The recent 2023 Grammy Award Winners have brought about a lot of controversies. To be honest, I think that a lot of the controversy is quite unnecessary. To be clear: I firmly believe that everyone that was nominated or won this year deserved every second. However, I don’t necessarily agree with some of the winners and I thought that it would be interesting to list who I think should have won some of the Grammy categories and why.
Record of the year:
This was a tough debate for me, as they were all strong contenders. I was really between two songs, but after a lot of thought, I think that the winner should have been Bad Habit by Steve Lacy. This song shaped his music career as we know it and was so widely known, so quickly. Though it isn’t a timeless record, I do think that it was a staple song for 2022.
Album of the year:
This category was a bit more difficult to decide on because I haven’t heard all of the albums. However, based on what I have heard, I think that the album of the year should have been either Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers by Kendrick Lamar or Harry’s House by Harry Styles. So many people invested in these albums when they were released. Not to mention, every song on both of these albums were absolutely stunning.
Song of the year:
Now for the most controversial category. I do not agree with this year’s winner at all, Just Like That by Bonnie Raitt. I have heard on numerous occasions that no one has heard of this song or the artist before and considering the songs that it was up against, the announcement was quite surprising. To be honest, I think that All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (The Short Film) by Taylor Swift should have won. To make things clear, I am not a “Swiftie” but, I adore this song. I think that she was able to completely rejuvenate this song and make it her own. She deserves all of the credit for this song and she did a brilliant job with the short film.
Best pop solo performance:
This was another category where every contender would have been a good choice. I love Adele’s Easy On Me. Though, I do think that As It Was by Harry Styles could have won. As It Was is a feel-good song that never really gets old. I feel like you are able to enjoy it at any moment, while Easy On Me is a much more mellow and relaxing song.
Best pop vocal album:
This category winner was a pretty easy choice for me. I believe that Harry’s House by Harry Styles was the best choice to secure this category. I think that his album was the most popular out of all of the contestants and caused the biggest uproar when it came out.
Best alternative music performance:
I think that the winner for best alternative music performance, Wet Leg by Wet Leg, was the correct choice. If you haven’t listened to Wet Leg before, I recommend it. Their music is quite unique and not a lot of people have a liking for it, but I think that it is very enjoyable, depending on your music taste.
Best rap album:
The last category that I am going to touch on is the best rap album. I think that Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers by Kendrick Lamar deserved this Grammy. Every song on his album was unique, artistic, captivating, and enjoyable. Personally, I feel that anyone, regardless of whether they like rap music or not, can find a song from this album that they like.