A number of hip-hop icons have come under fire recently for changing their tune about Donald Trump, including Snoop Dogg and Nelly. The two superstars performed at the would-be dictator’s inauguration, backtracking on past comments condemning his racist comments and policies.
Now, they are being taken to task by their peers in the music industry, with Janelle Monáe specifically calling out Nelly in a post-Grammys freestyle. When she was given the beat to Nelly’s 2002 hit “Hot In Herre” to rap over, she obliged, but used the opportunity to criticize the St. Louis native for selling out.
“F*ck you, Nelly!” she yelled as the band played. “I care about women. I care about Hispanics. I care about Spanish people. I care about Mexicans. I care about trans people. I care about gay people. F*ck you, Nelly, you sold out. I used to think you was cool / But now you look like a motherf*cking fool / Going to the inauguration to participate with some n**** who give a f*ck about how you feelin’ / I don’t what you really sayin’ / I might be a little tipsy, but I know everything I’m motherf*cking sayin’ / If you think I’m rude / F*ck you n****, get a new attitude!”
Janelle Monáe, who identifies as non-binary and uses they/them pronouns in addition to she/her, has long been an outspoken voice for queer identity and rights. Meanwhile, within his first week in office, Trump issued dozens of executive orders aimed at invalidating those rights, and anyone who didn’t sleep through fourth grade history can see where this is all headed. So, it’s no wonder that so many people from marginalized communities are incensed with Nelly and Snoop for cozying up to a wannabe tyrant instead of standing in solidarity against him (they should check those history books if they want to see how well that usually works out).
“Really, where it all started was on the back of a napkin…”
How do you build an empire from the back of a napkin? Simon Ford can tell you all about it. What began as a crazy idea to create the ultimate cocktail gin exploded into an award-winning product that quickly took the world by storm. Fords Gin’s versatile and viscous flagship gin has been a hit from day one – now they’ve released an LP of curated hits.
The kind you can enjoy while sipping your favorite bartender’s favorite cocktail.
Thanks to a powerhouse partnership between Simon Ford, brand-builder Kevin Dowell, and legendary record producer Dan The Automator, the idea of London Dry Records was formed. With renewed fervor for record-collecting coming at the same time as the rise in at-home bartending, London Dry Records sprung to life at the perfect time to unite two timeless passions.
“We were looking at the creative process of making food, making drinks, and making music,” Ford tells Uproxx.
“Transitioning that energy into a product and piece of art that could stand the test of time and be shared widely was the obvious next step,” Dowell adds.
The first release from Fords Gin was the long-awaited return of Handsome Boy Modeling School, who ended a nearly 20-year hiatus to create Music To Drink Martinis To.
Fords Gin
How do you follow up on such a groundbreaking first trick? By graduating from the world’s most classic cocktail to its most sophisticated. Thus, The Negroni Sessions was born.
Dowell says the group wanted to blend elegant and eclectic recipes with a soundscape that would bring that beauty to life.
“How great would it be to have a record with no skips? That from start to finish is just Negroni drinking music.”
This brand-new curated playlist features everything from funky and refined Latin jazz tracks to urbane and upbeat French pop electronica, offering up a 9-track journey paired with carefully selected cocktail recipes from some of the world’s leading bartenders.
If a famed contemporary director were to recreate a classic vintage Italian film, Ford wonders, “What would the soundtrack be?”
Armed with that creative brief, he and Dowell partnered with Jazz Dispensary (who they describe as “music aficionados at the highest level”) to come up with the selected soundtrack before enlisting Dan The Automator to put the final touches on it. An original remix of “Everything Counts” by Dan the Automator serves as the record’s pièce de resistance.
Each song is meant to perfectly set the tone for each specialty Negroni. By capturing the world-wise vibe of the surprisingly simple cocktail (made with three equal parts of gin, Italian bitters, and sweet vermouth with an orange peel garnish), Fords Gin is offering its fans a multi-sensory experience that works just as well at home as it does in the belly of your favorite bar.
