By Maya Gambhir, Staff Writer
Complete with dazzling outfits, flashing cameras, shining trophies, and show-stopping performances, the Grammys took place this past weekend, February 2. With a viewership of over 15.4 million, it seems as though nearly every River Hill student was invested in that eventful Sunday evening, Music’s Biggest Night now being River Hill’s Biggest Lunch Table Topic.
Every February, the Grammy Awards are hosted by the Recording Academy, the members of which vote for winners among some of the biggest music projects released over the past year. The Grammys consists of 94 categories, but the “big four” are Album of the Year, Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best New Artist.
On the evening of the Grammys, awards were interspersed with several performances, including Sabrina Carpenter, Benson Boone, Billie Eilish, Doechii, and Charli XCX. Junior Sharvi Wankhade remarked that “everything about Doechii’s performance was really amazing, and she reminds me a lot of Tyler, the Creator,” and especially “the choreography…was perfect.” Wankhade was also excited about Sabrina Carpenter’s performance, noting “I think she’s really bringing back the type of performances we saw from pop artists earlier.” Another notable and highly discussed moment of the performance was “the tribute to Quincy Jones with Stevie Wonder,” which, according to Senior Karell Clement, “was powerful”
The big winners of the night were Kendrick Lamar, whose hit Not Like Us secured both Record and Song of the Year; Beyoncé, whose eighth studio album COWBOY CARTER was awarded Album of the Year, and Chappel Roan, who earned Best New Artist.
However, as awards were presented, controversy began to erupt as well. Junior Samara Winrose, for one, “really felt Billie [Eilish] deserved Album of the Year,” explaining that it “has elements of a concept album which sets it apart from anything else nominated, so it was a bit disappointing to see it wasn’t recognized.” However, despite much of the internet being passionately pitted against Beyoncé, many River Hill students feel that it’s a bit overkill. Sharvi Wankhade also remarked, “it touches on a lot of important issues and topics regarding her culture and identity, so I can see why it won.”
Another controversy that came with this year’s award ceremony was Kendrick Lamar’s winning of two major categories with one record. Junior Elise Marcus explains that, in her opinion, “Not Like Us was good enough for [Song of the Year] in terms of the writing but to me the production was not outstanding enough to award it [Record of the Year] as well.” Other notable nominations for Record of the Year included Billie Eilish’s Birds of a Feather, Sabrina Carpenter’s Espresso, the the Beatles Now and Then.
From a broader perspective, Sophia Chudnovsky remarked “It was so powerful to see the LA firefighters attending, and all of the wildfire relief efforts that the Grammys focused on this year. ” In light of the California fires, the Grammys pivoted to support MusiCares Fire Relief, a campaign dedicated to providing support for those affected. During such a difficult time, the Grammys ceremony was able to bring people together to celebrate, express gratitude to those who serve us, and award music artists who connect with us through music.
This year’s Grammy Award ceremony was certainly one for the books, with both social media and hallway discussions lingering even weeks later. Music is a central part of our community here at River Hill, which can be mirrored today by many school-wide discussions about Music’s Biggest Night. Only a few weeks out, many River Hill music enthusiasts are already eagerly awaiting seeing and connecting with their favorite artists at next year’s Grammy Awards!