And cue music! Celebrating the major music industry, the 65th Annual Grammy Awards honored the sensational artist in the music world on Monday, February 5th. 

Starting off with a bang, Puerto Rican reggaeton and trap icon, Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio, also known as “Bad Bunny”, opened the ceremony with an electric performance including a flash mob of dancers to his hit songs, “El Apagón” and “Después de la Playa”. Bad Bunny’s dancers were portrayed as “cabezudos”, which was representative of performers at Las Fiestas de la Calle San Sebastián in Puerto Rico. The costumes represent historical figures who have contributed to Puerto Rican culture. This energetic performance even brought artists such as Taylor Swift and Jack Harlow to get up and dance. 

“It’s easy because I just made this album with love and passion … and when you do things with love and passion, everything is easier. Life is easier,” said Bad Bunny.

His newest album, Un Verano Sin Ti is the first Spanish-language album to be nominated for Best Pop Solo Performance and it won the Best Musica Urbana Album. Bad Bunny is making history for the Hispanic community, as he keeps his authenticity through centering his music around Puerto Rico, his hometown. Bad Bunny is a predominantly Spanish speaker, and keeps his songs all in Spanish. The fact that many who don’t speak Spanish love his music, shows the depth of his influence. 

“Bad Bunny is making history for Latinos all over the world. Everyone listens to Bad Bunny, including those who don’t speak Spanish, and it’s nice to see the influence of Hispanic culture. I also really appreciate everything Bad Bunny does for his hometown of Puerto Rico,” said senior Catalina Giorgio.

Harry Styles took home the Best Pop Performance and the Album of the Year Award for his newest album, Harry’s House. Grammy host, Trevor Noah, presented the Album of the Year Award with the help of 78-year-old Reina, who was invited to the award show, along with other Harry stans. Following the announcement, Styles immediately approached Reina in a cheerful embrace.

Though the celebration began with a sense of jubilance, his speech offended many minority groups when saying “this doesn’t happen to people like me very often.” By making this statement he sparked controversy since many feel that he is not taking into consideration his white, male privilege, especially since he beat artists Lizzo and Beyonce, who are both women of color. Though his word choice in this speech can be interpreted in this manner, it is understandable that he meant to address his low socioeconomic background while growing up, and how it brought obstacles to attaining his success. Many are giving Styles the benefit-of-the-doubt on this matter because he has made it a point in his career to spread the message of inclusivity, and therefore did not make this statement with any mal intent. 

“To say that Harry Styles does not deserve the album of the year award because he is a white male is ignorant,” said senior Diana Rincon, “He has made a career out of promoting inclusivity across the board, and even has his own business, called Pleasing, in which the models are from different races and genders.” 

Styles is notorious for promoting diversity by advocating for the LGBTQ+ community and racial justice groups like Black Lives Matter. Not to mention, one of his songs is called Treat People With Kindness, where he encourages his fans to help others and implement a positive mindset. He is known for having an inclusive and open fan base and does not deserve to be shamed for winning an award that he earned.

32 Grammys: Beyoncé made history at the 65th Grammy Awards and broke the record of most Grammys won by a single artist, which was previously held by Hungarian-British orchestra conductor Georg Solti with 31 Grammys. Winning the Best Dance/Electronic Award for her album Renaissance marked her artistic prowess and made her the most decorated performer in the room. 

Another Grammy Award winner, Lizzo, paid tribute to Beyoncé in her speech, where she thanked her for how much she meant to her growing up. She made history as the first Black woman to win Record of the Year since Whitney Houston’s I Will Always Love You in 1994. Lizzo won record of the year for her song About Damn Time, and later performed it with her other song Special.  

Debuting their friendship, Adele sat together for the entirety of the award show. This pop artist also got nominated for multiple awards, such as Album of the Year, Best Pop Vocal Album, Song of the Year, Record of the Year, and Best Music Video. Adele brought home the award of The Best Pop Solo Performance.

“The anticipation for the winner of each category is always exciting, and getting to see all my favorite artists together in one room is such a treat,” said Senior Sofia Trivino.