Perusing the recipes that accompany each track, you’ll notice a mix of approachable and elevated cocktails. Ford urges fans to engage with each unique drink and try making them yourself, reminding us, “when all else fails, it’s hard to make a bad Negroni.” Nestled among the list of classics, riffs, and original creations is a show-stopping green Negroni, made with MidoriTM liqueur, that doubles as both a delicious drink and the perfect visual pairing for the vinyl’s mid-century inspired artwork.
Fords Gin
As part of The Negroni Sessions, in addition to a bottle bundle exclusively available on ReserveBar.com. Fords Gin will host listening parties across the U.S. to bring the immersive experiment to life. The worlds of drinks and music both orbit the idea of enjoying oneself, so crafting a series of casual but cosmopolitan soirées stood out as a key piece of The Negroni Sessions equation.
For the launch event in New York, Fords Gin brought out the legendary DJ Stretch Armstrong to punch up the vibes. The event also served as a showcase for some of the bartenders who created cocktail recipes for The Negroni Sessions vinyl. Naturally, that piece was vital to Fords Gin, who have always kept their appreciation of bartenders and the service industry at the heart of their brand’s initiatives.
According to Ford, “We designed our liquid with bartenders along with the expertise of one of the most celebrated gin distillers in the world, so we felt that we should (remember) that with everything else we do.”
If you missed out on the NYC launch event, keep an eye out for additional soon-to-be-announced Negroni Sessions in other cities. For the full at-home experience, the bottle bundle can be found exclusively on ReserveBar.com.
On Sunday, Chappell Roan won her first (hopefully of many) Grammy. It’s something she had been manifesting for over a decade.
A resurfaced video from 2012 shared by X user @m1dwestprincess shows 14-year-old Kayleigh Rose Amstutz — the future “your favorite artist’s favorite artist” — accepting a novelty-sized check for $1,012 after winning the Springfield’s Got Talent show in Springfield, Missouri. When asked by a judge about her future plans, she replied, “I want to win a Grammy. So, that’s my goal and I’m going to do whatever it takes to get it.”
Roan doesn’t need good luck (babe). She did the damn thing.
The “Pink Pony Club” singer used her Best New Artist acceptance speech to demand better treatment for artists from record labels. “I told myself if I ever won a Grammy, and I got to stand up here in front of the most powerful people in music, I would demand that labels and the industry profiting millions of dollars off of artists would offer a livable wage in healthcare, especially to developing artists,” she said. Roan went on to say that “record labels need to treat their artists as valuable employees with a livable wage and health insurance and protection. Labels, we got you, but do you got us?”
You can watch the full pre-fame Chappell Roan video here.
For a while, there was a bit of mystery about what Julien Baker and Torres were up to together. Now, we’ve hit official announcement season. A few days ago, they announced Send A Prayer My Way, their debut collaborative album. Now, today (February 3), they’ve announced a joint tour in support of the project.
The shows run from the end of April to mid-May and the shows are primarily in the southern US. Tickets go on sale starting February 7 at 10 a.m. local time, here.
Check out the full list of tour dates below.
Julien Baker & Torres’ 2025 Tour Dates: Send A Prayer My Way
03/27-30 — Big Ears Festival @ Knoxville, TN *
04/03 — Mission Creek Festival @ Iowa City, IA *
04/23 — The National @ Richmond, VA
04/24 — The Orange Peel @ Asheville, NC
04/25 — Haw River Ballroom @ Saxapahaw, NC
04/26 — High Water Music Festival @ North Charleston, SC*
04/28 — Georgia Theatre @ Athens, GA
04/29 — The Lyric Oxford @ Oxford, MS
04/30 — Iron City @ Birmingham, AL
05/01 — Tipitina’s @ New Orleans, LA
05/04 — Stable Hall @ San Antonio, TX
05/05 — The Heights Theater @ Houston, TX
05/06 — Longhorn Ballroom @ Dallas, TX
05/07 — Tower Theatre @ Oklahoma City, OK
05/09 — Cain’s Ballroom @ Tulsa, OK
05/10 — Liberty Hall @ Lawrence, KS
05/11 — First Avenue @ Minneapolis, MN
05/12 — The Admiral @ Omaha, NE
05/16 — Kilby Block Party @ Salt Lake City, UT *
06/20 — Green River Festival @ Greenfield, MA *
06/21 — Mountain Jam @ Highmount, NY *
07/04-05 — Zootown Music Festival @ Missoula, MT *
07/25-27 — Newport Folk Festival @ Newport, RI *
Send A Prayer My Way is out 4/18 via Matador Records. Find more information here.
