Good enough to be nominated, too black to win… until now?
Twenty-five years after her solo debut, three nominations, and crossing four different genres, Beyonce finally achieved what was dubbed impossible for black female musicians by winning Album of the Year at the 67th annual Grammy Awards. Her most recent album, Cowboy Carter, is a letter to America, and it came at the perfect time; many critics have regarded the album as one of the most innovative music releases of this decade. Across all of Beyonce’s Album of the Year nominations, she has completely reinvented herself and set a new standard in the music industry, only for the Grammys to award and praise a different nominee.
Beyonce became the first black woman to win the Album of the Year award in the 21st century, since Lauryn Hill in 1999. At the 66th Grammys, SZA’s SOS was the clear front runner for the Album of the Year race, and when it came time to award her for it, it was controversially given to Taylor Swift’s Midnights. This made it Taylor’s record-breaking 4th Album of the Year award despite not being the best album nominated or even measuring up to Taylor’s previous win with Folklore. SZA was too black for the Grammys, in the same way that Beyonce had been. SOS had taken over culturally and in nearly every metric used to measure chart success. While the Grammys do not award and honor for chart success, Midnight’s winning felt like a slap across the face as a fan of music across all genres. SOS had multiple hits off the album, chart success, and more than enough critical acclaim to have the award in the bag, and yet, as always, it still was not enough.
The Grammy’s unprecedented embracing of newer artists at this year’s ceremony shows they are genuinely following through with their words and ushering in a new era of musical innovation. That had always been a part of their marketing gimmick, and yet when it was time for the body of voters to put their money where their mouth was, the mark was always severely missed. This year, a lot of black musical history was made, especially with a rapper named Doechii, who became the 4th black woman in history to win Best Rap Album. An openly queer black woman winning an award that the Grammy voting body would much instead give to white men. Joining such a small but iconic group of women is what the Grammys are about. Rewarding the best of the best and allowing them to revel in their artistry.
With Beyonce being rumored to be releasing a rock album as act 3 of her three-act project, as a fan, I’m left wondering what’s next for her awards-wise. She has a Grammy in nearly all genres; despite being shunned by country music awards and many country listeners, her work of art was recognized as the Best Country Album of 2024. Her work on Cowboy Carter, being as authentic and career-defining as it is, leaves the door open for black artists in the country to make their mark. Shaboozey, a black country artist featured on Cowboy Carter, went on to have one of the biggest songs of the decade after having a mainstream launch of his career on Cowboy Carter. Whether the country industry likes it or not, Shaboozey is one of the key pieces needed for the future of country music. This is precisely why Beyonce’s exploration of genres across her music is essential; far too many black artists in these gate-kept genres are overflowing with talent, just waiting for someone to hear their voice.
The Grammys’ segment on their previous grievances towards black artists and the academy’s lack of transparency sets the tone for this new era of the Grammys. Hopefully, they will stop profiting off the names, cultures and art created by black people and finally begin giving them their due credit by rewarding them for their work.