GRAMMY AWARDS 2025: ONCE AGAIN THIS YEAR… IT’S BEYONCÉ’S YEAR’

The 2025 Grammy Awards ceremony took place on the night of 2–3 February at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. It was no easy task for the organisers, who sought to balance the celebration of music with an awareness of the tragedy that had struck the region, highlighting music’s power to heal and bring communities together. The ceremony, in fact, raised significant funds for MusiCares Fire Relief. The evening featured performances by numerous artists, including Benson Boone, Billie Eilish, Chappell Roan, Charli XCX, Raye, Sabrina Carpenter and Shakira. Stevie Wonder, Janelle Monáe and others also took to the stage to pay tribute to Quincy Jones, who passed away in November 2024 (Quincy was best known to the general public for producing the best-selling album in history, Thriller by Michael Jackson, but he also wrote and performed two very well-known tracks: “Ain’t No Corrida”, a real dance track, and his masterpiece “What’s Going On”, a song of rare beauty and sensitivity). The evening began with a performance by St. Vincent, Sheryl Crow and Brittany Howard, who sang “I Love L.A.”.

But now let’s move on to the prizes:

• Kendrick Lamar won “Record of the Year” and “Song of the Year” with “Not Like Us” (four minutes of “strong” rhymes in a diss track aimed at Drake). Lamar is known for his rap and hip-hop music, which often tackles profound and socially relevant themes. However, there are a few songs (very few!) in his repertoire that have catchier beats and might be suitable for dancing. For example, “Humble”, a track from nine years ago, It’s got a powerful beat and a driving rhythm which, especially for an American international audience… really gets your head bobbing! (We’ve put it to the test, it’s true!).
• Despite the six nominations, Taylor Swift He didn’t win any awards. However, he presented the Golden Gramophone for “Best Country Album” to Beyoncé,
• The Album of the Year award went to Beyoncé for Cowboy Carter, which also won Best Country Album, after the Country Music Association had excluded it from every category.

Incidentally, it is worth noting that last year, at the 2024 Grammys, Beyoncé had already swept the board, winning awards for Best Dance/Electronic Album for *Renaissance*, Best Dance Song for “Break My Soul” and Best R&B Performance for “Cuff it“, also taken from *Renaissance*. It goes without saying that Beyoncé is always (or almost always) featured on a typical party playlist, with “classic” tracks like “Single Ladies” for hen parties and weddings, “Crazy in Love”, featuring Jay Z – a 2003 track that’s a must at hip-hop revival nights – or the aforementioned “Break My Soul”, in its remixed version, for nights that call for just the right kind of dance music: sophisticated and catchy.

• Shakira won the Best Latin Pop Album for “Women Don’t Cry Anymore“. The album’s standout track: “Punteria”, still a huge dance hit, in both its original version and, above all, the remix. But Shakira has so many dance tracks to her name, looking back over her career. From “Hips Don’t Lie” to “Waka Waka”. And a thousand more!”

Below, however, we’ll mention two categories that are decidedly more… peaceful.

•  Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album: Visions – Norah Jones
•  Best Pop Duo/Group Performance: Die with a Smile – Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars

BEST ROCK ALBUM AND BEST ROCK PERFORMANCE: THE BEATLES AND THE ROLLING STONES STILL IN THE LEAD

It’s hard to believe, but the legendary “The Beatles” won as Best Rock Performance for “Now and Then“. The track, based on an old recording by John Lennon, marks the first time a song created with the help of AI has been nominated for and won a Grammy. On stage at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles to accept the award was Sean Lennon, son of the late John Lennon and Yoko Ono.

The Rolling Stones won the award for Best Rock Album with “Hackney Diamonds“This win is a tribute to the Rolling Stones“ long career and influence in the world of rock music. ”Hackney Diamonds“ has been well received by critics and has once again demonstrated the band’s ability to create high-quality music that continues to captivate fans around the world. They beat other major artists and bands such as the Black Crowes, Fontaines D.C., Green Day, Idles, Jack White and Pearl Jam. This is the second time the Rolling Stones have won a Grammy. The first time was in 2018 with ”Blue & Lonesome“ in the ”Best Traditional Blues Album“ category. The band had previously been nominated for the ”Best Rock Album“ award in 2006 with ”A Bigger Bang”.

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Among the other categories, the following stand out:

• Sabrina Carpenter won “Best Remixed Recording” for ‘Espresso’ (Mark Ronson x FnZ Working Late remix). .
• Charli XCX has won three Grammys, including “Best Dance Pop Recording” and “Best Dance/Electronic Album’
• Doechii won the “Best Rap Album” award for *Alligator Bites Never Heal*, becoming the third woman to win in this category. .
• Chappell Roan won the award for “Best New Artist”
• Raye gave an unforgettable performance of ‘Oscar Winning Tears’. .

As for the Grammy The Lifetime Achievement Awards (known in Italian as the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award), one of the most prestigious honours in the world of music – here’s how it went. This is a special award presented by the Recording Academy (the organisation that organises the Grammy Awards) to artists who have made exceptional and lasting contributions to the field of music throughout their careers. Among the recipients were Frankie Beverly, The Clash, Dr Bobby Jones, Taj Mahal, Prince, Roxanne Shante and Frankie Valli (the latter being the lead singer of The Four Seasons, known for his distinctive voice and unforgettable songs such as ‘Can’t Take My Eyes Off You’).

The ceremony also featured some moving moments, such as Doechii’s acceptance speech, in which she paid tribute to the Black women who had inspired her. Sabrina Carpenter delivered a Hollywood-style performance, complete with carefully staged mishaps. Chappell Roan turned his performance into a celebration of the queer community. Billie Eilish sang ‘Birds of a Feather’ accompanied by images of her childhood and her hometown, Altadena.

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