Believe it if you want: the category Album of the year 2025 could it be one of the fiercest disputes in Grammy in years.
This year, she in a little of everything for everyone this year – since the rookie Chappell Roandipped in pink, with its velvety vocals on the debut album “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess” to the album centered on André 3000, “New Blue Sun”.
“It’s a phenomenal list of nominees. It’s full. I think it can match any year in history in terms of albums that are competing with each other, ”said Rob Sheffield, senior writer, critic and author of Rolling Stone to CNN. “It’s a historical list of classic albums happening at the same time.”
But Beyoncé’s “cowboy Carter”, which mixes different musical genres, in particular, is the album among the many nominees that seems to have the biggest bets – not for the artist herself, but for Grammy.
The recording gym has constantly ignored Beyoncé in this specific category, with the singer losing four times for her albums “Renaissance” (2023), “Lemonade” (2017), “Beyoncé” (2015) and “I Am… Sasha Fierce” ( 2010).
Most of the time, Beyoncé remained unshakable. She even referred to her unsuccessful attempts in the song “Sweet Honey Buckin” from “Cowboy Carter”, singing in part that she accepts the defeats “in the face”.
While Beyoncé apparently accepted his defeats with a graceful smile, always showing the utmost respect for the winner, her husband Jay-Z-and his millions of fans known as Beyive-have been more vocal, criticizing the recording academy-the group behind Grammy – By ignoring an artist who is widely considered one of the most influential of our time.
“She knows she’s an artist who understands that art itself is the legacy,” said Sheffield. “I think she cares about making these genius records one after another … But there is a feeling that for this specific Grammy Import category, Beyoncé needs to overcome her.”
The album category of the year is considered the main grammy prize, similar to the prestigious category of. It is part of what became known as the categories of “Big Four”, which include revelation artist, year recording and song of the year.
Despite the album defeats of the year, winning 32 statuettes of.
Cases where fans feel Beyoncé was flagrantly ignored fervently feeding the fervor for her to win at this year’s ceremony. Sheffield points to Beyoncé’s defeat to Beck’s “Morning Phase” in 2015 as a moment that “seemed the biggest surprise in Grammy’s history so far.” Since then, he said, the Grammy’s album dispute of the year has always been about if Beyoncé would win the category.
“Everything else has become a secondary spectacle,” Sheffield added.
Adele’s prestigious award victory for her album “21” on the 2017 Grammy further increased the flames of agitation. Adele made a point of recognizing the importance of “lemonade” during her acceptance speech.
“I can’t accept this award,” she said in tears, directing Beyoncé directly. “I love you and I always loved and I will always love.”
In many ways, “Lemonade” had the last word. The album is on top of many best album lists, including the first position on the Rolling Stone list, published earlier this month. Acclaimed for its cultural resonance and visual narrative, it is widely considered Beyoncé’s definitive album.
But according to Taylor Crumpton, writer and journalist of music, pop culture and politics, “Cowboy Carter” also won his own unique place in Zeitgeist Cultural, making him as wondering of an album of the year as “Lemonade”.
“I think they both changed the culture,” Crumpton told the CNN. “I think“ Lemonade ”has opened an opportunity to talk about black feminism in pop culture, and I believe“ Cowboy Carter ”has opened an opportunity to discuss hidden – and often erased – history in the history of western United States. ”
Transferring the guilt
With so many Grammy awards and a legacy as one of the most influential artists of our time, Beyoncé may not be as worried about a victory on the album of the year as perhaps Grammy as organization is.
Beyoncé supporters, including her husband, rapper Jay-Z, has long questioned the consistency with that Beyoncé has been neglected in the album of the year category.
By accepting the Global Impact Award Dr. DRE during the 2024 ceremony, after Beyoncé’s album “Renaissance” lost the album of the year to Harry Styles “Harry’s House” in 2023.
The recording academy has also faced criticism for not also recognizing black women and artists, as well as alienating rap and hip-hop artists in the main categories over the years. The group announced in 2020 changes that are implementing to solve this.
Although six of the eight nominees in the album of this year’s category are women, female artists are still sub-reported on the Grammy Awards, according to a report recently released by Akas (Addy Kassova Audience Strategy Ltd), with research and analysis funded by Gates Foundation . In the last eight years, only 1 in 5 nominations and wins have been to women, says the report.
This year, André 3000 and Indie-Jazz artist Jacob Collier are the only men’s album men’s nominees. Taylor Swift’s “The Tortured Poets Department”, Sabrina Carpenter’s “Short“ N Sweet ”, Charli XCX’s dance“ Brat ”and Billie Eilish’s“ Hit Me Hard and Soft ”.
“If Beyoncé does not win, I believe the answer will vary according to racial and gender demographies, about who was deserving and worthy of this award, and what it means to all artists who will enter the music industry,” said Crumpton.
Through his music, Beyoncé “intertwined with the history of black Americans in the United States,” so another defeat in this category, Crumpton added, will be felt “by all black artists in the Diaspora who look at the United States and institutions like Grammy and Billboard to validate them and open other doors. ”
The Grammy Awards will take place on Sunday (2) at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.
