In the midst of award season, it was time for music’s biggest night: the Grammy awards. According to Nielsen, over 12.4 million viewers tuned in on Feb. 5 to see if their favorite stars would take home the famed gold-plated gramophone, an increase of 31% from last year, where only 9.6 million viewers tuned in, Billboard.com reports.
Among those watching at home was sophomore Billy Kasheta, a SHU FORCE Dance Ensemble Choreographer. Kasheta has been a fan of the Grammy’s since he was in middle school.
Kasheta’s favorite moment in the show came from Harry Styles, who snagged “Best Pop Vocal Album” for “Harry’s House,” beating out the likes of ABBA, Adele, and Coldplay.
“I can’t say enough about Harry Styles,” said Kasheta. “The performance was top notch. I love seeing how creative he can be with his outfits, too. His silver jumpsuit was so fun. It really added to his performance.”
Sophomore Sean Ryan, a performer recently seen as John Proctor in Sacred Heart’s production of “The Crucible,” is a fan of award shows as well. He sees them as a time to connect with family, noting that he enjoys watching the red carpet with his mother.
Ryan was especially happy to see Viola Davis take home her first Grammy for “Best Audiobook, Narration, and Storytelling,” which has earned her EGOT status, having now received an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar and a Tony.
“It’s so well deserved,” Ryan said. “She’s multi-talented. Coming from theatre, I’ll watch anything she’s in. She steals the show with every performance she gives. Her work speaks volumes.”
According to Time.com, she is also now the “third Black woman to attain the most coveted status in the entertainment industry.”
“She pulls people in with her work and spreads love and kindness through her words,” said Kasheta.
Beyonce made history by taking home four awards, now holding the title for the most Grammy wins of all time: 32. She holds 79 total nominations.
“Good for Beyonce,” said Kasheta. “She puts hard work into her music and her career. It’s a title well earned. She has a kind heart and a strong work ethic.”
Chris Ortega, a graduate student in the School of Communication, Media and the Arts (SCMA) was particularly moved by Beyonce’s achievement.
“It’s just a great feeling,” said Ortega. “Most of us grew up watching her journey as an artist, from being in ‘Destiny’s Child’ to an icon.”
Questlove’s thoroughly curated tribute to the 50th anniversary of Hip-Hop was nearly 15 minutes long and featured stars like LL Cool J, Salt-N-Pepa, Queen Latifah and more. The tribute is one of the night’s most searched performances on YouTube, totaling nearly 4 million views across the platform.
But the night wasn’t perfect, according to Ryan. “I really did not care for Sam Smith’s performance of ‘Unholy.’ The whole ‘demonic’ performance––it just seemed very strange. I think a lot of the time artists can only perform one song so they think ‘how can we get people to talk about us,’ rather than ‘how can we put on a good performance.’”
He believes that music is harder to judge than film or theatre.
“It’s more subjective,” Ryan said. “It’s hard to say what was the best song or album of the year, because what does ‘best’ mean? Harry Styles won album of the year, but I believe it’s because of how popular he is. I think there were other albums in that category that had more to say.”
As for how the awards are chosen, Ryan said, “It’s more about how well received the music is––how big the fanbase is––rather than what music is the best.”
Award season will conclude with the 95th annual Academy Awards on March 12.