The Recording Academy recognized some of the best of 2017's music Sunday at the 60th Annual Grammy Awards. Here are a few of the winners that stood out to me, for both good and bad reasons.
Album of the Year: Let me begin with this — Lorde’s "Melodrama" did not get nearly as much love as it should have this year. If it were up to me, she would have had a nomination in every possible category. With pop hits like "Green Light" and "Homemade Dynamite" mixed with soft ballads like "Hard Feelings/Loveless," the diverse collection was nothing short of perfection for her sophomore album. She should have won this award, no questions asked.
Then, if for some absurd reason Lorde were not to win, obviously Kendrick Lamar's "DAMN." would be next in line. As seen with his victories in the rap categories, his fourth studio album will go down in hip-hop history.
Then, if Lorde and Kendrick were robbed, it would be a tough decision between "'Awaken, My Love!'" and "4:44." Both were underappreciated on the charts, and I was surprised to see neither Jay-Z or Childish Gambino leave New York City without a Grammy.
"24K Magic" was a fine album. But with the strength of this category, I question the criteria that determines a winner for the Grammys. This cheerful but simple album was incomparable to the artistry displayed elsewhere in this category. Of all the awards given last night, this was the most shocking to me.
Song of the Year: I have a massive amount of respect for Bruno Mars' individuality and ability to bring energy to every room he steps foot into. However, winner "That’s What I Like" is reminiscent of every Bruno Mars song … ever. "1-800-273-8255" started the important conversation of suicide prevention and mental health awareness. On the day of the song’s release, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, which inspired the name of the song, received the second-highest daily call volume in their history. That song brought hope to hopeless people, and that should have been formally recognized on music’s largest stage.
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance: Portugal. The Man has gained attention over the last year, and proved that they are not going anywhere with a Grammy for their song "Feel It Still." Beating out "Despacito" and "Stay," I was surprised by the band’s victory but couldn’t agree more. The recent emergence of psychedelic pop has expanded the pop genre as a whole to allow for more variety, and their win shows the increasing diversification in music awards.
Best New Artist: Alessia Cara’s win came as a surprise to me. Khalid’s success with his debut studio album, "American Teen," made him a front-runner, and with good reason. Released in March, the R&B album had several popular singles, including "Location" and "Young Dumb & Broke." "Ctrl," SZA’s debut album, gained attention from almost everyone in the music industry, including rapper Kendrick Lamar. While Alessia Cara was an incredible feature on many of this year’s greatest hits, her debut album was released in 2015. "Know-It-All" reached number nine on the Billboard 200 chart and her single "Scars to Your Beautiful" reached number eight on the Billboard Hot 100. She is obviously incredibly talented and deserves recognition of some kind, but her victory in this category seemed misplaced.
Best Dance Recording: LCD Soundsystem is back! Winning with the song "Tonite" off of their 2017 album "American Dream," the dance-punk group proved that despite their disbandment in 2011, they will continue to be a force in the music industry. ODESZA and Gorillaz will have their time, but this year was all about the return of LCD Soundsystem.
Best Dance/Electronic Album: Of every album in this category, "3-D The Catalogue" was my least favorite. Sylvan Esso produced one of the best electropop albums in the last five years with "What Now" and ODESZA blew it out of the water with its third studio album, "A Moment Apart." The Recording Academy simply got it wrong with this one.
The Entire Rap Field: In typical Kendrick fashion, Lamar swept the category with a win in all four rap categories. Recognized for both his album "DAMN.," and individual songs, "HUMBLE." and "LOYALTY.," the rapper was truly deserving of every award he received. In one of the most politically-charged albums of the year, Lamar criticized the election of President Donald Trump and the conservative media. Not only was the album filled with powerful raps and lyrical genius, but added to the political conversation of 2017. "DAMN." is not only the best rap album of this year, but one of the best in the last decade.
Bonus! Best Grammys 2018 Performance: This is an entirely made-up category I created in order to recognize Kesha’s performance of "Praying." Her song, which was inspired by the sexual assault she suffered from producer Dr. Luke, writes of liberation from past pain and belief in a prosperous future. Clad in all white and backed by other vocal powerhouses like Cyndi Lauper and Camila Cabello, the singer held back tears as she sang in tribute to her past abuse. In the midst of the current #MeToo and #TimesUp movements, this performance was timely in reminding viewers just how strong the women of this nation are.
Typically, I am unimpressed with The Recording Academy’s selections for the Grammy Awards. In a year of incredibly diverse and powerful music, I agreed with more this year than I usually do. That being said, The Recording Academy has an opportunity and a responsibility to recognize not only catchy tunes on the radio, but the lyrics that will define this generation. We are in a culturally defining time, in which each song and album represents the current state of our society. My hope would be that as a society we continue to encourage artists to push musical boundaries and use their art to enter cultural conversations.
Find a complete list of 2018 Grammy Award winners here.