The 60th Annual GRAMMY Awards ranked as having one of the lowest ratings ever. What seems to be one of music’s biggest nights, only brought in 19.81 million viewers, which is a 24% decline from the 2017 59th annual show. Sunday night’s show was the worst CBS rating for the GRAMMYs since 2009.
Adding to the disappointment in ratings are the shocked reactions of those who actually viewed the GRAMMYs. Many viewers were upset over the results of popular categories, such as “Best New Artist” and “Album of the Year.” Others recognized the lack of female nominees, compared to their male counterparts, which prompted the trending hashtag #GRAMMYssomale. There were several nominees who were worthy of winning a GRAMMY this year but went home empty-handed. Let’s take a look at ten artists who were nominated (in no particular order) who should’ve received a GRAMMY.
Not hearing SZA’s name called for a GRAMMY was one of the greatest upsets of the night, especially since she was the most nominated female artist, with 5 nominations. SZA was definitely a breakout artist in 2017, with several fan favorites, including her single, “The Weekend.” Many expected her to at least win a GRAMMY for “Best New Artist,” which was given to Alessia Cara, who was the lone female winner of the night. It is amazing that SZA’s debut album, ‘Ctrl,’ garnered so much recognition for one of music’s most coveted awards and that she was able to perform on the GRAMMY stage. We would’ve loved to see her end the night with a GRAMMY.
Jay Z was the most nominated male artist of the night with a total of 8 nominations. Kendrick Lamar had a clean sweep of each Rap Category, while Bruno Mars won over both artists for “Album of the Year.” Jay Z bared his soul on 4:44, sharing true tales of personal mistakes, self-reflection, and forgiveness, which we all thought was a recipe for a win. This isn’t the first time Jay Z has been snubbed for a GRAMMY. We can only hope that if he continues to release music, his future efforts will triumph over all.
Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee
“Despacito” was 2017s song of the summer, taking over the radio waves and breaking records. With over 10 million units sold, being the first Latin song to reach Diamond status, it was a shock that Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee did not take home a GRAMMY. “Despacito” also broke records as the most watched YouTube video of all time with almost 5 billion views in over 50 countries. It became the most streamed song of all time and the longest number 1 Hot 100 song to stay at the top of the charts for 16 straight weeks!
Cardi B
You can’t deny that 2017 was the year of Cardi B. Competing for a GRAMMY against Kendrick Lamar and Jay Z in the categories for “Best Rap Performance” and “Best Rap Song” seems like a long shot, but we have to give Cardi B her props. Over the past year, she has broken many Billboard records, including being the third act and first female artist to have five of the top 10 hits of the Hot R&B/Hip Hop Songs chart in a single week, in a tie with Kendrick Lamar and Drake. Cardi B is also the first to achieve this record with her first five singles.
Rapsody
Rapsody had a great year as well. Nominated for two GRAMMYs, including “Best Rap Album,” Rapsody has joined the short list of female rappers to be recognized in the category. Five women to be exact. When asked by Billboard before the awards on the red carpet if the Best Female Rap Category should be reintroduced to the GRAMMYs her response was, “I think we can compete with the men – we don’t have to be separated from it. I would love to see us acknowledged more.” Rapsody would’ve made history to be the second female rapper, after Lauren Hill (with The Fugees) in 1998 for ‘The Score,’ for “Best Rap Album.” Kendrick Lamar’s DAMN was a great choice, but a win for Rapsody and her album Laila’s Wisdom would’ve changed the game.
Migos
Migos was also nominated for “Best Rap Album” for their second album ‘Culture.’ Supported by one of their hottest singles, “Bad and Boujee,” Culture debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, and was later certified Platinum. Attaining individual number ones throughout 2017, Offset, Takeoff, and Quavo are a force to be reckoned with. With the release of Culture ll, we’ll see if their influence on the “culture” is strong enough to gain another nomination and GRAMMY win next year.
Lady Gaga
Lada Gaga may not have won a GRAMMY for the night, but she was one of the most talked about artists on Twitter, with one of the most tweeted songs, “Million Reasons.” After Gaga’s Super Bowl LI halftime show performance, “Million Reasons” re-entered the Hot 100 at number four, setting a record for one of the highest re-entries in the chart’s history. It also became her 14th Top 10 record in the US. Her touching performance of “Million Reasons” on the 60th GRAMMYs further solidifies that the single was GRAMMY worthy as the “Best Solo Performance.”
Logic
Logic joined the likes of Bruno Mars and Jay Z in the category of “Song of the Year” for “1-800-273-8255.” Peaking at number one on Billboard’s Hot 100 and number one on the R&B/Hip-Hop Digitals Song Sales. Named after the National Suicide Prevention Hotline, Logic’s single helped bring more awareness to mental health through mainstream platforms. Often times, songs with messages get overlooked. We can only hope that “1-800-273-8255” continues to make a positive impact on listeners despite the GRAMMY loss.
P!nk
P!nk’s single “What About Us” rose to number one, making her the leading lady with the most number ones among women in the history of Billboard’s Adult Pop Songs chart. P!nk earned her second number one album with ‘Beautiful Trauma,’ making it the fourth biggest debut in 2017, trailing Kendrick Lamar’s DAMN, Drake’s More Life, and Ed Sheeran’s Divide. Always willing to take a stand and speak up for others, a win
Twelve-time nominated artist Ledisi was nominated for three categories this year. She represents the artists who have been nominated for GRAMMYs throughout the years, racked up a long list of nominations, but have yet to win the actual award. She ties Diana Ross and Busta Rhymes with 12 nominations and no wins, following Snoop Dogg and Brian McKnight who both have a total of 17 nominations and no wins. A GRAMMY nomination for great music is a reward in itself, but breaking a losing streak would be even greater.
Obviously, not all 10 artists would be able to win a GRAMMY in one night. We chose to create a list of deserving recipients since many felt that the GRAMMYs missed big time with the winners in certain categories. With only a few female nominees, it’s a wonder what the outcome would’ve been if there were male and female categories. As Rapsody mentioned, the division in categories may not be needed, but it may have made an enormous difference. The feedback on social media will hopefully spark the idea of revision in the voting process and encourage those who are eligible to submit their projects and vote.
Written by Brianna Carter
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