The Grand-Slam Grammys

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Rachel Vanderschans

The view from an attendees’ seat at the Grammys.

Rachel Vanderschans, Staff Reporter

The Grammys is a global event that continuously honors and celebrates the world’s best music artists. Since 1959, this prestigious show has celebrated many artists such as Stevie Wonder, John Williams, Mary J. Blige, Dolly Parton, and Paul McCartney

This year’s 65th Annual Grammy Award was no exception. On Feb. 5, at around 5 p.m., the room began to fill with the rich, famous, and elite. One could practically smell the designer brands in the air. 

As an attendee of the Grammys, the excitement and energy of the event could be seen on every person’s face. Walking into the stadium, pedestrians on the street lined up against walls, all hoping to catch a glimpse of their favorite celebrity. 

Being an outsider to this world of luxury, I felt nervous as I saw the rich pass me by. While looking for my seat, I passed by the drummer of The Police, Stewart Copeland

The Crypto.com arena in Downtown Los Angeles was decked out, with the stadium floor covered in an elegant scarlet carpet with small tables for celebrities. Waiters in freshly pressed suits offered the wealthy champagne, ensuring their glasses were never empty.

Midway through the event, I got hungry and went to search for any open refreshment stations. While looking for food, I met the bassist of Nirvana, Krist Novoselic. He was very friendly and nice when asked to get a picture with him. 

As I went back to my seat, I tumbled down the stairs and landed at the feet of Smokey Robinson before abruptly standing up and saying “hi”. I was extremely embarrassed and spent the rest of the night in my seat. 

The biggest awards that were announced that evening were Song of the Year, Record of the Year, and Album of the Year which was won by Bonnie Raitt, Lizzo, and Harry Styles respectively. 

QUEST freshman Noah Jackson said, “Kendrick Lamar should have won album of the year because Mr. Moral and the Big Steppas was definitely the best album of the year, and was super well done.”

Trevor Noah, the host of the Daily Show and comedian, hosted the Grammys for the third year in a row. Among the attendees were Beyoncé, Harry Styles, Lizzo, Taylor Swift, Bad Bunny, Steve Lacy, and many others. 

Beyoncé also made history during the Grammys, breaking the record for the most Grammys ever, with 32 awards. COMPASS freshman Alexis Andrade was happy Beyonce broke the record to hold the most Grammys ever. 

Ms. Filer with her student Steve Lacy, who was nominated for a Grammy during the time she taught him. (Ms. Filer)

“Good for her, because she broke that record and it inspires women and girls and shows the world women can do whatever a man can,” she said.

In a discussion about the Grammys, Ms. Filer, one of Millikan’s assistant principals, shared that one of her previous students, Steve Lacy, was nominated at the Grammys for the Best Progressive R&B album! 

Ms. Filer met Lacy in 2016 when she was his history teacher at Humanity and Arts Academy of Los Angeles.

“Steve would always talk about music in my class. At the time, he was in The Internet, and towards the end of the school year when the Grammys came around in February he told me: ‘Miss Filer, we got nominated for a Grammy.'” I looked up past Grammys and right there was the name of his 2015 album, Ego Death. That year the album hit the Billboard Top Ten for R&B/Hip-Hop, the top half of the all-genre Billboard 200, and was nominated for a Grammy in the category of Best Urban Contemporary Album as well as the Grammy Award for the Best Progressive R&B Album. Lacy was only a senior in high school at the time. 

All in all, the Grammys was successful and did what it was designed to do — honor the artists who have changed the world. Although some people did not agree with the outcome of the Grammys, it still impacted and changed the lives of many artists, and will continue to for many more to come.