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The Grandiose of the Grammys: Does the validation from western awards matter?
The Grammy Awards are the biggest flex in the global music industry and winning one is a sign of prestige. But does the validation from western awards really matter? Take a look.
The 63rd Grammy Awards are two days away! The Grammy Award, or just Grammy, is an award presented by the Recording Academy to recognize achievements in the music industry. The annual presentation ceremony features performances by prominent artists, where during the course of the ceremony, deserving artists are rewarded with a Grammy or multiple Grammys. It is considered as one of the four major annual American entertainment awards, along with the Academy Awards (film), the Emmy Awards (television), and the Tony Awards (theatre and Broadway). For any musician, winning a Grammy award is the ultimate, end goal, to validate their musical career and expertise, but is it really that important?
Earlier this week, solo singer and former One Direction member, Zayn Malik publicly bashed the Grammy Awards, via his official Twitter account. He brought to light, a rather open secret, that unless and until artists bribe the jury, they aren't rewarded with one. He sarcastically added that the next time onwards, he will be sending a box full of confectionaries to earn a nomination for himself. The tweet sparked a raging debate amongst fans, demanding better accountability from The Recording Academy.
Last year, The Weeknd's scintillating, Blinding Lights was snubbed and he too demanded transparency for the sake of his fans and the music industry. It is no secret that The Grammys are known to be racist, and people of colour, often don't get nominated in the top-tier categories of 'Best Record' and 'Best Album'. The Grammys have done a huge disservice to the African-American community in their own country, but treating them like step-children and favouring other 'white' artists.
To be honest, I'm interested in The Grammys only for BTS' sake. BTS' Grammy nomination is nothing short of historic, iconic and life-changing. The superstar septet will be the first Korean act to be nominated as well as perform at the prestigious Grammy awards this Sunday. BTS members and their beloved fandom, ARMY are super excited about BTS' solo stage at the Grammys.
So, does the validation from western awards matter? The answer to this is, it matters only to a certain degree. BTS winning a Grammy will be nothing short of spectacular, but even if they don't, it will not invalidate the formidable legacy they have painstakingly build upon over the years. Yes, a win, will aspire many more Asian artists and people of colour to aspire for a bigger stage in life, but more than that, it will authenticate to aspiring musicians and artists, that the world of music, truly transcends boundaries and is limitless in every way.
Jennifer Aniston had famously said that for her the greatest joy of working on a timeless TV series like, Friends, is the fact that patients, confined to their beds in a sick hospital, told her that the show gave them happiness and comfort in their lives. This is what BTS does too, they come to you and heal you and change you for the better. ARMYs across the world will agree that BTS has truly changed their lives, from providing mental peace and comfort, to giving assurance and healing in darker times and bringing boundless joy in their lives.
It doesn't even have to be some sort of a dramatic change. I, for instance, wasn't too big on western music and consoled myself to melodies of good Hindi film music. BTS changed that, not only did I explore music in a language that I'm not familiar with, but explored other artists that BTS members were themselves a fan of. This win is single-handedly greater than any trophy or gold-coated award. Drake made a stunning speech at the 2019 Grammy Awards, where he said that, as long as people listen to your music and pay for your concerts, you are winning at your game, these awards don't matter.
To finally conclude, yes I will be rooting for BTS to win at The Grammys this year, not because I particularly care for the award, but because they do and they are in fact, the most deserving candidates to win. We don't know of the future, nobody does, but BTS' is beyond the Grammys! They are, after all, bulletproof, eternally!
What are your thoughts on this? Share your thoughts with Pinkvilla in the comments below.
