The 2024 Grammy Awards left chaos in its wake with fans riled up over the winners. Although I loved all the artists nominated, there was one artist I ached for who did not leave with a gramophone-shaped award.
Taylor Swift won the Album of the Year for “Midnights.” This is her fourth win for Album of the Year, and she became the record holder for the most wins in this category. She brought Lana Del Rey, who was featured on the record, onstage with her, which caused some controversy online.
Del Rey was also nominated in this category for her album, “Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd.” In total, Del Rey received five Grammy nominations this year, and in her entire career, Del Rey has received 11 Grammy nominations, but has had zero wins.
“Justice for Lana Del Rey” was trending on Twitter (X) and fans spoke about how Del Rey looked devastated on the stage while Swift accepted her award. As a Del Rey fan, I was extremely disappointed.
I am a Swiftie through and through, and I was thrilled when Swift announced her new album. It is amazing that she broke a record beating out Frank Sinatra, Stevie Wonder and Paul Simon. But, my heart still broke for Del Rey.
Del Rey’s nominated album was a significant record personally for 2023. The emotionally charged music moved me to tears when I listened to it, and I even made a pearl necklace with “A” and “W” charms on it in honor of her track “A&W.”
I wanted Del Rey to win a Grammy because she has had such an impact on the music industry. In her acceptance speech, Swift described Del Rey as a “legacy artist, a legend in her prime right now.” I share this sentiment with many other fans who felt that Del Rey was robbed of her first win.
As a steadfast fan, I was furious to see many TikTok’s focusing on her loss. Yet another great artist unrecognized for her work. A common theme on her album was the sentiment, “Don’t forget me,” which made the loss so much worse.
The Grammy Awards are not an accurate representation of the music industry. Many groundbreaking artists have not been recognized by The Grammy Awards. The band Queen does not have any Grammy’s, despite having one of the most recognizable discographies decades after they stopped making music. Many influential artists such as ABBA, Arctic Monkeys and Diana Ross, among many others, have been overlooked by The Grammy Awards.
This event is marketed as the highest honor in music, but if that were the case, different people would win the awards, rather than the same individuals winning over and over again.
Lana Del Rey is a phenomenal artist who makes impactful music that future generations will cherish, whether or not The Grammy Awards decide to open their eyes and award those continuously forgotten for their extraordinary careers.