The 66th Grammys started Sunday night with host Trevor Noah, widely known for hosting The Daily Show after John Stewart left the show. The Grammys, which are a huge event for the music industry, and usually results in some controversy, seemed to start without a hitch with Dua Lipa’s opening performance.
Taylor Swift added to her 13 total awards by winning her fourth Grammy of the year, breaking a record with Frank Sinatra. Billy Joel performed a brand-new song he’s released after 17 years “Turn the lights back on” which seemed to have the audience loving it.
Miley Cyrus looked stunning as she won her first Grammy for her hit song “Flowers” and wowed the crowd with her gold outfit with Dolly Parton hair. Cyrus also took two trophies for the song, which she also performed.
There were many performers, all with dark and grim backgrounds that seemed kind of demonic, especially with the students I talked to at Butte College’s main campus. Cameron Goodson, a student at Butte, said “Travis Scott was my favorite part of the night, as the rest of the show seemed kind of scary with swords and bleeding Vampires.”
Travis Scott did perform at the show but has since been criticized for throwing a tantrum since he lost the best rap album slot to Killer Mike.
Killer Mike was the winner of three awards that night: Best Rap Song, Best Rap Album, and Best Rap Performance, but what seemed to steal the show and has been having everyone talking since is that Killer Mike, who also hasn’t won an award in 20 years, was subsequently arrested after receiving the trophies. It’s alleged that Killer Mike has been arrested for misdemeanor battery after pushing someone at the event.
It’s also been reported that the 66th Grammy award show has seen a 34% rise in ratings since last year, but that also begs the question as to whether the show is still relevant.
Many students I talked to didn’t even know that the show was on, or what channel, or even who won.
Take Ray Halloway, for instance, who said, “If I was at my mom and pop’s place I may have watched it, but as a college student with a tight budget, Gen Z tends to just have basic streaming services.”
Another student, Devon Anderson, claimed the Grammys was “rigged and you should just listen to the music that makes you happy.”
Here’s the real question: with so many young people either unaware of the Grammys, believing that they are rigged or just waiting for the highlights to come on the next day, are these award shows even relevant today?
