Adele won three of the Grammy’s top prizes Sunday night: album of the year, record of the year and song of the year. But even she didn’t believe she deserved them.
For her, and for many watching, those awards really belonged to Beyoncé for her visual album, and feat of storytelling, “Lemonade.”
“This album for me, the ‘Lemonade’ album, was so monumental, Beyoncé,” Adele said in her acceptance speech for album of the year. “So monumental, and so well thought-out and soul-bearing, and we all got to see another side to you that you don’t always let us see. And we appreciate that. All us artists here adore you. You are our light.”
Later, in the media room, she added: “My album of the year was ‘Lemonade,’ so a piece of me did die inside, as a Beyoncé fan.”
But simply to say that Beyoncé got robbed of the award did not capture the whole picture. Indeed, “Lemonade” was written for and about black women, an anthem to group whose lives and contributions have seemingly been forgotten and dismissed throughout history.
When Beyoncé accepted her Grammy for best urban/contemporary album — one of two that she won Sunday night — she delivered a not-so-thinly veiled message about race.
“It’s important to me to show images to my children that reflect their beauty, so they can grow up in a world where they look in the mirror… and see themselves,” Beyoncé said. “And have no doubt that they are beautiful, intelligent and capable. This is something I want for every child of every race.”
Over the past several years, there has been a pattern for album of the year: A white artist wins over an artist of color, often nominated for a hip-hop, R&B or rap album. Take last year, 2016. Taylor Swift’s “1989” won over Kendrick Lamar’s “To Pimp A Butterfly,” another socially conscious album. 2015: Beck’s “Morning Phase” took the Grammy over Beyoncé’s titular album. 2014: Daft Punk won over Kendrick Lamar. 2013: Mumford & Sons won over Frank Ocean. And in 2012, Adele won over both Rihanna and Bruno Mars.
Frank Ocean boycotted the Grammys this year, with the singer writing an open letter to the Grammy Awards producers: “And if you’re up for a discussion about the cultural bias and general nerve damage the show you produce suffers from then I’m all for it,” he wrote.
Kanye West didn’t show up, either, and although the reasons weren’t clear this year, he said in 2016 that the awards show was not “culturally relevant.”
Critics have taken note too.
“In their quest for ‘good TV, the Grammys prioritize spectacle over substance and quality,” wrote Celia Almeida in an editorial called “Grammys’ Pursuit of Good TV is Racist, Short-Sighted, and Lacks Substance.”
“They ignore the significance of a young black man (Frank Ocean) singing an ode to gay black love because it foregoes the bells and whistles,” she added.
After Adele won for best album, the discussion spilled over to Twitter.
But there was some good news, at least, for artists of color. Chance the Rapper won for best new artist, best rap album and best rap performance after releasing his mixtape “Coloring Book” — independently and with no promotion — last year.
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