Beyonce made history at Sunday’s Grammys by breaking the record for most wins by a female artist, rapper Megan Thee Stallion swept three gramophones, and pop singer Taylor Swift claimed the top prize at a socially estranged gala that recalled the protests. 2020 anti-racists.
It was a great night for Beyonce, who broke the record for the most award-winning female artist when she received the 28th gramophone of her career.
But it was Taylor Swift who took the Grammy for Album of the Year with “Folklore”, becoming the first female artist to win three times the highest award of the night, at a gala that distributed its main trophies among female artists.
Megan Thee Stallion took home the Best New Artist award and shared with “Queen” Beyonce the Grammys for Best Rap Song and Best Rap Performance for the rapper’s hit remix, “Savage.”
Megan, 26, was also joined by none other than Cardi B to perform “WAP,” a bold celebration of female sexuality that ended with the singers and dancers half-naked on a massive bed.
But the night was filled with other electrifying performances, including those by Dua Lipa, DaBaby, Billie Eilish, Bad Bunny, and Harry Styles.
Eilish, 19, won the Grammy for Record of the Year for the second year in a row for her hit “Everything I Wanted,” after receiving another gold gramophone at an evening edition of the gala.
In thanking the award, Eilish turned to rapper Megan Thee Stallion and said, “You deserve this. You had a great year and I think you are unstoppable. You are a queen. Seriously, this is for her. Can we applaud her please?
Anti-racist protests
Beyonce broke the record when she won Best R&B Performance for her “Black Parade,” a track celebrating black culture and activism during the mass protests sparked by George Floyd’s death in police custody in the summer of 2020.
“As an artist, I think it’s my job and everyone’s job to reflect our time,” said Beyonce upon receiving this award, the fourth of the night. “I wanted to uplift, encourage, celebrate all the beautiful black queens and kings who continue to inspire me and inspire the whole world.”
Critics accused the Recording Academy of having snubbed Beyonce in recent years, denying her top category awards for work that had received critical acclaim. Despite breaking a record, the trend happened again.
In another nod to the anti-racist movement, R&B singer HER kicked off the gala by taking the Song of the Year award for her protest song “I Can’t Breathe,” about the pain of black people and the police brutality.
The 23-year-old artist released this guitar single in June 2020 in the wake of mass protests against racism.
Additionally, activist Tamika Mallory took the stage alongside rapper Lil Baby, who was performing “The Bigger Picture.”
“It has been a terrible year. About 400 terrible years, ”recited Mallory , referring to the beginning of slavery in America. Then, addressing the US president, he added: “(Joe) Biden, we demand justice, fairness, politics and everything that freedom encompasses.”
OK give me!
Puerto Rican reggaeton player Bad Bunny won the Grammy for Best Latin Urban or Pop Album thanks to his “YHLQMDLG”.
“It is very special to be able to achieve dreams simply by doing what I love,” she said, laughing. “It’s like … ok, giving it to me!”
And the Argentine rocker Fito Páez won the gramophone for Best Latin Rock Album, Urban or Alternative with his most recent work, “The conquest of space.”
British star Dua Lipa won Best Pop Vocal Album for her “Future Nostalgia,” a collection of disco tracks released in the early days of the pandemic.
As the main gala kicked off, host Trevor Noah joked that this was the biggest outdoor event of 2021 since the insurrection in Washington in January.
“I know you haven’t been able to go to a concert in a long time, neither have I. So tonight we offer you a concert ” , assured the comedian.
Eilish took the stage next with her hit “Everything I Wanted.”
Although most rock categories were unusually dominated by women, The Strokes won their first Grammy for Best Rock Album for “The New Abnormal.”
And the fickle Kanye West won his 22nd Grammy on Sunday, but not for his usual style: The artist who rose to fame in the rap world now has a Christian music award to his name. (AND)
