During this year so far, my favorite artist at the moment is MF DOOM. Basically, MF DOOM is an old rapper who has sadly passed away due to COVID but left a great legacy to his fans. He was known for his beats and was big in the underground scene, not to mention his hit song “DOOMSDAY” and his album “MADVILLANY” which was himself and Madlib who is a great producer in the industry. Doom has made such an impact on me due to the fact that his songs are always chill but with a lot of rhyming and “spitting bars” which is something I like.
My favorite artist this year, along with every other year of my life is Taylor Swift. Although I do have other favorite artists, I love Taylor Swift because I grew up listening to her music so I have a bunch of memories connected to her songs. I think my absolutely favorite thing about her music is her lyrics. I am able to connect to her songs and understand what she is saying without her actually needing to say it and they are able to tell stories and describe things in such a creative and beautiful way that I do not hear in other artist’s music.
— Sophia, J.R. Masterman in Philadelphia, PA
Highlights of This Year’s Grammys …
I watched the Grammys this year. I try to watch them every year, I love music and performances. Watching the Grammys has become a tradition in my house, so of course I had to watch as much as I could before I went to bed. I think the performances were great, I loved all of them. I think Silk Sonic and Billie Eilish’s performances stood out to me, the songs Silk Sonic performed were really great, and you can’t go wrong with Happier Than Ever. Billie’s set was really cool, I loved the house and the rain. Overall, the performances were great and from what I saw, there wasn’t one I disliked.
— Willa, J.R. Masterman in Philadelphia, PA
I have been an Olivia Rodrigo fan for the past 3 years, so obviously this year at the Grammys I was rooting for her. Not only did she have one of the biggest albums this year, but the relatability in all of her songs, her raw vocals, and the pure talent that she possesses puts her over the top for me. I loved that her performance at the Grammys was sung live, and she didn’t need an epic dance break, or an extravagant set. Her voice alone carried her through a performance that justified her win for pop solo performance for her hit song “drivers license.”
… And Disappointments
Although it was exciting to watch Olivia Rodrigo win the best new artist award, I couldn’t help but feel disappointed when my favorite band-Glass Animals- wasn’t announced as winner. I was lucky enough after a year of waiting to see their concert in mid March: only further cementing my love for the band and their music. Unfortunately, us Glass Animal fans were met with a disappointing reality earlier in the evening when the band announced they wouldn’t be able to attend the awards due to a Covid out break, despite the band already being in Vegas. Aside from the disappointment that night, spirits were lifted when seeing Silk Sonic win a much deserved Grammy with their hypnotic music from the past.
— Ava, Glenbard West HS Glen Ellyn, IL
Olivia Rodrigo’s big win at the Grammy’s was inspiring and well deserved. The young, up and coming artist remains humble and grateful for all of her achievements, and is a huge source of inspiration and comfort for many young girls. However, one grievance of this year’s Grammy Awards is Taylor Swift walking home empty handed. It is hard to believe that the awards matter when Swift, whose song All Too Well was one of the biggest songs of 2021, once again was snubbed by the Recording Academy.
I do believe that the Grammys have issues when it comes to music that Artists of color have released. A few years back Tyler, The Creator won the Grammy for Best Rap Album with his project “Igor”. What bothers me is that Igor is not a rap album, it is far from one. He blends so many genres on Igor and it is disrespectful that he was put in the Rap Album category. He even criticized the Grammys over this issue.