Source: Christopher Polk / Getty
The 60th Annual Grammy Awards took place Sunday in New York City for the first time in 15 years. Held at one of the Big Apple’s most historic venues, Madison Square Garden, the highly anticipated evening was filled with highs and lows. Luckily our eyes were glued to the live broadcast, so we can give you the good, the bad, and the ugly. Let’s begin, shall we?
The Highs
Kendrick Lamar
Kendrick Lamar’s performance was nothing short of amazing, as usual. As a matter of fact, it actually wasn’t a performance, it was a visual. It’s the equivalent of a five-minute movie trailer, and he never disappoints. Ever.
Source: Kevin Mazur / Getty
Rihanna
Listen, we haven’t seen Rih in a minute. With the exception of a few flicks of her out and about rocking her newly found thickness, we’ve been yearning for her “break” from us to be over. Welp, Sunday night the princess came to pay us a visit, and the wait was worth it. She’s evolved so much as a performer and the improvements just kept coming with last night’s Latin and African-infused choreography. “Wild Thoughts” was a great record for Rih, DJ Khaled, and Bryson Tiller, so seeing all three present, and Rih’s sexy moves, made for pure gold.
Rih, we want more.
Source: CBS Photo Archive / Getty
Truth be told, Cardi B was at the top of our list of reasons to watch this year’s Grammys. The show left a bad taste when Beyoncé was snubbed for album of the year for her audio/visual masterpiece. The Bronx bombshell has stolen our hearts (along with the rest of the world), we were more hype for her performance and nominations. She gave us what we wanted and set the precedent for future Grammy performances to come.
The Lows
Source: Christopher Polk / GettyThey Snubbed Hov
Jay-Z’s snub came as no surprise, after The Recording Academy lost its mind the year before and snubbed his wife’s incredible contribution to the culture, Lemonade. Deep sigh. Jay’s 4:44 was by far the most provocative, soul-bearing, educational conversation among all the nominees. Scratch that, it was actually one of the best albums of his career. We’re not at all taking away from Kendrick’s incredible storytelling or the soulful pop infusion Bruno creates. But come on! Eight nominations and no wins?
If Jay or Bey never show up to the Grammys again, we’d understand.
Source: CBS Photo Archive / Getty
Sorry SZA
Even more hurtful was the SZA snub. What rock has the Grammy committee been living under, and how do we destroy it? Five nominations and nothing? Do they even listen to the radio? Do they go outside? And then adding insult to injury, Alessia Cara beat her for Best New Artist, and ain’t nothing new about her. Smh. This is a classic example of how messy the Grammy nomination process can be, and how often times big names win the categories because the voters are out of touch with the rise of new names, new records, and new albums. Which leads us to the biggest snub of the night, Cardi B.
Source: JEWEL SAMAD / Getty
Who Doesn’t Know “Bodak Yellow?”
“Bodak Yellow” was the biggest song of 2017. It’s not up for debate. It had the most spins and streams—it ruled the world and the charts until this very moment. How did Cardi not win both Best Rap Song and Best Rap Performance, Sway?! How did she not get nominated for Record of the Year? Can we read the Grammy committee’s pulse to make sure it is alive?
We hope The Recording Academy gets some fresh new faces with ears to the streets, or viewership and attendance among the younger generation is sure to decrease.
