles has spoken out before about how uncomfortable it makes him to be oversexualized, so there’s no doubt that this public joke made him uneasy. He then went on to perform his popular song, “As it Was,” and the performance was not his best. As an artist that is known for being full of energy on stage, this was unusual for Styles. However, you can’t blame him. Anyone would have a rough performance if they were publicly embarrassed.
3. Beyonce losing album of the year.
Although Beyonce brought home three Grammys this year, she was snubbed from the album of the year award. Her latest album, Renaissance, was a tribute to black music and culture, and embodied everything that makes her music special. Each song on the album was unique and catchy, and she definitely did amazing things with this album. This year, she lost to Harry Styles alum, Harry’s House, which was questionable from the Grammys. Although Harry’s House was good, Renaissance was great. Her album showed that Beyonce can do things that not many other artists can. She has been nominated for album of the year a couple times, and has lost every time. I believe that she deserved it, and so did her husband Jay-Z. According to a CNN interview, he said, “Even with Bey, I feel like they missed the moment.” He also shared, “Look what it’s done to the culture. Look how the energy of the world moved.”
https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/07/entertainment/beyonc-jay-z-tidal-interview/index.html