The Grammy nominations came out yesterday. Unlike the 2021 film season, the music industry is pretty much pandemic-proof. If anything, it felt like the pandemic made people really appreciate all of the good music out there, and there was the potential for major artists to score major nominations, artists like Megan Thee Stallion, Harry Styles, Fiona Apple, Taylor Swift, Post Malone, Justin Bieber, The Weeknd, Beyonce and many more. But like every other year, the Grammys kind of f–ked it all up. I mean, not completely. There are some good nominations in here. Here are the big ones, and you can see the full list here.
Record of the Year
“Black Parade,” Beyoncé
“Colors,” Black Pumas
“Rockstar,” DaBaby featuring Roddy Ricch
“Say So,” Doja Cat
“Everything I Wanted,” Billie Eilish
“Don’t Start Now,” Dua Lipa
“Circles,” Post Malone
“Savage,” Megan Thee StallionAlbum of the Year
“Chilombo,” Jhené Aiko
“Black Pumas (Deluxe Edition),” Black Pumas
“Everyday Life,” Coldplay
“Djesse Vol. 3,” Jacob Collier
“Women in Music Pt. III,” Haim
“Future Nostalgia,” Dua Lipa
“Hollywood’s Bleeding,” Post Malone
“Folklore,” Taylor SwiftSong of the Year
“Black Parade,” Denisia Andrews, Beyoncé, Stephen Bray, Shawn Carter, Brittany Coney, Derek James Dixie, Akil King, Kim “Kaydence” Krysiuk and Rickie “Caso” Tice, songwriters (Beyoncé)
“The Box,” Samuel Gloade and Rodrick Moore, songwriters (Roddy Ricch)
“Cardigan,” Aaron Dessner and Taylor Swift, songwriters (Taylor Swift)
“Circles,” Louis Bell, Adam Feeney, Kaan Gunesberk, Austin Post and Billy Walsh, songwriters (Post Malone)
“Don’t Start Now,” Caroline Ailin, Ian Kirkpatrick, Dua Lipa and Emily Warren, songwriters (Dua Lipa)
“Everything I Wanted,” Billie Eilish O’Connell and Finneas O’Connell, songwriters (Billie Eilish)
“I Can’t Breathe,” Dernst Emile II, H.E.R. and Tiara Thomas, songwriters (H.E.R.)
“If the World Was Ending,” Julia Michaels and JP Saxe, songwriters (JP Saxe featuring Julia Michaels)Best New Artist
Ingrid Andress
Phoebe Bridgers
Chika
Noah Cyrus
D Smoke
Doja Cat
Kaytranada
Megan Thee Stallion
True story: I’m as much of a Beyonce fan as everyone else, but “Black Parade” doesn’t even rank in, like, the Top 20 Beyonce Songs. It’s an okay song, but to see that song get so much love is bizarre. Doja Cat’s inclusion here is irritating the f–k out of me – the song sucks, it’s a rip-off of the Cardigans and Doja is problematic. I’m pleasantly surprised that Dua Lipa scored an Album of the Year nomination, because I really loved her music this year and usually those kind of light-disco bops are not rewarded. Taylor’s inclusion isn’t irritating to me – I think Folklore is probably her strongest album in years and it was something different for her.
I am completely astonished that Harry Styles’ Fine Line or “Watermelon Sugar” didn’t score nominations in the big categories. Styles got nominated in the Pop categories and one nomination for Best Music Video. For arguably one of the most popular and well-reviewed albums of the year. Speaking of, Fiona Apple also had one of the best-reviewed albums of the year with Fetch the Bolt Cutters. She ended up with three nominations too – two in the Rock category and one for Best Alternative Music Album. I feel like she really deserved a Best Album nomination, don’t you? And: no BTS in the big categories. Sorry, K-Poppers!
I do feel like The Weeknd was snubbed in the big categories too, but I’m not *so* mad about it. From what I’ve heard off of After Hours, it’s not as good as Beauty Behind the Madness (arguably his best album, imo). The NY Times also had a good piece about the Grammy snubs & surprises and I’m still giggling over the use of the phrase “an assertion of values by the Grammy deep state.”
This Black Pumas song is good. I’ve truly never heard it before.
Photos courtesy of Getty, Taylor’s videos and social media.
The Grammys are such a silly popularity contest. They didn’t even nominate rock artists in the rock category this year.
I saw last night that The Weeknd was complaining on Twitter that he and his fans deserved transparency over why he didn’t get nominated. Lol! I don’t have a feeling one way or the other about him before but now I certainly don’t like him.
I dont think anyone takes the Grammys serious anymore. I kinda glance at it, but don’t care too much.
I think After Hours deserved to be nominated and it seems clear that it was rigged against the weekend since they were trying to negotiate for him to perform at the show as well as The Superbowl. They only have nominees perform so why we’re they even talking to him if he was not nominated for anything?
Maybe thats what they were hanging over his head,if you perform you will get nominated. The superbowl is once in a lifetime for most artist,he probably didnt want to over expose him self as both event take place within a couple of weeks.
