Just weeks after the Los Angeles wildfires devastated the city, the 2025 Grammys served as a way to come together and celebrate the past year of musical feats with many celebrities using the stage to bring awareness to recent disasters and political controversies. This article will hit on all of the grammy highlights – including Beyonce’s historic win and Sabrinia Carpenter and Billie Ellish’s phenomenal performances. We’ll also talk about why Taylor Swift was not snubbed (and yet she still served!).
But first, we must talk about the elephant in the room – the scandalous red carpet look that quickly went viral. Kanye West and his wife, Bianca Censori, stunned photographers after she dropped her black fur coat to reveal she was wearing nothing but a short sleeve of clear fabric – and nothing else – leaving her essentially naked on the red carpet. Before she drops her coat, Kanye is seen speaking to her, almost as if urging her to take off her coat.
While Censori has worn revealing clothes before, this was a step up, and it was genuinely unacceptable and should be considered public indecency – there were children and minors present at the awards show. Censori’s “dress” left her genitals completely exposed, and while she is a grown woman with a right to dress how she pleases, the Grammys was an inappropriate time to exercise her right to this degree. It was in bad taste and felt like attention-seeking.
All I could think while watching the video, with Kanye holding her hand, was how objectified she seemed, like a show-off accessory for her husband. If Censori is being manipulated or abused by Kanye, I truly hope this internet buzz will get her the help she needs.
But, let’s move on from this nonsense to some of the happier moments at the Grammys.
There were a lot of really deserved wins this year.
I was thrilled to see Beyonce not only become the first Black woman to win Best Country Album, but she also took home, for the first time, the coveted Album of the Year award for “Cowboy Carter.” Her country album was brave and high-quality, and while some may say it was a snub to Billie Ellish, I think it was a well-deserved honor for the queen of music.
Kendrick Lamar winning Record of the Year and Song of the Year for “Not Like Us,” Chappell Roan winning Best New Artist, Sabrina Carpenter winning Best Pop Solo Performance for “Expresso,” Norah Jones winning Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album for “Visions” and Doechii winning Best Rap Album for “Alligator Bites Never Heal” all felt like great choices to me. Some of these categories had other nominees I could see having won, but it was a close race, and the winners all produced exceptional pieces of music.
I do think Billie Ellish should have won Best Pop Vocal Album instead of Sabrinia Carpenter. I also find it bizarre that The Beatles AI-recovered song “Now & Then” from the 1970s won Best Rock Performance. I am the biggest Beatles fan out of everybody, but it should not have won over music written for the modern ear. I would have been happy to see St. Vincent win that award instead.
Sabrina Carpenter absolutely ATE DOWN her live performance as did Chappell Roan.
These two have been favorites for me this year. Also, I highly encourage you guys to go listen to Doechii’s tear-fueled acceptance speech because it is inspiring. Another highlight I want to mention is Jaden Smith’s outfit, which included a large black castle on his head with a circle cut out for his face.
My departing thought on the Grammys relates to a musician who I love with all my heart: Taylor Swift. As a dedicated swiftie, I will be the first to admit that “The Tortured Poets Department” was not her best album. It’s arguably her worst, and even though I like roughly half the songs, it just comes nowhere near the other strong contenders this year.
I also want to note Taylor Swift handled the loss very gracefully and could be seen cheering on other musicians throughout the night.
The 2025 Grammys was a night of emotional rollercoaster, chaos, elegance and surprises.
However, despite how infuriating and shocking the night was, I’m glad to live in a world that values music and art. Here’s to another year of great music!
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