Grammy's thoughts

What actually happened on music’s biggest night, in between the many commercials

I watched the Grammys last night with a group of friends in my living room, which is honestly the only way to survive awards shows anymore because you need people to turn to when something genuinely significant happens and also to remark on bad outfits or performances. The ceremony ran long enough that we were all fading by hour three, half-asleep on the couch and definitely missing segments, but even through the exhaustion and the bloat from our delicious dinner, there was enough happening that felt like it actually mattered that I wanted to write about it today instead of just scrolling through everyone else’s takes.

Before the show started, we did what you do: made a whole predictions list, all of us confidently calling the major categories like we had inside information. And we, for the most part, got literally nothing right. The ceremony this year certainly spread everything around to different artists instead of letting anyone dominate (unique for an Award show accustomed to sweeps) but made sure no single artist or narrative took over the night.

But even with all that predictable unpredictability, there were genuinely significant moments buried in there between the long speeches and the pacing issues, moments that reveal something about where music and culture are right now. So let me walk you through what actually happened and why it matters.

It was Bad Bunny’s year

Arguably the biggest moment of the night was Bad Bunny winning Album of the Year for Debí Tirar Más Fotos—the first Spanish-language album to ever win the Grammys’ top prize. His reaction was wholesome. As you can see in the header video, Benito took his time processing something massive in real time. When he finally reached the stage, he gave a speech about the importance of immigrants in American society and praised those forced to leave their homes in search of safety and something better (he also accepted his first award with the words that echoed throughout the night: “ICE OUT”).

Ahead of his Super Bowl performance, Bad Bunny is prepping for a massive cultural week. The trajectory feels similar to Kendrick’s run when he won big at the Grammys and then dominated the Super Bowl conversation right after—except Bad Bunny is doing it entirely in Spanish and entirely on his own terms. That makes it even more significant as a marker of where mainstream American culture is actually willing to go, especially in the political times we’re in. It’s also significant that the Grammys gave him their biggest award without requiring any translation, English crossover version, or explanation. Historic and deserved!

Who won, who surprised us, and who confused Cher

Billie Eilish won Song of the Year for “Wildflower,” which surprised me since I didn’t realize it was even eligible—but I guess it squeaked into the eligibility window if I’m reading the rules right. Honestly, it feels like the Grammys wanted to make up for snubbing “Birds of a Feather” two years ago, so here we are. Look, this is her third win in this category in seven years, so at this point she basically owns Song of the Year the way some directors own Best Director at the Oscars. If you’re writing a sad-but-pretty song with your brother and need to know where to put it on your mantle, just leave a space next to the other two—the Grammys are nothing if not consistent about this particular obsession. She also spoke out against the current administration, saying “Fuck ICE,” which got immediately cut from the audio feed, but the cameras stayed on her so you could watch her say it. Then she added, “No one is illegal on stolen land.”

You knew I wasn’t going to forget that Cher came out to announce it and accidentally said ‘Luther Vandross’ instead of just ‘Luther,’ and you could watch the collective brain short-circuit happen in real time. The song samples Vandross, so your mind just wants to complete the name, and for a second everyone’s in this weird suspended reality wondering if we missed something, if this is a hologram situation, or if Cher just time-traveled. She didn’t, obviously. But that’s why she’s eternally beloved anyway.

Best Pop Solo Performance went to Lola Young for ‘Messy,’ and I was just as shocked as she was—she literally ran in circles onstage looking like she couldn’t process what just happened. Look, I relate to the song, but did I think it deserved to win in the same category that gave us ‘Espresso’ last year? Not really. But Lola Young has been struggling with her mental health and had to step back from performing after collapsing onstage last fall, so honestly I’m happy she got this win.

Jelly Roll won Best Contemporary Country Album, and in the R&B and alternative categories the winners were mostly artists with steady album-focused careers: Leon Thomas won Best R&B Album, Kehlani won Best R&B Performance for “Folded,” CA7RIEL & Paco Amoroso won Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album for Papota, and Turnstile won Best Rock Album for their first two Grammys ever. And in a category most people don’t watch, HUNTR/X won Best Song Written for Visual Media for “Golden,” which was K-pop’s first-ever Grammy win.

