On Sunday, February 2, 2025, the 67th annual Grammy Awards took place. Although this year’s show was marked by a sense of loss because of the recent California wildfires, audiences agreed that this was one of the best shows in recent memory. Today, I will review the four most important components of the Grammys: The Show, The Winners, The Fashion and The Drama. Now, without further ado, let’s get into it!
The Show:
This year’s Grammys was a perfect balance of sweet and sorrow. The show’s comedic moments were executed to perfection and were very entertaining for audiences at home. 16 artists performed, including Charli XCX, Shakira, Chapell Roan, Sabrina Carpenter and Billie Eilish. All of the celebrities in attendance also seemed to enjoy themselves, singing along and dancing to the various numbers.
Another notable part of the night was the constant tributes to the victims of the devastating California wildfires. One of the most poignant moments was when Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars sang a slowed-down rendition of California Dreaming by The Mamas & the Papas. The harmonic mingling of their voices created a hauntingly beautiful tune that is sure to stick with the audience for a while.
One of the not-as-well-received aspects of the night was the constant pleading for donations from the audience. Some people noted that it felt wrong for a bunch of millionaires and billionaires to beg the much poorer general public for money, considering their immense resources. While I understand the sentiment, I don’t think that it was wrong for the celebrities to use their platforms to raise awareness amongst their devoted fanbases. I am also sure that many of them have already given sizable donations to charities in their areas.
The Awards:
The Grammys is, at its heart, an award show, and no review would be complete without a round-up of the most notable awards of the night. Here are some of the moments that got everyone talking.
Both Record of the Year and Song of the Year were won by Kendrick Lamar’s Drake diss track, “Not Like Us.” Yes, those are, in fact, two separate awards despite the confusingly similar names; the former is awarded to the singer and the latter to the song’s composer. Not Like Us was a notable song in 2024, reaching over a billion streams and widening Lamar’s fan base. The song was also popular here on the Fieldston campus; when I asked my seventh-grade STS students what they associated with age, they belted out the lyrics from the song “Tryna strike a chord, and it’s probably A-minorrrrr.”
Another big story was Beyonce’s wins for Best Country Album and Best Album. The nod for best country album clearly shocked Beyonce; in a now-viral video, she freezes in shock when her name is called while her husband Jay-Z mouths “Wow” in the background. Beyonce seemed less surprised when she was presented with the other award, but while accepting it, she was overcome with emotion. Both moments were endearing, especially as it was Beyonce’s first Best Album of the Year award, despite her long and storied career. Congratulations, Beyonce!
Taylor Swift didn’t win any of the six awards that she was nominated for, and as a result, her fans have complained that she was “robbed.” My response to her fans: Was she really? Her latest album, The Tortured Poets Department, is in no way her best work and, in my not-so-humble opinion, not deserving of any awards.
Fashion:
As always, one of the best parts of the Grammy’s is looking at the celebrities’ outfits. Here is a round-up of three outfits I liked and three that I didn’t.
Three looks I liked:
Taylor Swift:
Taylor Swift looked absolutely stunning in a red ruby gown. I love the short and playful draping of the gown, as well as the accessories she paired with it. The one part of the outfit that gave me pause was the chain around her upper leg. At first, I was a bit horrified as I believed that it was a rosary; once I took a second look, I realized that what I thought was a cross was actually a T. I have been informed that it references one of her lyrics, “What if he’s written ‘mine’ on my upper thigh,” and references her boyfriend, Travis Kelce.
Muni Long
Sometimes simplicity is best. After a night of seeing some of the most complicated and contrived looks, one longs for an elegant dress. Luckily for us, Muni Long delivered in this navy blue velvet dress and feather boa combo. This elegant outfit has me looking forward to Long’s future award-show outings!
Sabrina Carpenter:
Although this isn’t a red carpet-look, Sabrina Carpenter’s performance costume was one of my favorite outfits of the night. I love how it is an updated and more sophisticated version of the bodysuit she has worn on her Short n’ Sweet tour. The dark blue beads give the costume more dimension and movement and provide a nice contrast to the pale blue of the fabric.
Three looks I didn’t like:
Kacey Musgraves:
This would have been a nice outfit for the town honky tonk but not for the Grammys. The dress (or perhaps tanktop and skirt combo – who knows?) feels like Kacey walked into a fast fashion store and looked for “cool” country clothes. The look doesn’t capture the sophistication of the Grammy’s and ultimately falls short.
Jayden Smith
Jayden Smith’s suit is perfectly fine. The reason he is on the looks I don’t like list is his headgear. Rather than opting for a simple hat, or even a complex one for that matter, Smith decided to wear an entire castle on his head. For some reason, this look makes me think of the palace from Beauty and the Beast before the curse is lifted. If I had to take an educated guess, I’d say that this is not what Smith was trying to emulate.
Margaret Qualley
I was just not a fan of Margaret Qualley’s Grammys dress. It was extremely loose and felt like it had just come off a clothing rack, which is unusual for a function like the Grammys. Very often, we see celebrities wearing outfits tailored to perfection or even custom, one-of-a-kind gowns. The fact that the dress was not hemmed, with strings hanging off the bottom, made it look cheap. Supposedly, it’s a Chanel dress, but I haven’t ruled out the possibility that it’s a counterfeit, considering the quality. I’m also not a fan of her husband, Jack Antonoff’s oversized glasses; they made me think of Urkle from Family Matters.
The Drama:
Award shows are a breeding ground for celebrity drama and internet memes. Here are two of the noteworthy stories from the night!
Remember how Taylor Swift didn’t win any awards? Well, Swifties have pinpointed the reason for the (not so) shocking loss. According to TikTok theorists and the esteemed Daily Mail, Taylor Swift’s leg chain was not an innocent piece of jewelry but rather a bad luck charm full of malice. Fans have pointed out that Swift also wore it seven days later to the Super Bowl, where her beau, Travis Kelce, suffered an embarrassing defeat. They are now advising the couple to follow the lead of Rose from Titanic and toss it into the depths of the ocean at the soonest opportunity. The Fieldston News will be sure to provide updates about this grave situation and wishes Swift luck in finding a charter boat for the occasion.
On a more serious note, we cannot finish discussing the Oscars without mentioning Bianca Censori’s outfit or, to put it more aptly, lack of one. Censori arrived at the function with her husband, Ye (the artist formerly known as Kanye West), wearing a black feathered coat. Once they reached the red carpet, she took it off, revealing a sheer dress underneath.
Unlike some sheer dresses, which have just enough shade to obscure one’s more private regions, this dress was completely see-through – if Censori had worn a dress made out of plastic wrap, she would have had more coverage. We haven’t attached a photo to this article because the look is simply too graphic to be published in a school newspaper; effectively, Censori was completely naked.
The look attracted a lot of negative attention online for several reasons. Some people criticized the look as gross and tacky, questioning the legality of wearing such an outfit in public. Other people were concerned by the moment, saying it seemed as if Ye forced her to disrobe against her will. To make the whole situation even more bizarre, it turns out they weren’t even invited to the event. I agree that the moment was problematic and that the Grammy’s were not the place to debut a look like that.
Conclusion:
This year’s Grammys was a great addition to an already spectacular awards season. I’m sure that expectations will be high heading into next year!