Speculation I heard on the radio was that they wouldn’t give The Weeknd noms unless he agreed to perform at the Grammys only and not the Superbowl. He couldn’t do both. And of course who’s gonna pick the Grammys over the Superbowl? There’s no contest in terms of viewing figures.
At this point the Grammys use the popular artists especially black for viewership,hype and ratings. Beyonce did not have a commercially successful year but the grammys arent the billboards its not about charts. Thats why every year they endup giving the big awards to folk or country singers no one has heard before. Jay z and Beyonce have snubbed the show for the last two years,i hope they and other black artists continue to do so.
So for me, Folklore is the album of the year. I can’t stop listening to it, still. But I know I’m basic so I am sure something more hip, hot, whatever, will win. I’ve certainly never loved a Swift album this much. Something about the dreamy-quality of the lyrics, the way it shoots back and forth through time, I don’t know what it is, but it hits me everywhere this year. I’ve been going back over a lot of memories myself. This was it for me.
It’s so funny to me that you put yourself down as like an underdog when you’re rooting for Taylor Swift. Sure, people don’t like her, but she’s still one if the best selling artists out there. She’s won AOTY twice. But her and her fans still have this weird mentality that they’re the underdogs, I find it so interesting.
The Weeknd was completely snubbed, Blinding Lights was the most popular song of the year. It’s still in the top ten. I like Coldplay, but they didn’t deserve to be in the AOTY category.
The Grammys have shown that they’re easily bought, I wish more artists would realize it’s not the end all, be all.
Yeah, the fact remains that she’s one of *the* most popular/successful artists of this time, regardless of what she and her fans say. Personally I find the underdog angle more off putting than interesting. Over the years she’s been very comfortable in exploiting her privilege as a white woman, especially via the “delicate” stereotype that society likes to bestow on white women in general.
In the context of the wider world I know I’m one of MANY Swift fans. But on social media I definitely play it down because she tends to be made fun of and disliked on the Internet *shrugs*. I don’t think anyone believes she’s an underdog, we just have awareness that she’s not everyone’s cup of tea and is considered quite vanilla and uninteresting by many people, too. She’s not like Adele or Beyoncé who are universally praised on every platform. That’s totally fine, but I think Taylor’s fans just act accordingly and know she’s not always adored.
Yes to everything Case says, and also, to me ‘basic” isn’t a putdown. I’m not putting myself down. I’m thrilled to be basic. I love my UGGS and my pumpkin spice lattes. It’s only on the internet that people give you isht for that stuff.
Same. Been listening to folklore nonstop since it came out. Well deserved nomination and very strong contender for AOTY.
I’m pretty sure that when Spotify tallies up the songs I listened to most this year, “Invisible String” by TS will be at the top of the list.
Agreed. This was her best work yet by far for me.
Same! I’ve had it on repeat since it came out and sometimes I try to switch it up but I keep coming back to folklore. The only songs I don’t really like are mirrorball and epiphany.
I really think this is the best album she’s ever made. A grammy would be well deserved.
the rock and metal categories this year are just….strange.
They forgot to put rock artists in the rock category. This to me is the most blatant display of how the Grammys just follow what is most popular – rock hasn’t been mainstream popular since mid-2000s and that’s also when major nominations for rock bands stopped.
So the year Beyoncé put out Formation and lost the big categories and even Adele was like “Nope – this was her year” on stage was the last straw for a lot of folks including artists. Taylor Swift, no matter what your opinions about her, won some of the huge categories multiple times on sugary revenge pop while the standards for other just as popular artists are way higher. also if they want to go the artsy way, they punish famous singers sometimes for going “too genre”. There’s also the racial stuff in categories. I can’t stand Bieber but he’s correct in that yummy is and R&B album but he’s probably on pop because he’s white. Billie Eilish called that out last year.
In short – awards and award shows don’t matter.
Taylor hasn’t won her Grammy’s on sugary revenge pop since 2013 she only has 3 Grammy wins all for 1989 album of the year, pop vocal album, and music video. She has won album of the year twice, but never record or song of the year in the general categories in fact she hasn’t won for any song that wasn’t country.
I said all that and all you got was a slight on Taylor Swift. Bro – this is bigger than her and the snake fam.
I still can’t believe Beyoncé didn’t win for “Lemonade.” That is definitely the album I think people will go down thinking was her magnum opus. I’m not even a huge fan of her music, and I loved that album.
I’m stanning folklore but The Weeknd was absolutely robbed.
I mean, Bieber and his idiotic song Yummy got nominated but not Blinding Lights?! Changes, a bad album which flopped, got nominated over After Hours which was critically and commercially successful?! It’s ridiculous and Bieber has some nerve complaining about his nomination, when he did not deserve to be nominated in any category at all. Scooter probably did something to get him those nominations because no honest, sane person would nominate Changes and Yummy over After Hours and Blinding Lights.
Yummy is a terrible song with terrible writing I’m surprised it was nominated.
I’m happy to see Haim’s album nominated. They are so talented.
Hailey Williams’s album topped the alternative charts all year so I’m surprised it wasn’t included. But she made a nice post congratulating all of the women in the rock category, which she said was a victory itself. So classy.
