They say, “Where words fail, music speaks.” Music holds the most divine and purest prowess of conveying deeper meanings, beyond literal sounds, to one’s heart. Additionally, music has the magical ability of bridging differences and uniting souls for a noble initiative. “Oscars of the music world”- the GRAMMYs 2025 upheld its beliefs by transcending cultural boundaries and playing a vital role in social cohesion.
This year’s GRAMMYs telecast was reimagined to raise funds for those impacted by the wildfires in the greater Los Angeles area. The artists’ love for Los Angeles was conspicuously visible in their performances. Highland Park natives Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell performed “BIRDS OF A FEATHER” in front of the California mountains, wrapping up with an “I love you, L.A.” shout-out. Chappel Roan debuted with what she dedicated as a “love letter to Los Angeles” and performed “Pink Pony Club”. During his Record Of The Year acceptance speech, Kendrick Lamar shouted out multiple locales in L.A. and dedicated his golden gramophone to the city. Queen Beyoncé took home her first Album of The Year Award for her groundbreaking country album, COWBOY CARTER. This made her the first Black artist to win the category. In addition, she won Best Country Duo/Group Performance (“II MOST WANTED,” featuring Miley Cyrus), which extended her record to 35 career wins. Doechii won the Best Rap Album and gave a mesmerizing premiere performance of “CATFISH” and “DENIAL IS A RIVER”. Chappell Roan took home the award for Best New Artist at this year’s GRAMMY Ceremony, championing for more humane working conditions for musicians in the industry during her speech. “It was so devastating to feel so committed to my art and feel so betrayed by the system and so dehumanized to not have help,” she courageously declared. In addition, Quincy Jones, who is one of the most awarded artists in GRAMMY history, was honored with a star studded medley.
Beginning with a sentimental intro from Will Smith, Cynthia Erivo took the reins with a rendition of “Fly Me to the Moon,” accompanied by Herbie Hancock. Shortly after, Lainey Wilson and Jacob Collier offered an upbeat cover of “Let the Good Times Roll,” and Hancock joined Stevie Wonder for “Bluesette” and “We Are the World.” With a faithful take on Michael Jackson’s “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough”, Janelle Monaé closed the performance.
In 2021, the Weeknd had criticized the Recording Academy for the lack of transparency around the voting committee. However, the Weeknd ended its boycott of the GRAMMYS with his live debut of “Cry for Me” from his new album, Hurry Up Tomorrow. Playboi Carti later joined him on stage for “Timeless”. Kendrick Lamer was the most decorated artist of the evening, having swept five golden gramophones for his track “Not Like Us”. He was nominated for 7 categories, including 2 of the big four, that is, Record Of The Year and Song of The Year and bagged both of them. Finally, Charli XCX snagged the Best Dance Pop Recording (“Von dutch”), Best Dance/Electronic Album and Best Recording Package during the Premiere Ceremony. For the last performance of the evening, she turned the awards telecast into an underground club, with her electrifying performance of “Von Dutch” and “Guess” surrounded by fans, friends, and influencers.
Thus, the GRAMMYs 2025 continued to support the continually evolving music industry- recognizing tracks that have left an indelible mark on the pages of history and have secured places in the playlists of melophiles for their craft.