This year’s recipient of Album of the Year sparked a bit of backlash on the internet. It’s one thing to rob Beyoncé of the award for the fourth time in a row. But it is another when this year’s winner, Harry Styles, might have ruffled some feathers in his acceptance speech, with some accusing him of being “tone-deaf.”
During his acceptance speech, Harry said that “he was inspired by every other artist” in this category and he wanted to remind everyone that “there is no such thing as best” in music. He also added that “this doesn’t happen to people like me very often,” and this line may have sparked some debate on the internet.
People argued that “Harry is a young, white, male artist” and took offense when he said that. Especially when the fan favorite and the people’s choice was Beyoncé’s Renaissance album. People accused him of “being tone deaf” and “not reading the room” due to his privileged background.
And when you look back at previous Album of the Year Winners, most of them go towards white artists like Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, and Adele, just to name a few.
This year’s Grammy awards were filled with firsts, with Kim Petras becoming the first transgender woman to win the Best Pop Duo/Group Performance Grammy award, and Beyoncé now holding the record for the most Grammy wins.
While Harry might have good intentions with his speech, it, unfortunately, didn’t sit well with music fans who know the history of the music industry and how the Recording Academy views artists from colored and ethnic backgrounds.