Can someone explain to me why The Weeknd looks like that in the last picture ? thanks
It’s part of his aesthetic for this album era. He had his face appear bloody and bruised in the music videos and performances for After Hours.
thank you Beach Dreams!
I am so freaking happy for the Black Pumas and I can’t believe you’ve never heard Colors!
Great album, very evocative of the old blues, whatever that means.
Otherwise… Grammys are so silly.
I’ve never heard it either, and I really liked the song! Going to check out the album. What a great voice.
One of my favorite new artists has a similar sound, and just scored his first nomination – Devon Gilfillian. I highly recommend checking him out. I saw him open for Grace Potter (who also her first 2 solo nominations for Daylight!) and he blew the doors off the place. And a very nice guy too.
I don’t really pay attention to stuff like the Grammys, especially since it’s just a popularity contest who often nominate some very mediocre but popular people, but I was really happy for both of them this year. True talent that flies under the radar finally getting nominated.
Thank you for the recommendation Lucy2! I just looked up Devon Gilfillian and I instantly added Troublemaker to my favorites list. He’s great! We have similar tastes–I’m a big fan of Grace Potter and Black Pumas too.
Troublemaker is my favorite too. When he performed that, the whole place was electric, and I felt like I witnessed an early performance of someone who could be a huge star.
I’m so excited about Black Pumas–they’re an Austin, Texas band!
Grammys are always crappy and tone deaf. Why is anyone surprised?
This year I’ve been listening to upbeat dance & house music more than ever. In my teens I wore out my Deee Lite CD’s & I really love Dua Lipa for reminding me of how much light a good disco bop can shine. Aluna from Aluna George has a fun track called Body Pump that I blast daily. Maybe it’s my age but profanity in music has become a huge turn off lately. I only know 2 of the best new artists nominees & their music makes me clutch my pearls lol
Weeknd was snubbed big time, but I’m so happy that BTS was nominated, even if it wasn’t in one of the major categories.
Also how TF did Yummy get a nomination?
same! I was so happy for BTS and Chole + Halle!!
The reaction video from BTS was super cute. I’m very happy for them.
I never watched the Grammys, except clips afterwards, but I will now that BTS is nominated.
I love those guys and all the good they do in the world, particularly their charity work and speaking out. They are so happy with it and I am happy for them.
What Yoongi wants, Yoongi gets, I hope 🙂
Really curious why Doja Cat is problematic? I’ve barely even heard of her
She is a fan of visiting chat sites with all white men and using “N” word with the hard “R” as well as openly discussing her dislike of the black side of her racial makeup. She had what many considered to be a very racist song she uploaded before fame
Why in TF was Noah Cyrus nominated for anything!?! That alone tells you the Grammys aren’t even about talent anymore.
The Grammys are much like the oscars- pure politics. Sure, some nominations are due to talent but most are just politics and how they are going to get ratings for the awards show.
I love Black Parade and played the life out of it after the Lion King Visual Album. I think some protests arose around that time too. No actually it was Trump politicking and encouraging racism. After the year that was, Black Parade spoke loud and proud. The song grew on me strongly. I was also listening to Black is King so I suppose i was on a Beyonce roll. Id also been doing a lot of self reflection so i suppose songs that echoed things that resonated with me simply appealed to me. I dont know who all those other people are. Folklore was ok and had a few good songs. Beyonces Black Parade and Black is King songs simply resonated with me more after the year that has been. And im not even American. I know she will win because shes sort of retiring.
Rina Sawayama was snubbed, she is a wonderful new talent, imo. I’m glad chloe x halle got some nomination at least, I loved ungodly hour, they are awesome and lovely girls, very talented too. I think doja cat is actually talented and original, one of the best new female rapper, too bad she is problematic. I also loved jesse ware what’s your pleasure? album, another one who is underrated. I hope dua lipa won for future nostalgia, that was a cute album (god, if taylor won a third album of the year, she is overrated, imo). The grammy are a mess, I’m still not over the fact that janelle was snubbed for dirty computer in 2019 (I think she only had one nomination) & she never won a grammy, same for florence & the machine, en vogue, grimes, fka twigs but justin bieber got multiples nominations for that kind of album or song… Happy to see the nominations for black parade & black is king, that film was stunning, good for beyonce, I love her.
Speaking about pandemic-proof, BTS was going to have a massive stadium tour that I hoped to get tickets for.
That obviously didn’t happen. They did have an online concert that was a big success, where they had screens up so they could see many fans that were streaming it at the same time. This made it much easier than performing in an empty hall. From what I understood, they made good money this year anyway
They also donated about 1 million dollar to concert crew members to help support as they lost work.
I feel a little badly for ragging on Coldplay (they are kind of the new Nickelback, so easy to mock) but a. I had no idea they had a new album out, that’s nice for them b. What tf kind of dirt does Chris Martin have on the Grammys board to get an album of the year nomination over the Weeknd???
I demand a recount, and I want a representative from each fandom of the artists that were snubbed to be allowed to stand six feet behind the person counting the votes. If there are no paper votes, or votes in general, then the whole thing is clearly rigged! The madness!
I love Doja Cat! I hope she wins