The Grammys are an award show presented by the Recording Academy of the United States. The Grammys recognize outstanding achievements in the music industry within the year. The 66th award show took place on Sunday, February 4th, 2024 at 8:00 PM.
Many notable artists were at the Grammys this year including Miley Cyrus, SZA, Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, and Paramore. Some eye-catching red carpet looks include Olivia Rodrigo who wore a simple white dress with pearls that looked similar to the famous Marilyn Monroe dress. As well as Miley Cyrus who wore a very minimalistic dress that mimiced the look of armor which made her look extremely comfortable and mirrored her personality.
Not only are there awards given but various artists perform live. Billie Eilish performed “What Was I Made For?” from the Barbie movie, Tracy Chapman and Luke Combs performed a duet of Chapman’s song “Fast Cars”, and many more. This live music aspect keeps the awards more engaging and entertaining as well as highlighting talent.
“I think the Grammys are interesting because they do a good job at rounding up a year’s worth of music by celebrating and awarding some of the most talented artists,” WCHS sophomore Suki Lin said. “I enjoy the live performances and acceptance speeches, they make it more engaging than just watching people get awards.”
While Taylor Swift fans were completely shocked by the announcement of her new album, “The Tortured Poets Department”, there is some controversy over her announcing something so big at an awards show as big as the Grammys. After Swift received the award for Best Pop Vocal Album she announced her new album, which will be her 11th, during her acceptance speech.
“I think announcing a new album is a good way to kind of thank the fans, it could seem like a tacky grab at publicity if an artist is on stage holding a Grammy,” Lin said. “I think they deserve to announce whatever they want to during their acceptance speech. If anything, it’s kind of thrilling and keeps people on their toes.”
The Grammys also bring controversy over if the winner of the award is the most deserving of the award. While all the artists nominated are extremely talented and have produced good music, there is commonly a ‘fan favorite’ artist who doesn’t always end up winning the award.
There are over 80 categories of awards. This includes “Record of the Year” won by Miley Cyrus, who won her first Grammy this year, “Album of the Year” won by Taylor Swift, “Song of the Year” won by Billie Eilish, “Best Rock Performance” won by boygenius, “Best Rock Album” won by Paramore, and many many more.
“I think the majority of the artists that won were deserving,” WCHS sophomore Sophia Campbell said. “With award shows like the Grammys, there will always be controversy as to who should or shouldn’t have won, but I think the winners this year were pretty well selected. However, Lana Del Rey and Olivia Rodrigo were exceptionally deserving and both were snubbed.”
Overall the Grammys are a well-enjoyed award show that brings attention to deserving artists as one of the biggest accomplishments of many artists’ careers. The Grammys highlight outstanding achievements and talent over a year in an industry that can be very hard to gain such recognition.
“I enjoy watching the Grammys because I love music of all genres,” said Campbell. “I am always excited to see my favorite artists nominated and interacting with one another. The performances are always entertaining from the music to the special effects to the intricate choreography. The glitz and glamour of it all are very fascinating to me.”
