Sabrina Carpenter has a very modern turn on the aesthetic of Marilyn Monroe. Both have a “sex appeal” and a persona that captures the eyes of anyone. Monroe is most known for dressing and acting for the “male gaze.” Carpenter’s most recent tour, “Short N’ Sweet,” has taken the idea and molded it into both male preferences while also bringing in the feeling of self-love. Her Grammy-winning song and music video “Espresso” clearly shows the male gaze portion. Many do not see the part of ‘self-love’ with Carpenter, and this is where I would like to argue that she brings this within her performances; mainly the latest at the Grammys. She is clearly comfortable and having fun here, enjoying being herself while continuing with her recent brand change to a 1940/50s vibe.
The Grammys were such a win for upcoming artists and representation. Doechii being the third woman ever to win Best Rap Album and Chappel Roan winning Best New Artist was so beautiful to see. The fact that both of these artists accepted their award by standing up for issues they care about and uplifting others was admirable. Not to mention their excellent performances further setting a name for themselves in the industry, proving to people that just because you haven’t heard of them, this doesn’t mean you never will. Their performances truly embodied their albums.
Doechii’s fame and critical praise is long overdue. I’ve been a fan of Doechii ever since she dropped her mixtape “Oh the Places You’ll Go,” as her campy style and sharp pen were a needed installment to the current rap scene. So it’s no wonder her 2024 mixtape “Alligator Bites Never Heal” won. The project lived and breathed Florida; it had clever lyrics and a beautiful jazz influence. All the songs felt cohesive and actually like they belonged together. Overall, she deserves the win, and I hope to hear more from her.
Chappell Roan’s win on Sunday was a victory not only for the queer community but all the artists that have fallen victim to the life-draining struggle of the music industry. It seemed obvious that the clear winner of the Best New Artist award would be Chappell Roan, seeing as how she rose to incredible heights after 10 years of hard work, which led to her single “Good Luck, Babe!” going #1 on Billboard’s charts, her album reaching top five of the US Billboard 200, and her bringing in Lollapalooza’s biggest crowd in history. Chappell Roan used her acceptance speech to bring awareness to the struggles of artists by pleading with music labels to offer livable wages as well as healthcare to their artists, an act truly commendable considering the toxicity that festers in the music industry that consumes the lives of many and isn’t often addressed head-on, especially so publicly.
Beyonce deserved all of the recognition for her LP, as it was something we have seldom seen from a current-day pop star. She tried to combine both country and pop into a genre only Beyonce could perfect, though I don’t see it as a “country album,” per se. Sure, it features country legends such as “Dolly Parton” and “Willie Nelson,” both of whom don’t actually sing or perform on any songs (both offer spoken words). There are only about two definite country songs on the record, and the rest are just Beyonce being an absolute musical genius. Country music isn’t “Cowboy Carter,” but “Cowboy Carter” is music done incredibly well. Beyonce deserves all of the recognition for this album in the Best Album of the Year category, but not in the Best Country Album of the Year realm. “Cowboy Carter” may not be country, but it sure is awesome.
