I can’t believe I’m about to type this, but for once in my lifetime (a mere 27 years), the Grammys actually got it right—well, mostly. The 67th annual Grammy Awards happened last night, and it wasn’t just an evening of the industry patting itself on the back. Instead, it was a mix of genuine surprises, overdue wins, and moments that had the internet in a chokehold. From Beyoncé’s historic victories to entertaining and vocally sound performances (I’m looking at you, Chappell Roan and Doechii), the night felt like a rare alignment of the Recording Academy’s taste with, well, reality.
Of course, it had its awkward moments, but all in all, Sunday night’s telecast felt like a real celebration of the actual music.
With that being said, let’s dive into all the moments that made us cheer, cringe, and tweet in all caps.
Billie Eilish “Birds of a Feather” really is THAT song
Despite her mic being kind of low, Billie Eilish’s performance of her hit “Birds of a Feather” reminded me how beautiful and tragic that song’s lyrics are and how and angelic the music makes you feel. This was the real start of the show.
Sabrina Carpenter bought much-needed humor
We’ve all heard how pop music made a major comeback this past year. Sabrina Carpenter’s performance was kind of a testament to that. It was full of energy, a little comedy (the backup vocalists singing “Someone's getting fired” comes to mind), and, of course, the hits. She reminded (or showed) the crowd she was truly made for this pop star shit.
Doechii’s big win
Before I even write about Doechii, I have to acknowledge that no one in that room has more personality than Cardi B. Now, with that out the way, it was obvious as soon as she hit the stage that Doechii was going to win this award, and her heartfelt speech encouraging other Black women to keep going, despite setbacks, was the probably the best part of the night.
IDK. I think Beyoncé was genuinely surprised.
Beyoncé’s reaction to her Best Country Album win immediately unlocked a new meme. There’s been discussion on whether it was genuine. Personally, I think she was actually surprised, considering she didn’t receive a single CMA nomination. So to go on to win an even bigger award in the same genre would surprise me, too.
The Grammys should keep the Best New Artist performances
One of the standouts of this year’s telecast was the performance segment featuring the Best New Artist nominees. This addition is a serious improvement to the flow of the show and should be kept for future shows, since it showcases the artists’ diverse talents and the reasons behind their nominations.
And Chappell Roan’s speech should wake people up
If there’s one thing for certain, it’s that Chappell Roan is going to speak her mind. She did it all 2024 on various topics, so it wasn’t shocking when she doubled down at the Grammys. Roan won the Grammy for Best New Artist and spent some of her speech calling for the industry to help struggling artists with access to health care. It was one of the few political moments during the night and the one that should resonate the most just months after the killing of
Did we really care about The Weeknd and Grammys kissing and making up?
I don’t think anyone cared whether the Grammys and The Weeknd were besties again, no matter how momentous their reconciliation was made to seem.
Janelle Monáe, you are a Prince child
Janelle Monáe, don’t ever get on that stage or any stage thinking you can perform Michael Jackson songs. You are a child of Prince.
Kendrick Lamar sweeps
I thoroughly expected Kendrick to sweep in the rap categories, but was genuinely surprised—like, Diana Ross surprised—when he also took it in the overall categories including Record and Song of the Year.
