The 60th Annual Grammy Awards: Who Won vs. Who Should've Won
The Grammys are not a measure of which album, song or artist is "the best". Nor should they be. Music is a very subjective experience and it is impossible to say definitively who or what is "the best" in a certain category. That's where the Grammys are often controversial - they tend to give the award to the safest, most inoffensive and/or the most commercially successful nominee, and that can cause some ire among the fans of the underdogs (who often have some of the most dedicated fanbases). It can be frustrating when you feel like your favourite artist is being overlooked by what is commonly seen as the highest accolade in music, but it makes sense. They understand that they can never please everybody, but they try anyway.
That said, that doesn't mean I don't have an opinion on who should've won. I feel like every year there is at least one big misstep that causes a lot of discussion and this year there were a couple. Generally speaking, I genuinely believe that everybody was a worthy winner. There is just somebody that I personally think had a project that I thought had a better reason for winning in that category.
I won't be talking about every category - if I don't talk about a category, I either agree with the verdict, don't have too much to say about it or I do not know enough about the nominees to have a fully formed opinion. Also, I'm going to keep any discussion of nomination "snubs" to a minimum. I can think of somebody who was not nominated that I believe should've been for almost every category (including the ones I haven't written about here). I was going to write a blog post about the worthy artists that should have been nominated, but then I considered the nature of the Grammys; while talent is definitely a factor, the Grammys generally celebrate popularity. Artists can be extremely talented, but if their music hasn't reached a wide enough audience and/or received enough critical attention then they will not be considered by the Recording Academy.
Album of the Year
Who Won: 24K Magic, Bruno Mars
Who Should've Won: DAMN., Kendrick Lamar
First things first: was it a deliberate move to have none of the nominees be a white male? Yes. Look at Ed Sheeran - an uncontroversial singer/songwriter with record breaking sales and universal critical acclaim would ordinarily be a no-brainer for an Album of the Year nomination, and yet he was not nominated. Do I think this is a bad thing? No. Minorities have been being snubbed at the Grammys since their inception. This was the year that the Recording Academy showed, through their nominations (although not necessarily through their winners), that they are listening. Next year, I'm sure there will be a white male or two in this category as long as they deserving of it.
24K Magic was a good album. Not as good as Unorthodox Jukebox in my opinion, but still a very good album. Bruno Mars is very talented and he definitely deserved to be nominated. In fact, every nominee firmly earned his or her place there - 4:44 was one of Jay Z's better offerings for a while, Lorde once again demonstrated that she is one of the most talented pop musicians of her generation with Melodrama and Awaken, My Love! was an incredibly gutsy move from an artist primarily known as a rapper that resulted in one of the best albums of 2016.
But the best album of those nominated is definitely DAMN.; This isn't my personal favourite Kendrick project, but it is definitely the most relatable to the most people. That isn't to say it's boring and/or cookie-cutter - he hasn't lost the social commentary (his performance - one of the best of the night - proved that) and he touches on a variety of topics and emotions in a variety of different rap styles. He has just found a way to make the subject matters more relatable to a mainstream audience. And that isn't "selling out" - the more people that your ideas can reach, the better. I enjoy any media that can be enjoyed both on a technical and a surface level and this project is one of those that ticks both boxes successfully and has songs for every setting - songs you will hear at a club, songs you can play around friends, songs you can listen to on your own with headphones. Also songs (like "HUMBLE." which rightfully won a couple of accolades) that work in every setting.
24K Magic is an enjoyable album, but Mars' win hardly breaks any new ground. In the year that the Grammy's tried to demonstrate how they are celebrating diversity, you would think that they would see the impact of awarding Album of the Year to a rapper. Rappers have always been overlooked by the Grammys - many rappers considered to be one of the greats never managed to win a Grammy, including Tupac and Biggie. Also, I may be wrong about this (I will correct this if I am) but while I know that R&B/hip hop artists have (infrequently) won Album of the Year before, I don't think it has ever gone to someone widely considered a rapper, the exception being Lauryn Hill in the late nineties, but even that was an R&B album as opposed to a rap album.
Record of the Year
Who Won: 24K Magic, Bruno Mars
Who Should've Won: Redbone, Childish Gambino
This was definitely the dark horse option and this could be controversial, so hear me out. I am a huge fan of Childish Gambino, so it took all of my self control to not just give him every award he was nominated for. But realistically, as much as I enjoyed Awaken, My Love!, it is a very experimental album and as emotive as it is, it is not always technically perfect. So I see why it didn't win in the Album categories. I also understand why "Redbone" didn't win in this category - this is another category where every nominee is deserving. I will talk more about "Despacito" and "The Story of O.J." later. For now, let's just talk about "Redbone".
