Since its debut in 1959, the Grammys have been one of the most viewed award shows in the world. This glamorous event spends the night honoring the musical excellence from the past year, from genres such as pop and rap to classical and jazz. In total, there are 94 Grammy categories. The most notable awards include Record of the Year, Album of the Year, Song of the Year and Best New Artist. The decision of who won each of these four awards is always met with public praise, backlash and other opinion.
Record of the Year awards the artists, album producers, recording engineers, mixers and mastering engineers who contributed to a song. It celebrates the technical skills and artistic process that are put into the making of a single. This year, on Feb. 2, Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” won Record of the Year. While this song had technical skill in how the beat was mixed, The Beatles’ “Now and Then” should have won. This song, demoed by John Lennon in the 1970s, was finished last year by his surviving bandmates, Paul McCartney and Ringo Star. In the 1970s, the process of mixing and recording a song was much more extensive and time-consuming due to the lack of modern technology artists have today. The ability to produce a great song with minimal technology and to be finished by surviving members of a broken-up band is truly an accomplishment.
Album of the Year is awarded to artists, featured artists, songwriters of new material, producers, recording engineers, mixers and mastering engineers credited with 20% or more playing time of the album. This award commemorates an artist’s album as a whole, from the quality and artistry to the popularity of different songs. This year, Beyoncè’s “Cowboy Carter” won Album of the Year. After listening to this album in its entirety, it is clear that while there are about 2 or 3 notable songs, it did not deserve this title. Most of the songs lacked either lyrical depth or variety, as most of the songs sounded the same. After listening to all of the other nominations, including but not limited to albums by Chappell Roan, Billie Eilish, Sabrina Carpenter and Taylor Swift, I believe that Charli XCX’s “Brat” should have won Album of the Year. This album immediately following its release transformed into a national phenomenon. Listeners dedicated their summer to a term coined “Brat Summer,” aspiring to take after Charli XCX’s carefree mindset. The original album in itself was excellent. The songs were all incredibly mixed and diverse with clever lyrics while maintaining the overall theme of the album. After “Brat”’s release, Charlie XCX soon released its follow-up album, “Brat and It’s Completely Different but Also Still Brat,” which included all of “Brat”’s original songs, this time with featured artists such as Ariana Grande, Billie Eilish, Lorde, Bon Iver and The 1975. “Brat,” with its lyrical brilliance, extensive techno mixing and many collaborations, was incredibly deserving of this Album of the Year.
Song of the Year awards songwriters with the best lyrically written and melodic songs. This year, Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” won this category. While this song was not deserving of Record of the Year, it did deserve the title of Song of the Year. “Not Like Us,” directed as a diss track at the famous rapper Drake, doubles down on Drake’s accusations of sexual misconduct. However, the main takeaway of the song is to not be afraid to be confrontational and stand up for your morals. While rap isn’t typically the genre that wins Song of the Year, “Not Like Us” was especially deserving of this award due to its genius lyrics, which have left listeners in awe.
Best New Artist recognizes an artist whose releases within the year achieved a breakthrough into the public consciousness and notably impacted the musical landscape. This year, singer-songwriter Chappel Roan won this title. After performing at Coachella in April 2024, Chappell Roan blew up immediately. Her songs such as “Good Luck, Babe!,” “HOT TO GO!” and “Pink Pony Club” among many others have left listeners shaken. Despite only having one album so far, her discography is widely varied, with music listeners can dance to, sing to and even cry to. Her ability to produce catchy songs while moving listeners emotionally certainly warrants her the title of Best New Artist.
