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The foremost experts on anything pop culture at Meridian discuss, debate, and deliberate the highlights of this year’s Grammys award show. (Photo via Gabriel Bouys)

It’s that time of year again: when the Grammys disappoint us all. There are always a couple of gems, but overall, it was a truly embarrassing showing. 

Victor: However much Beyonce has gotten snubbed in the past Grammys, the Album of the Year award should not have gone to her. I think Charli XCX should have taken this award home; even if “Brat” isn’t your jam, it definitely had more cultural impact than Beyonce’s country-pop album she put out last year. 

Jillian: Chapell Roan winning best new artist took me for a shock. She was up against some big competition, like Sabrina Carpenter and Benson Boone. I’m not sure about her outfit;   orange and blue with faces of angels definitely clashed. The Grammys also included a segment of Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars singing “California Dreaming”, originally by The Mamas and The Papas, which I appreciated the relevance of; it was sung to spread awareness about the Los Angeles wildfires. 

Victor: Just interjecting quickly—Tame Impala did not deserve the dance recording award given to him. I’m frustrated that rather than highlight new talent or actually relevant albums, the Grammys have decided to go with old talent that has become stale. There is no way that albums like “Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana” by Bad Bunny got relegated to Musica Urbana or Global Music awards when this should have definitely been a contender. I’m reminded of Tyler the Creator’s 2020 criticism of the Grammys for putting “IGOR” in the genres of urban or rap; “It sucks that whenever we — and I mean guys that look like me — do anything that’s genre-bending… they always put it in a rap or urban category.” It seems like the same thing is happening to Bad Bunny, and that the Grammys continue to categorize based on race rather than artistic merit. 

Monica: In a night dominated by predictable industry politics and baffling wins, Shakira’s victory for ‘Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran’ was the only Grammy that truly felt deserved. While the Recording Academy once again distributed awards that left many questioning their credibility, Shakira’s win was a rare moment where true merit shone through. Anything else would have been a disservice, not just to her artistry, but to the cultural movement she embodies.

Ben: The Grammys genuinely gave us one of the worst picks for Rap album of the year I have seen in a very long time. They have always been notorious for their out of touch picks and nominations, and notable snubs like Kendrick Lamar’s “good kid, m.A.A.d. city” in 2014 or Travis Scott’s “Utopia” in 2024 are proof enough of that. Yet this year, there wasn’t even a single nomination I could agree with. It was almost disgusting to see Eminem’s “The Death of Slim Shady,” win, as it’s just a  washed up rapper’s downright terrible return to music. J-Coles “Might Delete Later,” his worst album to date and something I’m hoping gets deleted later, was another nominee. Doechii, winning the award with her derivative album “Alligator Bites Never Heal,” only further disappointed me, once again snubbing the one decent nomination “The Auditorium, Vol 1” by Common and Pete Rock.