This past Sunday, CBS aired the Recording Academy’s 59th Annual Grammys, hosted by James Corden, that embodied the biggest stars in music, from the presenters to the performers. This event harbored many breath-taking moments that will go down in music history, with the most noteworthy being Beyoncé losing to Adele in the categories of Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Album of the Year Teary eyed, Adele payed genuine homage to Beyoncé’s “Lemonade” when accepting her Grammy for Album of the Year, saying it was “monumental,” “well-thought out,” and “beautiful and soul bearing,” and ultimately thanking the Recording Academy for giving her the award while dedicating it to Beyoncé.
Later, at a press conference, Adele described Beyoncé’s album as her Album of the Year and that it was finally “her [Beyoncé’s] time to win,” and then asking, “What the f— does she have to do to win Album of the Year?” Beyoncé, one of music’s biggest pop stars, has never won the biggest honor in music history: the Grammy’s Album of the Year award. Even her 2013 self-titled album lost Album of Year to Beck’s “Morning Phase.”Regardless of her loss of those three awards, Beyoncé did not leave empty handed, receiving a Grammy for “Lemonade” in the Best Urban Contemporary Album category. She also made her first public appearance since announcing her pregnancy with twins via Instagram, by gracefully performing a beautiful melody of “Love Drought” and “Sandcastles.”
In addition to Adele’s Beyoncé speech, she also opened the show with a performance of her Grammy winning single, “Hello,” and later performed a musical tribute to George Michael. During the tribute, she swore and stopped the performance saying, “I’m sorry. Can we please start this again? I can’t mess this up for him,” and proceeded to start the song over. She received a standing ovation and love throughout the country for her bravery. Bruno Mars also delivered an upbeat and energetic rendition of “Let’s Go Crazy” and “Jungle Love” as a tribute to the late Prince.
Although the Recording Academy may have raised a few eyebrows over Beyoncé’s snub, the other winners were generally agreed upon. David Bowie’s “Blackstar” won Best Rock Performance, Best Rock Song, and Best Alternative Music Album, while Drake won Best Rap/Sung Performance and Best Rap Song for his hit, “Hotline Bling.” In country music, Maren Morris won a Grammy for “My Church” in the Best Country Solo Performance, Lori McKenna’s “Humble and Kind” won Best Country Song, Sturgill Simpson’s “A Sailor’s Guide to Earth” won Best Country Album, and Pentatonix alongside Dolly Parton won for Best Country Duo/Group Performance.
The Recording Academy also welcomed many newcomers to the Grammy family by rewarding them with their first Grammys. Solange’s “Cranes in the Sky” won Best R&B Performance, while The Chainsmokers and Daya won Best Dance Recording for their hit, “Don’t Let Me Down.” Twenty One Pilots accepted their first Grammy for “Stressed Out” in the Best Pop Duo/Group Performance category while in their underwear and provided an explanation that was humorous and inspiring. Chance the Rapper, being among the biggest winners of the night, won three Grammys in the categories of Best New Artist, Best Rap Album, and Best Rap Performance for his album, “The Coloring Book,” and his hit single, “No Problem,” that also rewarded 2 Chainz and Lil’ Wayne.
