The Grammys’ Greatest Gaffes
It’s time the Recording Academy recognizes some of the most talented artists of our generation
February 9, 2023
The 2023 Grammy Awards were held on Sunday, Feb. 5, bringing the country together to celebrate some of the biggest names in music. Some of the key takeaways from the night were Harry Styles winning album of the year for “Harry’s House” and Beyoncé becoming the most celebrated musician in history after winning her 32nd Grammy Award. Although the Recording Academy strives to recognize the most talented artists year after year across multiple genres, it is almost impossible to include all of the groundbreaking music released.
As the Opinions editors of The Fordham Observer, we consider ourselves more than qualified to weigh in and let the Academy of musicians and industry experts know where they’ve gone wrong in the past. We congratulate all of the immensely talented winners and nominees of the 2023 Grammy Awards, but we also urge the Recording Academy to recognize some of the less decorated names in music.
Best New Artist: MattyBRaps
The best new artist category honors artists who have made “a breakthrough into the public consciousness and impacted the musical landscape.” As Olivia Rodrigo pointed out at this year’s ceremony, this award has gone to artists like the Beatles and Billie Eilish. It is difficult to imagine any more glaring omission from this category than child star and innovative hip-hop artist MattyBRaps. At the height of his career in 2014, Matty lost this award to a comparably controversial white rapper — Macklemore — and what a mistake that has turned out to be. Have you even heard of or from Macklemore recently?
In the 2009 Midwest Regional Show Choir Championship, an unlikely group of outcasts and popular kids came together to sing their hearts out in a touching performance that concluded the first season of Fox’s hit musical series, “Glee.”
MattyBRaps, well-versed in capitalizing on moments of virality, would not have fumbled such an honor. He could be one of the greatest, forcing Ticketmaster to testify before Congress as a result of his popularity, if not for this snub.
Best Rock Performance: ‘Bohemian Rhapsody,’ Glee Cast (2009)
In the 2009 Midwest Regional Show Choir Championship, an unlikely group of outcasts and popular kids came together to sing their hearts out in a touching performance that concluded the first season of Fox’s hit musical series, “Glee.” Viewers eagerly waited to see if their favorite characters would fall in love and whether or not the William McKinley High School New Directions would be able to place at the competition.
Rightfully, the New Directions came in last, and the group that truly deserved to win the championship — Vocal Adrenaline — prevailed. Vocal Adrenaline offered a chilling rendition of Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” that demonstrated the group’s talents across a variety of musical styles. Though regarded as “villains” by some show fans, nobody deserved to win regionals more than Vocal Adrenaline, and no one deserves a Grammy more than this gifted group.
Best Pop Solo Performance: ‘Stars are Blind,’ Paris Hilton (2006)
If this award had existed at the time “Stars are Blind” was released, Paris Hilton would have had it locked down. The Grammy Award Show-attending socialite and television personality released the song in 2006 as part of her self-titled album “Paris.” Although it’s easy to dismiss Hilton as another reality-star-turned-failed-musician of the early 2000s, “Stars are Blind” was generally well-received by critics, and the song peaked at No. 18 on the U.S. charts and reached No. 1 on several others.
Although she has not released any music since, Hilton recently announced that fans can expect new music in 2023, meaning that she still might be in the running to win a Grammy after all.
The catchy, reggae-inspired tune did earn Hilton a lawsuit for its striking resemblance to UB40’s “Kingston Town.” Despite that, Hilton’s surprisingly adequate vocals made the song an instant classic to which listeners can’t help but sing along, even 13 years later. In a shocking upset for nepo babies everywhere, Hilton did not receive any nominations for the song. Although she has not released any music since, Hilton recently announced that fans can expect new music in 2023, meaning that she still might be in the running to win a Grammy after all.
Best Americana Performance: ‘Super Freaky Girl,’ Nicki Minaj (2022)
This is a snub which has unfolded before our very eyes. The track layers Rick James’ 1981 classic “Super Freak” under some iconic Nicki Minaj verses that cannot be reprinted here. Some readers may be confused by our categorization of “Super Freaky Girl” as Americana, but rest assured that we have given this much thought. “Super Freaky Girl” has brought a fractured nation together — you can’t go anywhere without hearing it, even in places that seem deeply inappropriate. Its production even incorporated some of that famous American democracy: Minaj held a Twitter poll to determine what the song’s title would be before disregarding the result entirely.
Besides, this song was reportedly categorized as pop when considered for the 2023 Grammy Awards despite confusion and pushback from the (rap) artist herself, so what’s one more miscategorization? The LaGuardia High School alum has been spurned by the Recording Academy in the past, having been nominated 10 times from 2011 to 2016 but never having won. It is high time that this is remedied.
Duo or Group Performance: ‘Imagine,’ various celebrities (2020)
Although the video is quickly approaching its third anniversary (a fact that is hard to believe, given that the time between now and then has felt like one long, unending year), there is always more to say about its influence on our culture. Like a haphazardly constructed Marvel movie riddled with cameos that left the viewer wondering, “How were they convinced to do this?”, the “Imagine” video stunned, bored and mystified a disoriented nation all at once. The vertical-video bastardization of John Lennon’s heartfelt song about communism has never meant more than when a group of wealthy celebrities sang it to a nation struggling with the highest rate of unemployment in decades.
Record of the Year: ‘All I Want for Christmas Is You,’ Mariah Carey (1994)
The iconic Christmas song has charted every single year since 2012, even kicking Taylor Swift’s highly anticipated album “Midnights” out of the top spot of the Hot 100 in 2022. “All I Want for Christmas Is You” is a feat of vocals and arrangement that has proven time and time again to be the backbone of American society, a track that transcends season to inspire hope and wonder in the hearts of many year-round — yet it has never won a Grammy.
Are we too proud to recognize one of America’s greatest cultural exports? The sonically challenging 2014 performance at Rockefeller Center notwithstanding, Mariah Carey’s live renditions of this holiday classic only serve to heighten its influence.
We are so confident that you will agree with these verdicts that we have attached a playlist of them for your enjoyment. We know that our taste is impeccable and our takes are undeniable, so there’s no need to contact us. With this guidance, hopefully the Recording Academy will change its ways and correct its mistakes next year.