Those moves, and particularly the Doncic-Davis trade, have the rest of the league buzzing and have some teams trying desperately to keep up with the NBA’s changing landscape, especially out in the West. Among the teams scrambling to remain relevant are the Golden State Warriors, who just saw their rival Lakers figure out the transition from an aging all-time great by landing a top-5 player as he’s entering his prime. That’s a journey the Warriors have been rather famously trying and failing to navigate for the past few years, as the two timelines approach has not yielded the intended result of finding their next franchise cornerstone.
With Stephen Curry still playing at an All-Star level, the Warriors are now apparently desperate to find a star to pair him with. As for which star the Warriors are pursuing, the answer is simply: Yes. Jake Fischer dropped a report for The Stein Line newsletter on Monday about the Warriors not only still being in on Jimmy Butler talks, but that they are also chasing a reunion with Kevin Durant — and a pie in the sky dream of bringing both Durant and LeBron James to the Bay.
The path to Durant alone does seem plausible. Phoenix, entering Monday’s business, continued to signal that it does not plan to move Durant before the deadline, sources said, but the Suns are believed to be listening at the very least to various teams’ pitches for the 35-year-old scoring legend. Durant, meanwhile, is said to be aware of all this.
Shams Charania then followed that up with a hit on the Pat McAfee show where he confirmed they’ve called about Durant and noted they’ve also put in calls for just about every single star in the league.
“The Warriors are legitimately calling about every All-Star player,” Charania said. “Just name the All-Star player, the Warriors have probably called on them. Paul George? They have called on him. They made calls on every star, that of course includes players like LeBron, players like Kevin Durant, players like Jimmy Butler. They are making calls, they are dead set on trying to find another superstar player with Stephen Curry.”
They were in on talks about a Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic package with the Bulls before LaVine got shipped to Sacramento. They’ve apparently discussed pursuits of Zion Williamson or Brandon Ingram of the Pelicans. If there’s a big name to be had, the Warriors are calling about them.
And yet, we’ll have to wait and see if they are truly as motivated to get a star as they’re letting on. They have the ammunition to make a strong offer on most any star, but they’d have to be willing to part with Jonathan Kuminga and future picks to make that happen. We’ll see if that’s finally the case after not being willing to do so this summer in their pursuit of guys like Paul George and Lauri Markkanen, but if the deadline comes and goes and their biggest acquisition is, say, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Warriors fans will not be happy.
One of the most exhilarating performances at the 2025 Grammy Awards came courtesy of Doechii. The Best Rap Album winner’s set began with “Catfish,” a booming track from her Alligator Bites Never Heal mixtape, before a costume change led into Hot 100-charting single “Denial Is A River.” If the Swamp Princess wasn’t already a superstar, she is now.
Doechii and creative director C. Prinz worked with Los Angeles-based design studio See You Later to bring the captivating vision for her Grammys performance — the clones! the conveyor belts! the flashing lights! — to life.
Ahead of the ceremony, I spoke to See You Later co-founders, TJ Hoover and Darrius Medina, about how the collaboration came to be, the exciting pressure of working on an award show, and their favorite Grammys moments.
How did See You Later first connect with Doechii?
TJ Hoover: We were brought on to work alongside her creative director C. Prinz. We really vibed aesthetically, and kind of felt that we were on the same frequency for what this performance was envisioned to be. We got brought on in early January, right before all of this started getting kicked off.
I imagine that one-month timeline to prepare for the Grammys came with some challenges.
TH: [Most of the Best New Artist] acts are back to back, so there’s no longer a long break between all these performances. And so what this required our teams to do is figure out, how do we design something that gets in and off the stage in 10 minutes, and is able to be executed and brought in and built extremely quickly? The Grammys being such a massive stage and presence to perform on, that adds its own pressures as well. I think that was probably one of the biggest challenges. The timeline, a month, is pretty quick [laughs].
