Taylor Swift achieved a historic milestone by securing the Best Album award for “Midnights,” marking her fourth win in this category. This remarkable feat establishes her as the first artist to clinch the prestigious prize four times, with prior victories for “Fearless,” “1989,” and “Folklore.”
Taylor Swift thrilled her devoted fan base by announcing a new album, “The Tortured Poets Department,” set for release on April 19. Accompanying the revelation, she shared the album’s front cover on social media. During the awards show, while accepting the Best Pop Vocal Album accolade, the 34-year-old artist disclosed that she had been keeping this exciting secret for the past two years.
Marking her return to major music events, Taylor Swift attended the Grammys after recently experiencing a distressing deepfake attack on social media. Last month, fake and explicit images of her circulated online.
While accepting the award, Swift candidly expressed her vulnerability, saying, “Guys, I feel so alone,” before extending gratitude to her team and everyone who contributed to the album’s success.
She said: “I would love to tell you this is the best moment of my life, but I feel this happy when I finish a song, or when I crack the code to a bridge that I love, or when I’m shortlisting a music video, or when I’m working with my dancers. “For me, the reward is the work… All I want to do is keep doing this, so thanks so much for giving me the opportunity. Mind blown!”
The Best Album award was presented by Canadian sensation Celine Dion, who disclosed in 2022 that she battles the rare neurological disorder, stiff-person syndrome (SPS). This condition led her to cancel numerous tour dates, shedding light on the challenges she faced.
Visibly moved to return to the stage, Taylor Swift emotionally conveyed to the audience, “When I say that I’m happy to be here, I mean it from my heart.”
Miley Cyrus clinched Record of the Year for her viral summer hit “Flowers,” breaking her Grammy dry spell with two victories that night. Expressing gratitude, the 31-year-old, adorned in a sequined black gown with a high side split, humorously hoped her “beautiful” life wouldn’t change.
Playfully listing acknowledgments, Cyrus quipped about possibly forgetting underwear, adding a light touch to her acceptance. Additionally, she secured the Best Pop Solo Performance for “Flowers,” a song she performed during the ceremony.
Accepting her award from Mariah Carey, Miley Cyrus shared a charming anecdote about almost missing the start of the show due to the rain. She then wove a tale of a little boy struggling to catch a butterfly until one landed on his nose, declaring, “This song is my butterfly.”
Billie Eilish secured Song of the Year for her Barbie song, “What Was I Made For?” The artist, seemingly taken aback by her win, candidly expressed, “This is the dumbest thing… Damn, I’m shocked,” and concluded her speech with, “This is stupid, I’m not supposed to be here.”
The summer-dominating track from the blockbuster movie, which shattered box office records, secured the award for Best Song Written for Visual Media. Billie Eilish, dressed in black sunglasses and a pink headscarf as a tribute to the 1965 Barbie Poodle parade doll, also delivered a performance during the night.
R&B singer-songwriter Victoria Monet claimed the Best New Artist award, commencing her acceptance speech by expressing gratitude to “the champagne servers of the night.” She went on to dedicate her award to anyone with a dream, using the analogy of a growing plant in the “soil” of the music industry. Monet shared that her “roots had been growing underground for so long, and were finally sprouting over ground.”
SZA, leading the night with the most nominations, secured three awards, including Best R&B Song for “Snooze.” In an emotional and breathless speech, attributed to changing her outfit, she swiftly gave a shout-out to Taylor Swift, saying, “Hi Taylor… I’m not an attractive crier. Have a good evening.”
Celebrating female talent, indie supergroup Boygenius clinched three awards, and Phoebe Bridgers secured a fourth for her collaboration with SZA on “Ghost in the Machine.”
The Grammy celebration of female talent stands in stark contrast to a recent UK MP report, exposing “endemic” misogyny and discrimination faced by women working in the music industry.