By Nic Longstreet
The 2025 Grammys have come and gone. And while we’re still witnessing the fallout of the 67th annual ceremony, there is still a litany of events worth recapping, from Bianca Censori’s see-through dress to Beyonce winning the coveted Album of the Year award (and the subsequent reaction from both Beyonce fans who are ecstatic about her win and bitter Billie Eilish stans), here is your Grammy recap!
First, we have the backdrop of the Grammys in Los Angeles. Fires have ravaged the city for quite some time now and it’s starting to recover. Even so, it felt a little dystopian to host an awards ceremony filled with the glitzy, glammy and colorful stars when the surrounding area is still burnt to the ground and a million issues are being thrust into the forefront of many residents’ minds (like how they’ll afford to repair their homes when insurance apparently now doesn’t cover fires..?). There is also the political state of the world right now; we have unrest in the country every way you look, including a protest that caused LA traffic ahead of the Grammys themselves. One can look at the world and say that the Grammys are a nice break from reality, which may be true. Or one could say it’s a well-timed distraction. Regardless of the energy presented, the Grammys and FireAid still raised $120 million in relief for the city (according to Billboard), so the night wasn’t completely void of reality.
One of the biggest conversations of the Grammys (still) was the Album of the Year debate: Did Beyonce’s “Cowboy Carter” deserve the award over Billie Eilish’s “Hit Me Hard And Soft?” Regardless of opinion, the fallout has been disappointing, with some Eilish fans stooping to racism to justify their artist’s loss, ignoring that this is Beyonce’s first time winning the Album of the Year award. Some have relied on calling the Grammys rigged, which might be true, considering Beyonce has given the industry countless legitimate Album of the Year contenders, and after 99 nominations is finally being honored with the biggest award.
The other talking point for the night was Bianca Censori, whom Kanye has affectionately titled “The Most Googled Person On The Planet” after the “invisible dress” debacle that caused quite a stir on the internet. Between allegedly not being invited to the Grammys and then the dress issue, Kanye is certainly putting himself out there once again. It’s a tumultuous time to be a Kanye fan, with the artist defending the usage of AI in music, his controversial YEEZY brand, and his internet outbursts. He’s just adding gasoline to the fire. His upcoming albums, Vultures 3 and BULLY, are on the way…maybe?
It was a heartwarming moment when Doechii won the award for Best Rap Album, which was well deserved. Alligator Bites Never Heal was by far the best in the category, beating out the likes of “Might Delete Later” by J. Cole, “The Death Of Slim Shady” by Eminem, and “We Don’t Trust You” by Metro Boomin & Future. Then, in her acceptance speech, she inspired the young Black girls of the world to chase their dreams and not be deterred by stereotypes.
But the night wasn’t without its awkward moments; comedian Trevor Noah’s attempt at a bad immigration joke resulted in an eye roll from Doechii. Noah also made a point to emphasize how different this Grammy ceremony was from its predecessors, marking the quietness as a focal point.
But overall, it was another ceremony. As the years tread on, the Grammys are fighting for relevance. Viewership is low and credibility is sinking. But this year, it felt like there was a definite silver lining. Artists were rewarded for pushing boundaries, Kendrick Lamar won 5 Grammys off of pure disdain for Drake, and it wasn’t the same people winning. Will we ever see a Grammys like this one? Probably not. But it does show that there’s a place in the world for award shows and the way they can bring people together, even if people disagree on who should win what. Remember, it’s all a matter of perspective.
