What more can one woman — one artist — do?
One way or the other after Beyoncé became the winningest artist in Grammy history with 32 gramophones, she still managed to come back off as a loser — yet again — when Harry Styles’ “Harry’s House” won Album of the Yr over B’s “Renaissance.”
Little question — “Harry’s House” was probably the greatest pop albums of 2022. And, definitely, “As It Was” — which spent 15 weeks at No. 1 — was my personal pick for Record of the Yr.
But — deep breath — how could Beyoncé still not have an Album of the Yr gramophone after 4 nominations, when she should have already got at the least two? Her game-changing surprise self-titled set one way or the other lost to Beck’s “Morning Phase” in 2015, and “Lemonade” — probably the greatest albums of the century — bowed out to Adele’s “25” in 2017.
“Renaissance” was a real album, an entire statement from start to complete with the smoothest of track transitions taking you on a journey through the club underground while fiercely representing black queer culture.
When B showed up late to the Grammys — stuck in L.A. traffic, she missed the moment when she tied conductor George Solti for essentially the most wins ever after “Cuff It” took Best R&B Song— it gave the impression to be organising the entire night for a triumphant moment so well deserved by an artist who has shown up many times for the Recording Academy.
No more, Beyoncé — they don’t deserve you.
And so as to add insult to injury, Beyoncé’s own husband, Jay-Z, needed to go on and perform “God Did” with DJ Khaled right after his wife had lost the massive one yet again. True skilled that he’s, he carried on. But what a show of disrespect to the primary couple — the primary lady — of music.
