The 66th Grammy Awards seemed to proceed as planned on Sunday, despite occurring during the year’s most significant storm. However, this turned out to be the main issue.
The live broadcast from Crypto.com Arena in downtown L.A. at the time saw minimal mistakes, disruptions, or speeches filled with bleeps. Performances by Dua Lipa, SZA, and Travis Scott went smoothly. Trevor Noah, hosting for the fourth time, executed his emcee routine flawlessly, making the unpredictable comedian appear quite predictable. As anticipated, Taylor Swift secured the Album of the Year award once again.
While some may argue that Swift winning the top prize is a conspiracy, breaking the record she shared with Frank Sinatra, Paul Simon, and Stevie Wonder for the most wins in that category, it’s not logical to blame the Pentagon or the NFL. The shortcomings of the 2024 Grammys lie squarely on the Recording Academy, which, in its preference for the safe and familiar, consistently puts pressure on performances and winners to surprise the audience. Unfortunately, this year, producers had little luck in achieving that.
Aside from a bold speech by Jay-Z and a poignant performance by Joni Mitchell, her first-ever at the Grammys, the three-plus-hour ceremony proceeded so smoothly that one might find themselves yearning for the chaotic Grammys of the past. Those events, with their rambling speeches, flawed production concepts, political shout-outs, and impassioned yet messy sets, made history. Moments like ODB and Kanye crashing the stage or Lizzo taking a swig from a flask after losing Song of the Year only to win Album of the Year later were embodiments of the rebellion and impulsiveness that define the best popular music, whether it’s hip-hop, rock, or dance. Unfortunately, this spontaneity was largely absent on Sunday, despite the formidable talent present.
Tracy Chapman’s rendition of “Fast Car” with nominee Luke Combs and Billie Eilish’s performance of “What Was I Made For?” from the movie “Barbie,” which won Song of the Year, were beautiful moments. However, these alone couldn’t inject adrenaline into the show.
Jay-Z disrupted the routine when accepting the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award, calling out the Recording Academy for consistently snubbing Black artists. He emphasized the historical and present difficulty for the Recording Academy to embrace the work of Black and female artists, pointing out that even Beyoncé, with the most Grammys, never won Album of the Year.
Despite the exciting overwhelming number of female nominees, many of them women of color, the ceremony failed to convey the exhilarating picture of music’s future as portrayed by the diverse crop of nominees. Instead, it often felt as stagnant as Noah’s jokes about the L.A. weather or his request for a prescription from Dr. Dre. When even the host appears bored, a bit of chaos could have added much-needed excitement to the event.
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