I genuinely really like "24K Magic" and I am perfectly happy that it won in this category. However, the 'Record of the Year' award usually goes to a song that defined the year (the past two winners have been Adele's "Hello" and Mark Ronson's "Uptown Funk"). There are a couple of ways a record can define a year and if you look at statistics, "Despacito" is the frontrunner here. However, that song was not necessarily as universally loved among audience as the two previous years winners as "HUMBLE.", "24K Magic" or, of course, "Redbone". "Redbone" was loved by both audiences and critics, played frequently on the radio, featured in one of the biggest films of the year (Get Out) and of course, memed (which we can all agree is the highest honour in the age of the internet). But mostly, the reason I would've liked to see this win Record of the Year is because 2017 was a year where there was a lot of discussion around social issues such as gender and race, so the chorus ("Stay Woke!") fits perfectly both with this and with the Grammy's pro-diversity theme this year.
Song of the Year
Who Won: That's What I Like, Bruno Mars
Who Should've Won: 1-800-273-8255, Logic feat. Alessia Cara & Khalid
"That's What I Like" is another good and inoffensive song. However, when I think about music in 2017 this is hardly one of the songs that jump out to me. If I was to think of my favourite or most memorable songs of the year, this song wouldn't be in my top 10. "4:44" is a worthy enough winner but while the album sold very well, it's titular single did not have enough mainstream success to be a likely candidate. This is another category that "Despacito" should've taken easily if you look at the impact and the statistics. However, the song that I was pretty sure would win and should've won was the suicide hotline song by Logic.
This song is not perfect; in fact, I've spoken to people who have suffered from mental illness who have found this sound downright offensive and I do completely understand that point of view. The lyrics are an incredibly simplistic depiction of mental illness and the "Who can relate? WOO!" line is ridiculous and misguided. But if you cut out that one particularly inexcusable line, I understand why the lyricism seems somewhat underdeveloped; symptoms of depression, and mental illness in general, vary greatly from person to person so too much specificity would compromise the relatability. And that evolution of the Chorus from "I don't wanna be alive" to "I want you to be alive" and then to "I finally wanna be alive" is powerful. Even if you disagree with all of that, the statistics speak for themselves; in the month following the release of the single, calls to the hotline rose almost 30%, and then rose another 50% the night following Logic's VMA performance. Any song with that kind of positive impact is worthy of a Grammy for sure.
Best Rap Album
Who Won: DAMN., Kendrick Lamar
Who Should've Won: Flower Boy, Tyler, The Creator
Okay, this is a bit of an overstatement. I think DAMN. is very deserving of the title. This is another category where I would've been happy with anyone's win. Maybe the exception here is Migos, but while their Culture album perhaps wasn't lyrically on par with the other offerings on this list it was definitely an enjoyable project with some great beats that spawned some singles that made a definite impact in pop culture (most notably "Bad and Boujee"). I was very happy to see Rapsody get a nod, too. But the clear winner was always going to be Kendrick and rightfully so. But if it wasn't going to go to Kendrick, I would've been pleasantly surprised to see it go to Tyler, The Creator. Flower Boy might be the best album from one of the best rappers that the Grammys always overlook. I understand why, because his lyrics and persona have often been controversial, but this project is his least offensive so far and, of course, made huge waves for being the album for possibly being a project that concerns LGBTQ+ representation.
Best Pop Solo Performance
Who Won: Shape Of You, Ed Sheeran
Who Should've Won: Praying, Kesha
Some people were unhappy with Sheeran's win for Best Pop Vocal Album, and while I would've also been happy to see Kesha or Lana win I did think Ed deserved it. + was the album where he established his sound, x was where he honed it and ÷ was where he found a way to retain it while taking influences from other genres to make it more dynamic and interesting. That said, while I did like "Shape of You", Best Pop Solo Performance should've gone to Kesha. For an event where many celebrities on the red carpet were wearing white roses in recognition of the Time's Up movement, it makes no sense at all to not show support to a musician like Kesha after her ordeal. And it isn't just about the context, "Praying" is a beautiful song on its own, with inspiring lyrics and a stunning vocal performance.
Some people were unhappy with Sheeran's win for Best Pop Vocal Album, and while I would've also been happy to see Kesha or Lana win I did think Ed deserved it. + was the album where he established his sound, x was where he honed it and ÷ was where he found a way to retain it while taking influences from other genres to make it more dynamic and interesting. That said, while I did like "Shape of You", Best Pop Solo Performance should've gone to Kesha. For an event where many celebrities on the red carpet were wearing white roses in recognition of the Time's Up movement, it makes no sense at all to not show support to a musician like Kesha after her ordeal. And it isn't just about the context, "Praying" is a beautiful song on its own, with inspiring lyrics and a stunning vocal performance.