The Grammys’ annual identity crisis

Every year, Best New Artist is where the Grammys have their annual existential crisis about whether they understand what “new” means or if they’re just catching up to someone who broke through two years ago on a platform they don’t pay attention to. But this year, all of the artists felt especially new to the musical scene (whether they were or not). I absolutely adored the medley with Olivia Dean, Addison Rae, Katseye, Lola Young, Alex Warren, The Marías, Leon Thomas, and Sombr, and watching it felt like flipping through eight different streaming services at once because you had social media stars next to traditional soul singers next to a K-pop girl group next to genre-fluid independents, all competing for the same award. Alex Warren had some technical difficulties during his segment that threw off the flow a bit (I feel bad but dude...stop complaining on the internet) but to me, the format itself was generous enough that one hiccup didn’t derail the whole thing.

I was very happy that Olivia Dean came home with a win, considering she’s one of my favorite artists this year. Dean’s vocals and songwriting are just at a different level, the kind of craft and emotional depth that holds up whether you discover it on TikTok or through an album rollout, and her win felt earned in a way that transcends the usual Grammy conservatism.

That said, the fact that they were even watching those other paths closely enough to nominate them (hi Katseye, hi Sombr, hi Addison Rae) means something’s changed amongst the sometimes-controversial Grammy’s committee. That’s a win!

The performances that stole the show

If the awards showed you what the Grammys think matters, the performances showed you why people still watch this thing, because the broadcast actually committed to giving artists long segments where they could build atmosphere instead of doing those frantic 90-second songs that leave everyone exhausted.

Sabrina Carpenter opened with “Manchild,” staging it around this playful airport concept (alongside men with jobs? Question mark?) that was cute as always and set the energy for the night. Lady Gaga was also a favorite—”Abracadabra” was one of my highlights, though I wished she’d ditch the lampshade on her head (cool camera work though!). Justin Bieber stripped everything down, both literally in his boxers and with an acapella version of “Yukon,” which got the Internet buzzing about Coachella. I personally don’t suffer from Bieber Fever, but I can understand the appeal—he truly does have an immaculate voice.

The most ambitious part was the extended tribute to D’Angelo and Roberta Flack led by Lauryn Hill, with Bilal, Raphael Saadiq, Leon Thomas, John Legend, Wyclef Jean, and basically everyone showing up. This was Hill’s first Grammys performance since 1999, which added this whole other layer of weight to the moment because she’s been so selective about these kinds of appearances, and having her come back for this specifically was chef’s kiss. The segment ran long and got a little uneven but I think it provided reverence.

And of course, the political commentary

There was more politics throughout the night than usual, but that’s also because the political landscape right now is charged in ways that can’t be ignored—especially at a public-facing event like the Grammys. Plenty of celebs wore “ICE OUT” and “BE GOOD” pins referencing recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement violence, and a handful of artists talked about immigration and human dignity in their speeches, connecting it to their own families and communities.

The political content from the artists themselves felt proportional to the moment we’re in. It didn’t swallow the ceremony but it wasn’t just decoration either, and it reflected what a lot of these artists are actually living through without asking for credit or applause.

Trevor Noah’s jokes were... a different story, and they were heavy-handed enough that they literally reached the White House. He made one joke about Trump wanting Greenland “almost as much as he wants Epstein’s island,” referenced Nicki Minaj being at the White House with Trump, and kept circling back to political material that sometimes felt like it was trying too hard to land. The Epstein’s island joke hit so hard enough that Trump posted on Truth Social overnight calling it “false and defamatory” and threatening to sue Noah, calling him “a total loser” and a “poor, pathetic, talentless, dope of an M.C.” before adding “Get ready Noah, I’m going to have some fun with you!” Yikes.

But that’s not the only joke that landed poorly. Noah also did a Trump impression about Nicki Minaj, who has recently aligned herself with Trump and even spoke at a UN event about Christians in Nigeria, saying “Actually, Nicki, I have the biggest ass. I have it. Everybody is saying it, Nicki. I know they say it to you, but it’s me.” Minaj, who didn’t even attend the ceremony, responded on social media with a mix of religious conspiracy and personal attacks, posting “As they do their ritual tonight, God almighty will reveal himself to them. The ritual will backfire on them. God will not be mocked. Blessed is the MIGHTY NAME OF JESUS CHRIST. Every tongue that rises up against me in judgement shall be condemned & put to shame,” and then adding “Trevor refuses to come out the closet when everyone in the industry knows his boyfriend. Allegedly.”

Also yikes.

The frustrating part is that whatever substantive conversation could have happened about what’s actually happening in Minnesota right now, brought to light by the stars on the big stage, has now gotten buried under Trump and Minaj’s grievance theater. Real political discourse doesn’t stand a chance when it’s competing with presidential lawsuit threats and conspiratorial social media rants. But hey, Free Speech goes both ways, I guess.