The Grammys are one of the most anticipated and annoying events, yet somehow I still care every single year. It’s kind of embarrassing at this point. I’ll sit there and complain about how the Academy doesn’t know what they’re doing, how they’re always behind, how they love to snub the artists who actually carried the year — but come nomination day? I’m refreshing Twitter every 1-5 minutes, hoping an artist I love wins one.

The thing about the Grammys is that they judge music like it’s a math equation. They always pick the “safe” or “serious” option instead of the artists who actually made people feel something all year. They don’t get that music isn’t about prestige — it’s about connection. If a song gets you through a tough week, makes you lose your mind in the car at midnight or becomes the soundtrack of your entire summer, that matters more than any Grammy category ever will. Artists like SZA and Sabrina Carpenter deserve way more flowers than the Grammys have ever given them. SZA’s music hits different — when SOS came out, it felt like everyone collectively went through a breakup, an identity crisis, a glow-up and a therapy session at the same time. She writes like she’s reading your diary out loud, and somehow you’re okay with it. When the Grammys don’t treat her like the heavyweight she is, it feels personal. Like, how are you gonna ignore SZA, the woman who had people screaming “Kill Bill” like it was the national anthem? 

Let’s not forget when Billie Eilish lost 5 Grammys for “Hit Me Hard and Soft,” which was so popular and probably the best album she has made yet. It garnered over nine billion streams in less than 2 years. 

And then there’s Sabrina Carpenter, one of the pop princesses that the Academy still acts confused by, even though she’s been delivering hit after hit. She’s funny, she’s sharp, she’s chaotic in the cutest way and she can write a bridge that lives in your head rent-free. “Espresso”? “Feather”? “Nonsense” with the wild outros? She has the range and the personality. Yet somehow the Grammys pretend she’s just not there. It’s like they only acknowledge women in pop if they fit a certain mold, and Carpenter refuses to shrink herself to fit anything. However, it’s that exact quality that draws in her fanbase and makes people love her.

Even knowing the Grammys are a hot mess, I always end up watching — maybe because deep down, I want to see artists like SZA and Carpenter get the moment they deserve. Maybe part of me hopes the Academy will actually get it right for once. Or maybe I’m just emotionally attached to chaos. Who knows?

All I know is the Grammys can be stupid, biased and painfully predictable, but the artists we root for aren’t. And that’s why we keep showing up, year after year — not to watch the Academy pretend they invented taste. Still, just a tiny chance my favorite artist wins makes me still want to watch every year. 

Angel Rodriguez loves a writing style with a prominent voice and is very passionate about equality, self-expression and what matters most. He is always willing to hear feedback and new ideas at [email protected].