I have noticed a trend at the Grammys, other award shows, and life in general: When two women are involved in the same industry, society automatically assumes they are enemies. I’m sure we are all familiar with situation like this, which pin two women against each other. This was the case with Adele and Beyoncé at this year’s Grammys. There is no doubt both these women had incredible years, both releasing widely successful albums, but as we know only one can win. I am not bashing competition, but out of the 5 nominees in the category, these two (note: the only two women nominated, funny huh?) were positioned as opposing each other. Adele proves that she has nothing but respect and admiration for Beyoncé by dedicating over half of her Album of the Year acceptance speech to thank Beyoncé for her Lemonade album.
Adele’s speech, though short, touches on many pressing topics in our world today. She says Beyoncé is “the artist of [her] lifetime” because she released such a vulnerable yet empowering album. Adele even says that this album was monumental because it “empowers her black friends.” While some people were taken aback by this comment, many people appreciated Adele speaking candidly about how people of minorities may experience music differently, and how important it is to legitimize their experience and make sure people feel represented in widely popular events like the Grammy Awards.
I think we all can appreciate Adele and like her, learn to acknowledge the accomplishments of other women without doubting our own success.