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance
Who Won: Feel It Still, Portugal, The Man
Who Should've Won: Despacito (Remix), Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee feat. Justin Bieber
"Feel It Still" is a great song and on a personal level, I prefer this song to "Despacito". But "Despacito", while it was overplayed and I (and a lot of others) got fairly irritated a few weeks following the release of the Justin Bieber Remix, it was undoubtedly a cultural phenomenon, being the biggest selling and most streamed single of the year and the most viewed and liked music video of all time. The fact that it won no Grammys this year when it had so much cultural impact and was such a landmark in Latin music is astounding (especially considering giving it at least one win could've been seen as something of a gesture of good faith given the political situation between the US and Puerto Rico).
Best New Artist
Who Won: Alessia Cara
Who Should've Won: SZA
I feel bad for Alessia Cara, because she is genuinely very talented and of course was the safest (and so likeliest) nominee to take home the prize. But I do agree with everyone else in that I do not think she did enough on her own this year to qualify her for this win - her debut album was released in 2015, and I can't think of anything impactful that she's done since then where she wasn't just a feature. The only thing I can think of is her version of "How Far I'll Go" on the Moana soundtrack, but personally I prefer the original version by Auli'i Cravalho a lot more. She seems like a sweet girl and I hate that people are sending her hate over something that she had no control over, but this award really should've gone to SZA. She is one of the best of the many great female artists that have been making waves in R&B over the last couple of years and her debut album Ctrl was loved by both critics and audiences alike.
Again, though, everyone here was deserving. Julia Michaels is definitely talented enough to deserve her nomination but nothing that she released (including "Issues") was really impactful enough to earn her a win. I would've been happy for Khalid to win, but my favourite underdog pick would've been Lil Uzi Vert. Partly because Chance The Rapper, a streaming-only artist, won 3 Grammys last year, so the idea of a Soundcloud rapper winning this year seems quite fitting. But mostly just because I like him. I like him as a person, I like a lot of his music and "XO Tour Llif3" was definitely in my Top 20 favourite songs of last year.
Again, though, everyone here was deserving. Julia Michaels is definitely talented enough to deserve her nomination but nothing that she released (including "Issues") was really impactful enough to earn her a win. I would've been happy for Khalid to win, but my favourite underdog pick would've been Lil Uzi Vert. Partly because Chance The Rapper, a streaming-only artist, won 3 Grammys last year, so the idea of a Soundcloud rapper winning this year seems quite fitting. But mostly just because I like him. I like him as a person, I like a lot of his music and "XO Tour Llif3" was definitely in my Top 20 favourite songs of last year.
Best Rap/Sung Performance
Who Won: LOYALTY., Kendrick Lamar feat. Rihanna
Who Should've Won: Crew, Goldlink feat. Brent Faiyaz & Shy Glizzy
This is just a matter of personal preference. I feel like I might be the only person in the world who feels this way, but I'm not the biggest fan of "LOYALTY.". It's a good enough song, but it was one of my least favourite tracks on the album and there are a couple of songs in this category that I really loved. I was torn here between "PRBLMS" and "Crew", but I ultimately went for Crew for having one of the best hooks in hip hop this year (and for my most replayed out of all of the nominees).
Best Urban Contemporary Album
Who Won: Starboy, The Weeknd
Who Should've Won: Free 6lack, 6lack
This is the choice that I disagree with the most. I have been a fan of the Weeknd for a long time and was very happy when Beauty Behind The Madness won in this category a couple of years ago. But Starboy is by far my least favourite project by the Weeknd. Not that it's bad, but the other nominees in this category were so strong and I would've been happy for anyone else to win. Of course, the choice that comes from my heart is Awaken, My Love! but as I said earlier, this album, as much as I love it, is a little bit uneven. There was not one bad track on 6lack's album and I wish that they had given him at least one win this year.
Best R&B Performance
Who Won: That's What I Like, Bruno Mars
Who Should've Won: Get You, Daniel Caeser feat. Kali Uchis
At this point I feel like I'm starting to look like I hate Bruno Mars. Bear in mind he won 6, and here I've only taken away 4. I really like Bruno Mars and still think 24K Magic was a very good album, I just don't think it broke any new ground.
