Every year on February 2nd, creators and fans alike hold their breath as the Recording Academy decides which artist deserves their flowers and, of course, a golden record player. This year was especially revolutionary in many ways. From Cowboy Carter to Chappell Roan to Doechii, the Recording Academy, artists, and many other celebrities made the 2025 Grammys unforgettable.
Doechii to Chappell Roan
Starting strong, the Grammys did amazing this year in awarding new and upcoming artists the recognition they deserve. Doechii (an artist who has been in the game for 7 years) and her masterpiece of an album, Alligator Bites Never Heal, winning Best Rap Album went down in history for being the 3rd Black woman to win this award. Her music has always been incredible, and I am glad the Recording Academy has finally recognized it. Alligator Bites Never Heal is a show-stopping album coupled with an equally show-stopping performance. Doechii’s stage presence and lyrical genius is unmatched, and she is well on her way to becoming a staple in households.
As far as staples go, Chappell Roan has become one in not only the queer community but in the Gen Z community as well. Rising to viral fame in early 2024, the name Chappell Roan soon became synonymous with breakthroughs and revolutions: drawing one of the largest crowds ever seen in Lollapalooza history, her Grammy nominations in Best New Artist, Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Pop Solo Performance, Album of the Year, Best Pop Vocal Album are no surprise. Although she only won Best New Artist, she is right up there with Doechii in having the most potential in the future of the music industry. Having every guest at the Grammys singing along to one of her songs during her performance is proof enough that her career is going places.
Starting strong, the Grammys did amazing this year in awarding new and upcoming artists the recognition they deserve. Doechii (an artist who has been in the game for 7 years) and her masterpiece of an album, Alligator Bites Never Heal, winning Best Rap Album went down in history for being the 3rd Black woman to win this award. Her music has always been incredible, and I am glad the Recording Academy has finally recognized it. Alligator Bites Never Heal is a show-stopping album coupled with an equally show-stopping performance. Doechii’s stage presence and lyrical genius is unmatched, and she is well on her way to becoming a staple in households.
As far as staples go, Chappell Roan has become one in not only the queer community but in the Gen Z community as well. Rising to viral fame in early 2024, the name Chappell Roan soon became synonymous with breakthroughs and revolutions: drawing one of the largest crowds ever seen in Lollapalooza history, her Grammy nominations in Best New Artist, Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Pop Solo Performance, Album of the Year, Best Pop Vocal Album are no surprise. Although she only won Best New Artist, she is right up there with Doechii in having the most potential in the future of the music industry. Having every guest at the Grammys singing along to one of her songs during her performance is proof enough that her career is going places.
Cowboy Carter or Hit Me Hard And Soft?: The Album of the Year Debacle
One of the biggest debates that came from this Grammys season was who should win Album of the Year. With an all-star list of nominees including Cowboy Carter by Beyoncé, Short n’ Sweet by Sabrina Carpenter, Brat by Charli XCX, New Blue Sun by André 3000, The Tortured Poet Department by Taylor Swift, Hit Me Hard and Soft by Billie Eilish, Djesse Vol. 4 by Jacob Collier, and The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess by Chappell Roan, the decision was tough for fans and Academy voters alike. However, the true battle came after the winner was announced. After winning Best Country Album, the first Black Woman to accomplish this, Beyoncé took to the stage to accept Album of the Year. This being her first Album of the Year award, the BeyHive was abuzz. On the other hand, with zero wins under her belt for 2025, Billie Eilish could be seen wiping away tears and her dedicated fans enraged. The debate began. Beyoncé has been considered, especially recently, to be unworthy of the awards she is winning as well as paying her way to them. This only increased more with her winning over Billie Eilish. Many fans took to TikTok and other social media platforms to say that Billie was snubbed and they had never even heard of Cowboy Carter. They claimed that Hit Me Hard and Soft deserved it as it is the work that Billie is most proud of and much more well-known and popular than Cowboy Carter. Beyoncé fans shot back with arguments on musical differences and what the Grammys considers revolutionary.
