Another Grammy ceremony has come and gone, and Beyoncé still hasn't won Album of the Year.
On Sunday night, Harry Styles's Harry's House beat out anticipated top contenders including Bey's Renaissance and Bad Bunny's Un Verano Sin Ti.
In an interview, Beyoncé's husband, Jay-Z, spoke of how the Recording Academy has, at times, 'missed the moment'—and the dismissal of Beyoncé's momentous seventh studio album seems to be the latest proof.
Speaking with Tidal in a Q&A before the 65th Grammy Awards, Jay-Z—who famously boycotted the awards ceremony in 1999 after late rapper DMX did not receive a nomination—explained why the golden gramophone deserved to go to his wife.
'Look what it's done to the culture. Look how the energy of the world moved,' he said. 'They play her whole album in the club. I don't know if I've ever seen that. The whole entire joint—like, everything?! Every remix is amazing. Everyone's inspired. It has inspired the world. Every remix is better than the other one.'
He continued, 'When it just inspires creativity, that's an album. That has to be Album of the Year. It has to be.'
While the rapper said that he 'hope[s] they just get it right', he also addressed how the Academy has failed to recognise their achievements in the past.
Regarding the 2018 Grammys, when he was nominated in eight categories but went home with zero awards, he said: 'I feel like they missed the moment. I didn't feel bad for myself, because I know it's the Grammys: I probably won some joints I shouldn't have won and I probably lost some joints I should've won. That's the way it goes.'
That same philosophy applies to Beyoncé losing out in the Album of the Year category multiple times in the past.
'It wasn't about me, it was just like, "Oh, I felt like they missed the moment." Even with Bey, I felt like they missed the moment. Not just LEMONADE; [also] when Beck won over her [for Album of the Year at the 2015 show]. I was like, "Oh, y'all missed it,"' he said.
Regardless, Beyoncé still made history at this year's Grammys by breaking the record for the most-awarded artist in Grammys history. She took home four awards, bumping up her total amount of Grammy wins to 32.
While accepting the award for Best Dance/Electronic Album, Beyoncé thanked her family and the queer community, who heavily inspired Renaissance.
'I'd like to thank my Uncle Jonny who's not here, but he's here in spirit,' she said. 'I want to thank the queer community for their love and for inventing this genre.'
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As an associate editor at HarpersBAZAAR.com, Chelsey keeps a finger on the pulse on all things celeb news. She also writes on social movements, connecting with activists leading the fight on workers' rights, climate justice, and more. Offline, she’s probably spending too much time on TikTok, rewatching Emma (the 2020 version, of course), or buying yet another corset.