Regarding this category, I gave my opinion on "That's What I Like" earlier, and I just don't find it as memorable as I do some of the other nominees. I chose "Get You", which is absolutely gorgeous to listen to, but I would've been just as happy to see "The Weekend" win and while I don't think "Distraction" is as strong as the other options here, I am glad that Kehlani got a Grammy nod this year.
At this point I feel like I'm starting to look like I hate Bruno Mars. Bear in mind he won 6, and here I've only taken away 4. I really like Bruno Mars and still think 24K Magic was a very good album, I just don't think it broke any new ground.
Regarding this category, I gave my opinion on "That's What I Like" earlier, and I just don't find it as memorable as I do some of the other nominees. I chose "Get You", which is absolutely gorgeous to listen to, but I would've been just as happy to see "The Weekend" win and while I don't think "Distraction" is as strong as the other options here, I am glad that Kehlani got a Grammy nod this year.
Best Rap Song
Who Won: HUMBLE., Kendrick Lamar
Who Should've Won: The Story of O.J., Jay Z
Another great category. I was particularly happy to see "Chase Me" nominated since (even if it's not their song) this is the only Grammy recognition Run The Jewels have ever had and they released one of my top 10 albums of last year. That said, "HUMBLE." deserved to win and I'm glad it did, but if there was a category that could've been given to Jay Z out of all of his nominations, it was this one.
4:44 had the misfortune of being a fantastic album in a year where many other fantastic albums were released and earned nominations, so I understand why it missed out on the other categories. But uncomfortable comments about Jewish property aside, this is a very important track that discusses what it is like to be black and successful with refreshing honesty. While it provides insight for white listeners it speaks the most to black listeners and so black listeners (in my opinion) are who it is primarily written for. It not necessarily written for everybody. And that is exactly why everybody should listen to it.
4:44 had the misfortune of being a fantastic album in a year where many other fantastic albums were released and earned nominations, so I understand why it missed out on the other categories. But uncomfortable comments about Jewish property aside, this is a very important track that discusses what it is like to be black and successful with refreshing honesty. While it provides insight for white listeners it speaks the most to black listeners and so black listeners (in my opinion) are who it is primarily written for. It not necessarily written for everybody. And that is exactly why everybody should listen to it.
Best Rap Performance
Who Won: HUMBLE., Kendrick Lamar
Who Should've Won: Bodak Yellow, Cardi B
First I looked like I hated Bruno Mars, and now I look like I hate Kendrick. Again, I still think he deserved every award he was given (and Album of the Year too), with the exception of best Rap/Sung Performance (which is a matter of personal preference, not necessarily quality) but I'm offering an alternative point of view.
I tried so hard to dislike "Bodak Yellow" because I don't think it is necessarily a "good" song but it is infectiously catchy. This was the least worthy nominee for Best Rap Song as I do find it lyrically subpar but Cardi B's flow and delivery still managed to make this one of the biggest (and most inescapable) songs of the year. That is impressive, so I would've been happy for her to have won in this category. That said, "HUMBLE." is the "better" song in my opinion and so deserved it's win.
I tried so hard to dislike "Bodak Yellow" because I don't think it is necessarily a "good" song but it is infectiously catchy. This was the least worthy nominee for Best Rap Song as I do find it lyrically subpar but Cardi B's flow and delivery still managed to make this one of the biggest (and most inescapable) songs of the year. That is impressive, so I would've been happy for her to have won in this category. That said, "HUMBLE." is the "better" song in my opinion and so deserved it's win.
Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media
Who Won: La La Land, Justin Hurwitz
Who Should've Won: Dunkirk, Hans Zimmer
Maybe it's because La La Land was released over a year ago now, and it's music has received an abundance of accolades (including Best Original Score at the Academy Awards) but I really wanted to see Dunkirk win in this category. Dunkirk has already missed out the Golden Globe for Best Original Score this year to The Shape of Water and I wouldn't be surprised if the same thing happens at the Academy Awards. Of course, all of the nominees are very talented, but one of the most interesting and notable things about Dunkirk for me was the lack of dialogue. The film was mostly carried by the performances, sound effects and, of course, the score. As requested by Nolan, Zimmer used the Shepard tone extensively in order to build tension throughout and it was incredibly effective.
Of course, I would've also been very happy to see Ramin Djwadi win for his work on Game of Thrones as he is criminally overlooked by major award ceremonies despite Game of Thrones being perhaps the best scored show on television. But if Djwadi was going to win, he should've won for either his work on Season 3 (which included"A Lannister Always Pays His Debts" which is now arguably the most recognisable bit of score for all GoT fans following the infamous "The Rains of Castamere" episode) or for Season 6 which, of course, included "Light of the Seven", the stunning piece from the Season 6 finale and Season 7 trailer.
