If your life revolves around music like mine does, there’s a pretty high chance you were tuned into the Grammys on Sunday night. The Recording Academy has hosted the annual event since 1959 for 67 consecutive years, giving praise and recognition to thousands of artists worldwide. It is considered the music industry’s highest honor, causing singers and producers who want to be recognized to dream of receiving an award. The Grammys are also the only peer-based awards in the community, a voting system that has been questioned for years.
Although they cannot vote on the nominations like in other award shows, such as People’s Choice Awards, fans have found other ways to make their voices heard by tweeting or posting on other social media platforms. Needless to say, this sparks fights and other turbulence amongst fandoms who think their favorite artist was snubbed in favor of someone else getting the Grammy. To them, I say, why do you have to diminish someone’s art to make your favorite sound better?
I have been known to be a huge Taylor Swift fan, or “Swiftie,” as we call ourselves. I cheered when she won Album of the Year for folklore in 2021, and I was upset when she didn’t this year for “The Tortured Poets Department.” However, I still cheered when Beyoncé won this year for her album, “COWBOY CARTER.” The difference between me and someone else who might like Swift is that I recognize that praising other artists for their work won’t take away from Swift. I understand that enjoying other music won’t make me any less of a “Swiftie” and that losing awards won’t make her any less deserving.
This applies to every artist, as I also love Sabrina Carpenter and Olivia Rodrigo. I remember logging onto Twitter when the internet was pitting them against each other and seeing fans attack one another, as if you can’t listen to and enjoy both. Well, I do, and now I can celebrate whether Carpenter or Rodrigo wins.
Following the Grammys, many Billie Eilish fan accounts have attacked Beyoncé, who they claimed snubbed Eilish of her well-deserved Album of the Year Grammy. Based on this reaction, one would assume that Eilish has never won a Grammy before. However, she has won nine Grammys in her career and remains the second artist in history to have won all four general categories—Record of the Year, Album of the Year, Song of the Year and Best New Artist—in the same year for her album, “When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?.” She has broken many records and will undoubtedly break many more. It is not Beyoncé’s fault that Eilish lost the Grammy, and anyone should know better than to mess with the Beyhive.
I love Billie Eilish. I love SZA, Kendrick Lamar, Chappel Roan, Noah Kahan, Doechii and possibly anyone you name. I wish they could all win.
The truth is, there will always be someone you might think is more deserving. There will always be someone you consider snubbed. The music industry has given a platform to many talented and hard-working people, and it fails to successfully recognize all of their greatness.
The Grammys, as well as all other award shows, simply aren’t sufficient in measuring grandiosity and determining status. Art is too subjective to be assessed only in comparison to others.
That’s why I think everyone is fangirling wrong except me. While many are concerned with which artist should have won and why, I’m simply enjoying the amazing music that they’re all making. This is not to say people should like every genre of music, but it’s proof that by filling your cup with love, you will have no time to dish out public hate towards things you don’t like. After all, it won’t change the outcome of the award. So, instead of hating the winner, why don’t you give them a try?