The 67th Grammys took place on Feb. 2, 2025 and spiked excitement and disagreements, as always.
First off, there were some amazing outfits that walked the red carpet prior to the winners being announced.
I loved Taylor Swift in her red dress and Sabrina Carpenter in light blue, both outfits that I thought encompassed the vibe of each singer’s most recent music and current look.
Miley Cyrus and Olivia Rodrigo both showed up in long black dresses, which I thought looked great on both of them.
There were a fair share of odd outfits though, like Jaden Smith, who wore a replica of a house as a head piece.
As for nominations, I thought the Recording Academy did a good job. This was an insane year for music, with lots of classic artists releasing projects and many new artists on the rise.
I did find it a little strange that somehow Chappell Roan and Sabrina Carpenter were both able to be nominated for big categories like Album of the Year and Song of the Year while still being considered small enough to be nominated for Best New Artist.
Which leads to some of the controversies, but also the highlights, from the names that were called at the Grammys.
Chappell Roan was ultimately selected as the Best New Artist, but failed to take home any of the other big titles.
While it does seem a little crazy that a new artist’s work can be big enough for an Album of the Year Nomination, I do think it deserved every music-related nomination she received. Her music and stage presence is fantastic, and she truly has blown up so much this year.
Additionally, she used her time at the mic to call out record labels who mistreat their artists, which I found really inspirational.
So while I was a bit upset that none of her music was awarded, I am glad she got Best New Artist.
Loyola students also seem to enjoy Chappell Roan, with 64% of students voting that they felt she deserved to win this Grammy.
On the other hand, Sabrina Carpenter lost Best New Artist, but did win Best Pop Vocal Album for Short n’ Sweet and Best Pop Solo Performance for “Espresso.”
She also gave an amazing performance on the Grammy stage and this caused even more people to talk about her.
I would not really consider her a new artist, as she’s been releasing popular music for a while, but I am glad her work got the recognition it deserved.
Ramblers agreed with this and seem to be big Sabrina Carpenter fans. 88% of students surveyed said that they enjoyed her music.
Something that really surprised me at the Grammys was that “Not Like Us” by Kendrick Lamar received five nominations and won all five Grammys. These awards were for Best Music Video, Best Rap Song, Best Rap Performance, Record of the Year, and Song of the Year.
While I do really enjoy “Not Like Us” and Lamar’s music in general, I am unsure if it really deserved to win all five of these titles.
Loyola was also divided on if this was deserved or not. 54% said yes and 46% said no.
I would have liked to see “Birds of a Feather” by Billie Elish or “Fortnight” by Taylor Swift and Post Malone win something or maybe even Lamar’s other nominated song “Like That” get an award.
Speaking of Elish and Swift, I was really disappointed to see that neither of them won any awards despite Elish being nominated for seven and Swift for six.
Hit Me Hard and Soft, Elish’s album, was a fan favorite this year and the songwriting and message was really meaningful to a lot of people.
The Tortured Poets Department, Swift’s album, was one of my personal favorite albums this year. Despite some opinion that it was lesser quality than some of her other work, it ranks high for me among her albums. The lyricism is fantastic and there is a good range of upbeat pop and slower songs.
However, to the dismay of a lot of the public, Loyola students, and me, neither of these albums received Album of the Year. That award went to Cowboy Carter by Beyoncé.
98% of Loyola students voted that they do not think this was the true album of the year.
Most Ramblers, such as seniors Marney Smyth and Nora Emerson, expressed that Hit Me Hard and Soft was the true winner for them.
Personally, I have never listened to Cowboy Carter or much of Beyoncé besides her popular songs, so I cannot say if I think the album deserved the win. But I do know that there were a lot of deserving albums and artists running for the title.
The Grammys always leave everyone with opinions, things they liked and did not. This year I would say overall I understood the list of winners, but there was some music and artists I would have loved to see get a Grammy.
It all just makes me wonder who the Recording Academy even is.
