Surprising performances, controversial winners and political messages were some themes of this year’s 67th Grammy Awards, making it undoubtedly 2025’s biggest night for music fans. Held at the Crypto.com Arena on Sunday, Feb. 2, the ceremony honored recordings released from Sep. 16, 2023 to Aug. 30, 2024. After startling winners, they prompted reflections and sparked debates beyond the realm of entertainment and artistry.
This year, the ceremony was presented as an opportunity to raise funds to support those affected by the wildfires in Los Angeles. Viewers could donate to MusiCares Fire Relief and the wildfires remained a recurring topic throughout the event.
The first Grammy of the event went to Doechii for Best Rap Album with “Alligator Bites Never Heal” — a well-deserved award that will hopefully boost the album’s popularity. Doechii received the award while crying, becoming the third woman to win Best Rap Album.
“I dedicated myself to sobriety, and God told me that I would be rewarded and that he would show me just how good it can get,” she said in arguably the most vulnerable speech of the night.
Chappell Roan’s number was the most remarkable. After being introduced by Olivia Rodrigo, she appeared on a giant pony accompanied by clown rodeo dancers to sing “Pink Pony Club.” She vividly portrayed her journey as an emerging LGBTQ+ artist from the Midwest to Los Angeles.
As a surprise for the night, the host, Trevor Noah, casually mentioned Benson Boone as one of the nominees for Best New Artist. Boone then stood up from his table and started to sing “Beautiful Things.” The song was one of the most streamed songs worldwide last year, yet disappointingly, it was not nominated for either Record of the Year or Song of the Year.
One of the best improvements to this year’s Grammys was showcasing the Best New Artists nominees through brief and engaging performances. From Boone backflipping on stage with an iconic jumpsuit to Raye’s impeccable vocals singing “Oscar Winning Tears” in front of an orchestra, this allowed viewers to experience each nominee’s unique talent while minimizing the downtime between acts.
Luckily, the Academy got it right for the first time in years and the Grammy for Best New Artist went to Roan. Her breakout into the music scene was undeniable, making her the clear choice. In her acceptance speech, she called out the music industry for offering more fair treatment for developing artists, remarking, “Labels, we got you, but do you got us?”
The climax of the ceremony came when Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. took the stage to highlight the Academy’s efforts towards transparency in their voting process. “Music is a powerful force for good. It heals us, it unites us and we need that in this city right now,” Mason said before introducing The Weeknd as the next performer.
Given that The Weeknd had accused the Academy of corruption in 2020 — sparking a feud that lasted four years — this was striking. This reconciliation with The Weeknd, Spotify’s second most-streamed artist globally, felt like a political statement. With this gesture, the Academy implied there is no time for grudges amidst fires destroying Los Angeles and the tumultuous political climate.
Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” winning both Record of the Year and Song of The Year was definitely unexpected. The track, a diss aimed at his ongoing feud with Drake, dropped during a time when social media craved celebrity gossip.
“The climax of the ceremony came when Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. took the stage to highlight the Academy’s efforts towards transparency in their voting process.“
While the song was catchy and popular, it seemed an unlikely choice for such prestigious awards, especially considering the competition it faced from songs like “Birds of a Feather,” “Good Luck, Babe!” and “Die With A Smile.” It’s hard to believe a track with predominantly vulgar lyrics, backed by a sparse instrumental featuring finger snaps and repetitive synthesized strings, took home the win.
Even the Award presenters, Miley Cyrus and Diana Rose, appeared surprised.
The Academy’s decision to honor a rap song that explicitly condemned pedophilia — “To any bitch that talk to him and they in love, just make sure you hide your lil’ sister from him” — and calls out cultural appropriation — “You run to Atlanta when you need a few dollars; no, you not a colleague, you a fuckin’ colonizer” — was both a chance to recognize the genre and to signal their social consciousness — supporting Mason’s previous speech.
Beyoncé won the award for Album of The Year with “Cowboy Carter.” Her move to create a country album was impressive as it highlighted the genre’s roots in Black artists. That said, the album as a whole was not outstanding and it is a shame it has won against masterpieces like Billie’s “Hit Me Hard and Soft” and Chappell’s “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess.”
“Cowboy Carter” didn’t even achieve the same cultural impact as most of its competitors. Aside from its main single, “Texas Hold ‘Em,” it lacked widespread recognition.
In 2024, while accepting the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award, Jay-Z criticized the Grammys for never awarding Beyoncé Album of the Year despite her being the most-nominated artist in Grammy history. Moreover, recent social media conspiracy theories around her and Sean “Diddy” Combs put pressure on the Academy to award Beyoncé as a way to acknowledge her cultural mark, regardless of the album’s actual merit.
The Album of the Year award is meant to recognize exceptional albums, rather than the broad career moves of an artist.
In the end, this raises the question of whether the Academy is genuinely honoring musical excellence or prioritizing political correctness over merit. It also prompts us to consider whether the Academy as a social institution is implicitly tasked with representing cultural values and responding to political pressures from the public.
Tomy Helman PO ’28 is a music columnist.
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