Dear Beyoncé, Don’t Go Back To the Grammys
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Four times, Beyoncé, one of the most prolific artists of our time, has been snubbed by the Grammy’s for Album Of The Year. Four times.
While many of us long ago gave up the need for validation from “established“ entities, folks cannot in good faith look at this situation and say this woman was not robbed.
No shade to Harry Styles, the winner of this year’s Album of the Year. I’m sure he’s a nice person. He makes good music. Outside of the comment he made during his acceptance for Album of the Year where he said “This doesn’t happen to people like me,” a comment which I believe was ill advised coming from a popular white man in an industry that still listens to, caters to, and bends backwards to honor white men. Otherwise, I don’t have any issue with Harry.
Beyoncé who, with her last win for Best Electronic/Dance Album of the year, made history twice for being the first Black Woman to win for that category and for being the most awarded artist in Grammy history. Yet, not once has this most awarded artist received album of the year.
No, I’m not one who believes that Beyoncé is entitled to win every category she’s nominated. But album of the year? For an album where she released the music alone, no visuals, no tricks or gimmicks and was met with record success? For an album where currently there are hundreds of thousands of people waiting in cues across the globe to attend her concert? If not before, this year should have been her year to receive Album of the Year.
In the Grammy’s sixty-four year history, there have been only been three Black women to win Album Of The Year; Natalie Cole, Whitney Houston and Lauryn Hill. Lauren Hill won her Grammy for the Miseducation of Lauryn Hill in 1999. There has not been a single Black Woman…