The highs the 66th Grammy Awards
Sydney Anderson
Staff Writer Emeritus
She/Her
2/5/24
The evening of February 4 brought us the 66th Annual Grammy Awards, a night that music lovers and pop culture fiends alike await each year. Hosted by comedian Trevor Noah, the 66th Grammys reflected on the music of 2023 in a wild ride of ups and downs. Between exciting wins and disappointing losses, the event was littered with strange advertisements and ignorant commentary. The wins are as follows:
Boygenius wins Best Rock Performance, Best Rock Song, and Best Alternative Music Album
Boygenius, a supergroup composed of Julien Baker, Lucy Dacus and Phoebe Bridgers, is a staple within the alternative music scene. Boygenius released their third studio album “The Record” in March.
won Best Alternative Music Album, and “Not Strong Enough”, won Best Rock Performance and Best Rock Song. Despite being treasured in the indie music scene for years, this was the band’s first Grammy award, and they won three in a single night!
Billie Eilish and Finneas win Song of the Year
Billie Eilish and her brother Finneas O’Connell are no strangers to the Grammys, with the two combined holding a whopping total of 17 awards in just 3 years. Eilish, who is just 22, was hand selected to participate in the “Barbie” soundtrack.
Eilish’s song for the film, “What was I made for?”, charted at #1 on Billboard’s US Hot Rock & Alternative weekly, and #4 on Billboard’s US Adult Top 40. The song, written to reflect the themes of the film, is a soft ballad depicting womanhood. After “Barbie” was absolutely robbed of its deserved win at the Golden Globes on January 9th, Eilish and Finneas’ win reaffirmed the love that people have for the film.
SZA wins Best R&B Song
SZA won her 4th Grammy with her song “Snooze”, the hit single off of her album “SOS”.. “Snooze” charted at #2 on Billboard’s Hot 100 and its supporting music video features Justin Bieber, Benny Blanco, Young Mazino and Woody McClain.
SZA gave a precious acceptance speech, saying, “I’m really overwhelmed. You don’t understand, I came really, really far.” She exited the stage after starting to cry, but not before spotting Taylor Swift cheering her on and pausing mid-speech to greet her.
Taylor Swift wins Best Pop Vocal Album and Album of the Year, announces her 11th Studio Album
Whether you’re a fan or a foe, it is undeniable that 2023 was the year of the Swiftie. “
Midnights”, released in October of 2022, broke countless Billboard records, and her subsequent tour “The Eras Tour” has grossed over $906 million — and it’s not even over yet. Swift released two re-recorded albums in 2023, “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)” and “1989 (Taylor’s Version)”, the former officially marked her as the woman with the most number one albums of all time.
Later in 2023, she became the first female musician to reach billionaire status, and was named Time’s 2023 Person of the Year. The 66th Grammys topped off Swift’s awards, granting her her 13th and 14th Grammys. When Swift was awarded Best Pop Vocal Album, in place of a speech, she announced her 11th studio album, “The Tortured Poets Department”. The album has a set release date of April 19th, and needless to say, Swifties spent the rest of the awards show in a haze.
