The best artists came together at music’s biggest night on Sunday, Feb. 2: the 67th annual Grammy Awards. This year’s Grammy Awards show, hosted by Trevor Noah for the fifth consecutive year, was a big night for our favorite artists, full of lively performances, much anticipated awards and talented nominees.
Following the disastrous fires that have devastated the Los Angeles area over the last few weeks, the Grammys carried a heavier but renewed purpose this year. The evening’s award became a scene of community resilience amid the spectacle: the Grammys dedicated commercial time to Los Angeles-based businesses, prompted viewers to donate to relief efforts and paid tribute to the Los Angeles area in other ways throughout the evening.
The 67th Grammys were a big night for Beyoncé. Her album “Cowboy Carter” dominated, winning Best Country Album and Album of the Year — the latter perhaps the Grammys most anticipated honor. With the win for Best Country Album, Beyoncé became the first black woman to take home the win in the category. In a meaningful act of tribute, her Grammy for album of the year was presented by Los Angeles firefighters.
Kendrick Lamar took home the most Grammys this year, with five total awards for Record of the Year, Best Rap Performance, Best Rap Song, Best Music Video and Song of the Year for his track “Not Like Us.” The rap song went viral for its potency as a diss track that doubles down on Canadian rapper, Drake, amid the two artists’ public feud.
Many eyes were turned toward Taylor Swift and Sabrina Carpenter, everyone’s favorite “pop princesses.” Carpenter took home Best Pop Vocal Album for “Short n’ Sweet” and Best Pop Solo Performance for her hit “Espresso.” To the disappointment of many fans, however, Swift was shut out in her respective categories against many talented nominees.
Part of the Grammys’ spectacular appeal for viewers around the world is always its live performances. Artists that hit the Grammy stage included Billie Eilish, Chappell Roan, Charli xcx, Sabrina Carpenter, Shakira, John Legend, Sheryl Crow, Cynthia Erivo, The Weeknd, Stevie Wonder and Chris Martin of Coldplay during the award show’s “In Memoriam” tribute. Erivo and Wonder performed a powerful tribute to the late producer Quincy Jones.
“The final performance at the Grammys, right before the announcement of album of the year, is a thankless slot,” Jon Caramanica wrote in a review for the New York Times. “But Charli xcx, who won three Grammys in genre categories Sunday night, used it to bring some after-hours sweat and raunch to a show that had largely been reverent and dignified. It was a brat ending (and presumably, the ending of ‘Brat’).”
Sabrina Carpenter’s performance displayed her signature style, drawing from the old Hollywood aesthetic, and Chappell Roan dazzled the stage with a gigantic pony prop. Eilish’s performance paid tribute to Los Angeles, her hometown.
Roan took home the Grammy for Best New Artist due to the recent surge in popularity of her 2023 album, “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess.” Fans of the artist, including Colgate junior Daytona Doherty, relished in Chappell Roan’s recognition.
“I saw Chappell Roan got Best New Artist, and I think it’s cool that the music industry is being receptive to a queer artist,” Doherty said. “She takes a lot of inspiration from drag, so it’s fascinating to see the emergence of queer-based art forms. I think she has terrific music and performance style.”
Roan’s acceptance speech was also a highlight of the Grammy’s for many. Roan used the moment to call out record labels. Reading from a diary, she celebrated her win while continuing her track record of being outspoken in defense of artists.
“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 said. “Labels, we got you, but do you got us?”
Along with bringing together music lovers, this year’s Grammys carried the responsibility of honoring the bravery of first responders and uplifting the Los Angeles community, which many musical artists call home. The Grammys made a point to remind us of music’s power to uplift, unite and inspire in times of crisis such as these. A QR code displayed during the Grammys prompted viewers to donate, which Trevor Noah announced had raised at least $7 million during the broadcast. Information on relief efforts, among the highlights of the evening, is available on the Recording Academy’s website.
