
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.”
Recommended VideosDuring 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.
Saying “this doesn’t happen to people like me very often” when a Black woman hasn't won that award since 1999 is crazy lol
— Ashley K. (@AshleyKSmalls) February 6, 2023Harry styles said “this doesn’t happen to people like me very often” and I gotta be honest I can’t think of a type of people this happens for more
— hey man nice tweet (@jazz_inmypants) February 6, 2023Harry Styles’s Grammy acceptance speech is a great example on why “reading the room” is so important pic.twitter.com/ooR4qAUxie
— maraduer👾 (@thinkpiecetribe) February 6, 2023Harry Styles saying this doesn't happen often to people like me in place where Benito might have become the Puerto Rican to win that album and Beyonce the 1st black women since 1999 is WILD. I need him to explain what identity he was using for that speech cause… pic.twitter.com/33DAXiKOgO
— Chichi (@chichimajaha) February 6, 2023This 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.
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