The 2025 Grammys are by far the most memorable and historical Grammys we’ve ever seen. Last year was an insane year for music, with many artists pushing the standards for pop music.
Taylor Swift broke records with her self-reflective album “The Tortured Poets Department.” Chappell Roan brought indie synth-pop into the mainstream with her single “Good Luck, Babe!” and got a boost in popularity with her first album, “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess,” bringing in the fun, campy, queer representation that hasn’t been seen since Lady Gaga.
Sabrina Carpenter finally made it to the main spotlight with her princess pop album “Short n’ Sweet,” featuring “Espresso” and “Please Please Please.” Brat Summer wouldn’t have happened without Charli XCX’s viral “Brat” album. Beyoncé unexpectedly switched genres and put out a country album, “Cowboy Carter.” Billie Eilish came back with her third studio album “Hit Me Hard and Soft,” an album that’s the most sonically interesting she’s ever put out, with hit songs like “Lunch” and “Birds of a Feather.” And of course, who could forget the widely entertaining and unforgettable beef between Kendrick Lamar and Drake, which brought out one of Lamar’s widely successful singles, “Not Like Us.”
There were so many more moments within the music industry last year that changed pop culture forever, so the Recording Academy was prompted to put out a very interesting lineup of nominations that had the potential to make history, and history was indeed made.
The most groundbreaking moment of the night was Beyoncé finally taking home the Album of the Year award for “Cowboy Carter,” becoming the first Black woman to receive the award since Lauryn Hill in 1999. Beyoncé’s win was a pleasant surprise to many, as it has been widely said that Beyoncé was robbed of the award multiple times, including for her past Grammy-nominated albums “Lemonade” and “Renaissance.” This collection also won Best Country Album, leading her to become the first Black woman to win this award.
Other historic wins include Doechii winning Best Rap Album for her mixtape, “Alligator Bites Never Heal.” She is the third woman to win in that category, following Hill and Cardi B. Also, Amy Allen became the first woman to win Songwriter of the Year, Non-Classical category, after her work on Carpenter’s highly successful songs “Espresso,” “Please Please Please” and “Taste,” as well as with other artists.
There have also been many statements — mostly political — made by the winning artists in their acceptance speeches. Roan won Best New Artist and she followed with an empowering speech, which was a call to action for record labels to provide better care and protection for the artists they sign. Roan also expressed on the red carpet that she will continue to show her love and support for the transgender community.
Shakira followed her win for Best Latin Pop Album for “Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran” with a loving message to American immigrants in light of the many ICE raids and deportations American immigrants are currently facing as a result of the Trump administration’s new immigration policies. She also gave a shout out to the hard-working women in America, calling them the true “she-wolves.”
After winning Best Pop Duo and Group Performance with Bruno Mars for “Die With A Smile,” Gaga made a statement about the transgender community amidst the many anti-trans executive orders President Donald Trump issued on his first day in office, resulting in the recent cases of transgender people not being able to update the gender on their passports.
While accepting the Global Impact Award, Alicia Keys shared her support for diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives by stating that they’re not a threat but rather a gift, after President Trump wrote an executive order to roll back DEI laws. “This is not the time to shut down the diversity of voices. We’ve seen on this stage talented, hardworking people from different backgrounds with different points of view, and it changes the game,” Keys said.
Not only did this year’s Grammys have historic wins and captivating performances, but we also saw the love for Los Angeles. The Grammys this year was also used as a charity fund — partnered with MusiCares Fire Relief and other charities — for repairing the damage from the fires in the city. About $7 million was raised by the end of the show. There was even acknowledgement for the Los Angeles Fire Department at the end of the show, thanking them for their bravery and hard work in containing the fires.
Overall, it can be confidently said that the 67th Annual Grammy Awards was an iconic one for the books.
