2023 Grammys Report

Lucy Facer breaks down this year's winners, newcomers and returning stars

THE 65th Grammy Awards on 5th February made history in many ways, and reflected how the music industry and the way we consume music has evolved. The night saw Beyoncé break the record for most Grammys won by a single artist, when she won Best Dance/Electronic Album, her 32nd award, for her latest album Renaissance , a landmark achievement despite never having won the coveted Album of the Year. Instead, this went to Harry Styles, who was nominated for an impressive six awards, of which he won two.

Other notable winners in cluded Lizzo, who took home Record of the Year for ‘About Damn Time’, and Adele, who won Best Pop Solo Performance for ‘Easy On Me’. Newcomers Wet Leg expressed sheer disbelief at winning two awards in the Alternative category, whilst former Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne triumphed in the Rock category, his first win since 1994.

Not only did this year’s awards indicate a rapidly diversifying musical landscape, but they also suggested progress in recognising the variety of voices that have contributed to music historically. Kim Petras became the first transgender woman to win a Grammy, with ‘Unholy’ winning the award for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, though not without controversy. The pair’s performance of the song at the ceremony received backlash online for supposedly promoting devil worship, but were defended by Madonna, who said, “if they call you shocking, scandalous, troublesome, problematic, provocative or dangerous, you are definitely onto something”.

Similarly, Beyoncé thanked her queer fans by acknowledging the LGBTQ+ community’s contribution to dance and electronic music. Another milestone moment was the celebration of 50 years of hip-hop in a collaborative mashup performed by iconic artists such as Nelly, Queen Latifah, Missy Elliott and Salt-N-Pepa. This shows the Recording Academy’s growing willingness to platform artists and genres that have previously been overlooked, by honouring their roles in past and present music.

It’s impossible to ignore how instrumental the internet, particularly TikTok, has become in our listening habits. This has led to doubts about whether the Recording Academy could keep up with the fast pace of streaming and the shortened cycle of songs becoming viral online. However, the Grammys remain an authoritative voice in mainstream music, reflecting the popularity of artists who emerged on these platforms.

One example of this is Gayle, whose song ‘ABCDEFU’ was conceived as a response to a TikTok comment. However, this was later revealed to be a marketing ploy set up by her record label, which calls into question the place of viral hits in the awards. Perhaps this is something for the Academy to consider in future years, as online marketing of music becomes the norm. If there are categories for soundtracks, audiobooks and music films, would having a category for music popularised online really be so far-fetched?

Regardless, online ex posure arguably was one of the biggest factors in many artists’ success at this year’s Grammys, such as Steve Lacy, who won Best Progressive R&B album and performed his chart-topping single ‘Bad Habit’. Lacy’s years of experience as a guitarist for the band The Internet and producing for influential artists like Kendrick Lamar suggests that online success and artistic merit are not mutually exclusive. Despite the achievement of some, the usual claims of artists being snubbed persist. Some surprising losses were Diana Ross, who lost to Michael Bublé for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album, and Björk, who was beaten by Wet Leg for Best Alternative Album. Personally, I think that Florence + The Machine and Big Thief were strong contenders in the Alternative category as talented female-fronted bands, yet it is inevitable for fans to be disappointed. The appeal of these awards seems to be the discussion that they generate about personal taste and, though most of us hesitate to admit this, they satisfy our appetite for celebrity glamour and gossip. Ultimately, the awards fulfilled their purpose by providing a night of entertainment that highlighted the defining musical trends of the past year.

THE musical comeback phenomenon is one that has been executed in an abundance of ways, throughout the music industry and its umbrella genres. From the likes of MAGIC! Attempting, and ultimately failing, to return to the charts after their one-hit-wonder ‘Rude’ in 2014, to the recent resurgence of Rihanna, rebounding from a hiatus seems to go one of two ways in the music industry.

Despite some already popular artists like Beyoncé returning and immediately regaining their popularity due to the significance of their name, it is incredibly easy to disappoint fans. If the music doesn’t sound the same or, alternatively, if nothing new and authentic has been added to the sound, the comeback tends to be unsuccessful. In recent years, it seems that 2010s pop music icons have been making their comebacks, and everyone is completely ready for it.

Rising to fame with her father’s name and a Disney Channel show, Miley Cyrus has created her own music since the days of Hannah Montana and ‘Party in the U.S.A'. However, her post-Disney hiatus and return in 2013 with the album Bangerz left many original fans shocked at her newfound image. Though this new Mi- ley was given the nickname 'twerk addict', without the limitations of the Disney channel sweetheart persona, it allowed Cyrus to reveal who she really was, and within this album, she released a range of break-up ballads including the renowned ‘Wrecking Ball’. Cyrus now possessed a new image, rocking a shorter hairstyle and a new wardrobe, free from the elaborate layering and colours of the Disney stylists. She also changed how her music sounded — instead of her softer, fulfilling-your-teens tunes, Cyrus let all of her emotions out, depicting her heartbreak over Liam Hemsworth.

Similarly, at the beginning of this year, Cyrus released ‘Flowers’, another comeback song targeted towards Hemsworth. The song encapsulates his betrayal, and her manipulation of the lyrics to Bruno Mars’ ‘When I Was Your Man’, a song played at their wedding, is so intricately clever. Once again, her sound has changed and become more rock-like and powerful, steering further away from the 'pop princess' image. Overall, though Cyrus has had a sequence of musical comebacks, each time her sound and image has changed, aimed towards the stage of her life she is currently in. Cyrus is so successful in each of her comebacks because her original Disney channel fans have grown up listening to her and followed her throughout each of these stages, relating to some themselves. Whilst one pop icon has recently re-emerged into the spotlight after a hiatus, another has too. Best known for her hits in the early 2010s, Rihanna is reportedly preparing for a comeback tour, ignited by her performance at the Super Bowl last month. Her performance was a reminder of her powerful voice and through a medley of her iconic hits, she was exhilarating. Though she may be played on repeat in clubs, Rihanna hasn’t released any new music since her 2016 album Anti, aside from appearing on the ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ soundtrack. While Rihanna didn’t completely disappear from the spotlight and maintained her acting career, including starring in Ocean’s 8 in 2018, this recent musical comeback will definitely be one to look forward to. Whether she changes stylistically or maintains her iconic sound of the 2010s, Rihanna’s comeback will see her travelling the world and hopefully performing in the U.K. for the first time since 2016.