The Grammys’ long history of overlooking underappreciated albums in favour of the most popular choice has not ended with this year’s ceremony – but 2023 is a step in the right direction.
Much of the vitriol with the 65th Grammys stems from their choice for the Album of the Year, the most sought-after award, similar to Best Picture at the Oscars. So, the delegation to Harry Styles’ Harry’s House makes me wonder whether the Grammys hold, or have ever held, any weight in determining the musical ‘best’. Yes, ‘As It Was’ is a great hit, seared into my brain from its playing relentlessly everywhere I turn. The rest of Harry’s House, however, seems to reflect how much the Grammy voters value old-fashioned music production – studio bands, ’80s pop piano dexterity, and a short list of credits.
To make matters worse, the calibre of some of the albums that have been released this year make Harry’s House look pretty pathetic. Of the nominees, the critics predicted Renaissance by Beyoncé for AOTY, a justified contention – it is an extensive sonic celebration of the black queer roots of house music. This is overt in its stylisation but also intricate, raising the bar for sample selection by choosing music with historical significance rather than solely for the sound: Donna Summer’s ‘I Feel Love’ (1977) on ‘Summer Renaissance’ stands out. Collaborations with contemporary black LGBTQ+ icons, such as Big Freedia and Grace Jones, deepen this tribute while giving this often marginalised community a merited time in the spotlight. Renaissance very much deserved to sweep up four awards on the night and plant Beyoncé as the most awarded Grammy artist of all time. Still, that none of her 32 Grammys have ever been in a general category (Album, Record, Song of the Year and Best New Artist) feels discordant.
For me, Un Verano Sin Ti by Bad Bunny should’ve taken AOTY for the distinctive way that it weaves together different generations of mainstream Spanish music. ‘Después de la Playa’ is exemplary, opening with Bad Bunny’s typical reggaeton, but transitioning to what I can only describe as a take on 1950s Cuban mambo with more funk. Also, Styles’ performance at the ceremony pales in comparison to Bad Bunny’s opening act, an exuberant homage to his native Puerto Rico and Dominican Republic. Want to talk about making history? Give the Album of the Year to a non-English record. After all, of the nominees, it was the most commercially successful.
So evidently, the Grammys fail as a definitive barometer for the best music, perhaps because their opaque selection process, relying on anonymous expert committees, leaves little room for accountability. There is a deep racialised history behind this, with many artists boycotting the ceremony: the Weeknd, Frank Ocean, and Drake spring to mind. There have been systemic changes, ever since Harvey Mason Jr. became the CEO of the Recording Academy as of May 2021. Diversity officers have been appointed, and race and gender quotas have been met.
Nonetheless, the voters themselves appear out of touch and hardly reflect the listeners. For instance, figures were published of the genre with which the voter demographic most identified. 23 per cent of voters identified as pop, 16 per cent as jazz, 15 per cent as rock, 13 per cent as American roots and R&B, and 10 per cent as classical. Rap figures aren’t even available, meaning rap listeners represent less than 10 per cent of the voters. Suddenly, the reason that Jack Harlow’s Come Home the Kids Miss You was nominated for Best Rap Album in favour of, say, JID’s The Forever Story, makes sense.
So, if “Music’s Biggest Night” is rarely alert to who deserves awards, what are the Grammys for?
I think the Grammys are best when they successfully showcase new music, broadening their viewership’s horizon rather than simply reiterating what’s trending on TikTok. There is a thirst for the undiscovered, something interesting to propel the industry forwards. In this respect, the 2023 Grammys were successful. I would recommend Empire Central by Snarky Puppy, which won Best Contemporary Instrumental Album – it’s a funk-rock-jazz fusion, reminiscent of Aja by Steely Dan.
As done impeccably in their tribute to 50 years of hip-hop, the Grammys should also use their platform to honour musical antiquity. The choice of Questlove to MC was significant, given his ability to pull names like Queen Latifah and Public Enemy, to his subtle (but in hindsight, crucial) touch of using an old-school beat box, record scratches resonating between songs. Questlove ended by looking forward, closing a set heavily rooted in antiquity with Lil Uzi Vert’s ‘Just Wanna Rock’. As a whole, the tribute emphasised the indispensability of the genre’s influence on modern pop. This was a welcome highlight of the 65th Grammys.
It reveals that potential is there, for the Grammys to turn itself around. Mason is well connected in the industry, having worked extensively in production and songwriting. He draws attention to craftsmanship when granting the awards, and ensures that though viewers may come for Taylor Swift or the Red Carpet outfits, they leave finding something new.
After all, Jay-Z can go from boycotting the Grammys in 1999 to delivering a 4-minute closing flow. Because, as he admitted, “deep down, we grew up idolising this”. The Grammys have lost considerable veneration from this generation, but it need not lose the next one.
Illustration ‘Harry Styles Grammys’ by Zoë Brown.