Dear Grammys, Beyoncé Deserved Album of the Year Win

Beyonce at the 2023 Grammy Awards

*Introducing the Pop Culture Series. These are the stories in the here and now, the ones that are in the news and making waves.

On Sunday night, the 65th Annual Grammy Awards managed to provide many memorable moments during this year’s telecast. An electrifying tribute to celebrate hip-hop’s 50th anniversary. Lizzo took home the award for Record of the Year. Quavo and Maverick City Music paid tribute to late rapper and fellow Migos member Takeoff and other musicians who passed in the last year. A closing performance from DJ Khaled that included JAY-Z rapping his 4 minute long and much-hyped verse in God Did. Samara Joy, a new and very talented vocalist, won Best New Artist. And, Viola Davis was elevated to EGOT status after her Grammy win. The ceremony provided plenty of star wattage and competition was strong. Bad Bunny, Adele, Lizzo, Harry Styles, and Taylor Swift were some of the major stars competing for Grammy gold, but all eyes were unequivocally on Beyoncé. It was her night to shine. Ultimately, Beyoncé made history as the most awarded artist in Grammy history. She took home a total of four awards from nine nominations: Best R&B Song, Best Traditional R&B Performance, Best Dance Recording, and Best Dance/Electronic Album. These wins brought her to a total amount of 32 wins throughout her career. She also made history as the first Black female to win Best Dance/Electronic Album.

At first glance, it seemed that the Grammys were finally getting it right and were able to lure viewers in. However, for as many aspects that the Grammys got right, there were aspects that they got wrong, terribly wrong. For so many pop divas to be present, neither Beyoncé, Adele, Taylor Swift, nor SZA performed. Kendrick Lamar didn’t perform despite winning Best Rap Album, Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song. But, the night’s most memorable mistake was in the Album of the Year category. Leading up to the ceremony, many industry insiders and media outlets expected Beyoncé to win the night’s highest honor. If she did take the trophy, it would be her first time doing so. Instead, in a shocking upset, Harry Styles was called as the winner. While Harry Styles certainly had a large presence in pop culture last year due to his hit As It Was and made a solid album in Harry’s House, Beyoncé undoubtedly should’ve won. Beyoncé’s talent was acknowledged by the Grammys but in another aspect, she was again disrespected.

Beyoncé’s Renaissance

Renaissance, her seventh studio album, was the most acclaimed album of 2022. The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, NPR, Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, and many others praised Queen Bey for her culture shifting, history teaching body of work and rated the album number 1. Renaissance debuted at number 1 on the Billboard 200 and produced Break My Soul, her first number 1 single since 2008’s Single Ladies. Cuff It, the album’s second single reached the top 10. As successful as Beyoncé has become, this is not her first snub in the Album of the Year category. This makes the fourth time that the singer has been passed over. The Grammys have a history of snubbing Beyoncé in the major categories while only honoring her in genre based categories. However, she did win Song of the Year in 2010 for Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It). Beyoncé, her self-titled album was a surprise release, heavily influencing other artists to do the same and seemed to reinvent the industry’s record release day from Tuesday to Friday. She lost the Album of the Year award to Beck in 2015. Lemonade, considered by many to be her magnum opus, lost to Adele’s 25 and even Adele was shocked. The album touched on Black feminism, police brutality, marriage and infidelity, generational curses, and more. While many artists seem to worry only about making new music with each of their projects, Beyoncé looks to consistently reinvent the industry. While the Grammys have failed her, the singer doesn’t seem to mind too much. When she accepted her award onstage, she gave a speech that seemed genuine and grateful. She also gave a standing ovation to her fellow nominees when they accepted their awards.

Over time, Beyoncé has proven herself to be an artist who makes cultural statements, becoming less concerned with conventional pop stardom. Her focus seems to be on making complete albums with less concern for radio friendly singles and traditional album release strategies. This became increasingly apparent after her album 4. Her cultural relevance would increase with albums Beyoncé, Lemonade, and Renaissance and in performances like the Super Bowl 50 Halftime Show and Coachella. While the release strategy for Renaissance mirrored a traditional one, Beyonce still did things in her own way. A single was released ahead of the album but no visuals have been released. To date, the only visual marketing that has been available are short video clips and TikTok dance compilations from fans. Beyoncé has become an influential force in the industry and instead of following current trends, she chooses to challenge the status quo. Following Beyoncé, Beyoncé has become more socially conscious, political, and pro-Black in her musical catalogue and the results have sent her stardom to the stratosphere. While she usually appealed to the urban community in the past, she wasn’t as bold with her delivery in the mainstream.

Renaissance was a splendid dance masterpiece. An expansive album, it explored many genres including R&B/soul, hip-hop, house, techno, and disco. It included samples and interpolations inside the music that followed decades of Black and queer music that was too often forgotten, neglected, or undiscovered. Artists that were sampled or interpolated on the record include Robin S., Big Freedia, Right Said Fred, Honey Dijon, Donna Summer, Moi Renee, Kevin Aviance, Kelis, and Teena Marie. At the time, such heavy sampling caused controversy and criticism. Kelis even went as far as to share her beef with Beyonce, Pharrell, and Chad Hugo on Instagram. While Kelis shared her frustration, Robin S. seemed grateful to be sampled by pop’s current queen. But, without the amount of sampling done, Renaissance might not have been as significant.

And there’s a heavy significance in songs like Break My Soul. The house infused song samples the 1990’s hit Show Me Love by Robin S. When the song debuted, it seemed like a new and surprising twist for Beyoncé. The song was infusing a Black American dance genre and tradition, one that hadn’t been in the mainstream for a while. House music has historically been played at urban clubs and lounges as early as the 1970s, offering Black, Latino, and queer communities a safe space. These venues offered support and refuge for attendees when other spaces weren’t as welcoming. In Pure/Honey, Beyoncé leans heavily into ballroom culture and samples Kevin Aviance and Moi Renee, two queer ballroom icons. There are splashes of disco too, in Summer Renaissance, where she samples Donna Summer’s I Feel Love. In Plastic Off The Sofa, Beyoncé channels ‘70s soul and disco while showcasing some glorious vocal technique. In Cozy, one of the album’s unapologetic pro-Black tracks, the singer seems to lean into amapiano and features a powerful sample by TS Madison about Black pride.

Renaissance is also the product of an artist who has her finger on the pulse of society. Conceived during the Covid-19 pandemic, Beyoncé made music that spoke to the isolation and fear that was prevalent during that time. Additionally, she added historical references to educate while entertaining. She made music that inspired joy and dance during a time when a resurgence was happening and society was returning to normal. She’s an artist who captures the zeitgeist and anticipates what’s next to come. The question remains: why do the Grammys consistently ignore a musical titan like Beyoncé? The Recording Academy offered more diverse and inclusive options at this year’s show but they failed to make a necessary statement when it was most needed. By not awarding Beyoncé the Album of the Year award, the Grammys failed not only Beyoncé but their purported efforts. Again, they failed to recognize a Black artist at the height of their career and pop culture.

In Renaissance, Beyoncé made an album that was necessary, not just one that was easily digestible. In it, she sounded confident, uninhibited, joyful, erotic, and provocative. It was an album that captured the last few unforgettable years. If the Grammys want to continue their diversity efforts, they should give one of the most important artists of our time her proper respect.