This sparks an interesting question: What makes an album an Album of the Year? At the end of the day, it is completely subjective. What one person considers trash, another may consider treasure. In my opinion, Beyoncé’s album (although I did not enjoy it as much as Hit Me Hard and Soft) is the album that should have won the award. While Hit Me Hard and Soft is by far one of Billie’s best works, Cowboy Carter carries a different message. Using her incredible storytelling abilities, Beyoncé sings about the origin of the country genre, which would not have been possible without Black people. The erasure of Black people in the country genre was brought to light through this album and with that effect, it deserves Album of the Year. Do I think that Cowboy Carter--out of all Beyoncé’s nominated albums for Album of the Year (Lemonade, Renaissance, Cowboy Carter)--was deserving? No, Lemonade should have won! However, this win was a long time coming and not surprising. Billie Eilish won Album of the Year with When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?, a well-deserved victory, and it is time for Beyoncé’s turn at this monumental recognition.
One of the biggest debates that came from this Grammys season was who should win Album of the Year. With an all-star list of nominees including Cowboy Carter by Beyoncé, Short n’ Sweet by Sabrina Carpenter, Brat by Charli XCX, New Blue Sun by André 3000, The Tortured Poet Department by Taylor Swift, Hit Me Hard and Soft by Billie Eilish, Djesse Vol. 4 by Jacob Collier, and The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess by Chappell Roan, the decision was tough for fans and Academy voters alike. However, the true battle came after the winner was announced. After winning Best Country Album, the first Black Woman to accomplish this, Beyoncé took to the stage to accept Album of the Year. This being her first Album of the Year award, the BeyHive was abuzz. On the other hand, with zero wins under her belt for 2025, Billie Eilish could be seen wiping away tears and her dedicated fans enraged. The debate began. Beyoncé has been considered, especially recently, to be unworthy of the awards she is winning as well as paying her way to them. This only increased more with her winning over Billie Eilish. Many fans took to TikTok and other social media platforms to say that Billie was snubbed and they had never even heard of Cowboy Carter. They claimed that Hit Me Hard and Soft deserved it as it is the work that Billie is most proud of and much more well-known and popular than Cowboy Carter. Beyoncé fans shot back with arguments on musical differences and what the Grammys considers revolutionary.
This sparks an interesting question: What makes an album an Album of the Year? At the end of the day, it is completely subjective. What one person considers trash, another may consider treasure. In my opinion, Beyoncé’s album (although I did not enjoy it as much as Hit Me Hard and Soft) is the album that should have won the award. While Hit Me Hard and Soft is by far one of Billie’s best works, Cowboy Carter carries a different message. Using her incredible storytelling abilities, Beyoncé sings about the origin of the country genre, which would not have been possible without Black people. The erasure of Black people in the country genre was brought to light through this album and with that effect, it deserves Album of the Year. Do I think that Cowboy Carter--out of all Beyoncé’s nominated albums for Album of the Year (Lemonade, Renaissance, Cowboy Carter)--was deserving? No, Lemonade should have won! However, this win was a long time coming and not surprising. Billie Eilish won Album of the Year with When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?, a well-deserved victory, and it is time for Beyoncé’s turn at this monumental recognition.
Suffice to say, this Grammys season was something to remember. Many other amazing moments should be remembered such as the countless amazing performances and speeches that occurred, the calls to action in politics, and incredible wins in other categories with artists like Kendrick Lamar sweeping in every nominated category (for a diss track at that). Going hand in hand with these wins are some not-so-good instances. With Trevor Noah’s tone-deaf and immature but unsurprising jokes about Class-A felonies in Colombia and undocumented immigrants and the interesting but strange Quincy Jones tribute, there was no doubt a fair share of cringe-worthy and weird occurrences. However, all award shows have their moments, let’s not forget the infamous slap. Overall, this Grammys was one of the best I have ever seen with many artists receiving credit where credit was due. Although there is still discourse surrounding certain victories/losses and other points, the overarching success is incredible. Hopefully, next year will be just as fulfilling, and maybe more, as this year.