Darrius Medina: Like TJ said, there’s so many acts playing that we don’t have a lot of time at the Grammys stage. One thing that we do at See You Later is a lot of pre-visualization of the show. We build this whole thing out in 3D, which gives the artists a chance to really see their vision brought to life and understand what it’s going to look like for the performance, and be able to make choreo changes, content changes, and go over lighting and things like that. That’s something that helps us out a lot when we’re doing a live performance versus a tour or festival, when we have more time to do rehearsals. You know, the full package.
Alamy
When is the first time you see the stage in its completed form?
TH: The day before.
DM: There’s kind of like three performance areas: the inner left, the inner right, and then the front. So we have one of the sections where some of the headliners get the full stage. That was another part of the constraint that we had to work in, as well. The shape of the area that we had to design in wasn’t symmetrical; it was curved on one side and not on the other. So part of it was figuring out what’s going to look good on camera with choreography and stage shape and different angles and things like that.
What were the initial discussions between See You Later and Doechii about the performance like?
TH: This project started out with a couple different ideas. I think the clones were always a rounding idea in the creative, and the world that the clones lived in was something that was up for discussion. We went through different ideas and concepts and worlds. A lot of the reason we ended up where we were at was also because of the changeover times being so short. We had to figure out, how do we create something that was impactful, but also doesn’t take up a lot of real estate? The process has been a great creative collaboration with Doechii. She’s super involved with world-building and what she wants. I think with Prinz as well, she’s a phenomenal creative director and really has an eye for what Doechii is looking for.
DM: They have been great at providing the vision, and our role and specialty on this is bringing that to life and making it realistic and possible within the timeframe. So it was a perfect collaboration between all of us to share our expertise and be able to help each other and really just provide the best show possible.
“Denial Is A River” is a deeply personal song about depression and addiction, but there’s also a playfulness to it. How did you channel Doechii’s humor into the performance?
TH: Like you said, the song itself has a humorous undertone to it, and we’re playing with that with an old Hollywood-esque vibe. So whereas the first half of the show has speaker setups, lighting rings, and things that are a little more, I would say, edgy and theatrical and dramatic, “Denial Is A River” is more fun. The choreography gets a bit more uplifting. The lighting, as well, gets brighter and less dramatic and moody. They’re kind of doing a Chicago-esque vibe.
DM: Yeah, the ending is Chicago, old Hollywood, a little more vintage and a little more playful.
Alamy
What are some of the technical considerations for when the dancers are off stage in the crowd? Are you focused on the lighting, or is it more logistical to make sure that no one trips?
TH: With this particular performance, it’s a pure lighting thing. We don’t have any video walls or anything like that out there. It’s more about the tone of the dancers, you know, being at these guest tables in the crowd, interacting with the guests that are there before we move to the shot of Doecchi and the rest of the clones on stage. It acts as an element of surprise to keep the viewer on their toes in the first couple of seconds of the performance.
DM: I think as well, we’re looking a lot into cameras, and that’s something that working with Prinz and Doechii and really thinking of it from a viewer’s perspective. Most people are watching it on TV, obviously, and when we can incorporate some of those unique shots, it kind of breaks it up from the other performances. Like you were saying before, it’s almost a competition sometimes. How can we differentiate ourselves from some of these other performances and create unique shots and looks?
Do you have any personal favorite Grammys performances?
TH: There’s been quite a few. I think the Tyler The Creator one from [2020] was probably one of the best. I think it was from the album with “Earfquake,” and he did a death fall in the back. That was probably mine.
DM: I really liked, I believe it was last year, Dua Lipa where they had scaffolding and really used the entire room, which was cool, and really utilized cameras and content and creating different moments. That was very high energy, and one of my favorites that I’ve seen in recent years.
When you’re working on an awards show, is there a competitive element to come up with the “best” performance? The one that everyone is talking about the next day?
TH: That’s interesting, yeah. I mean, I think with any of these big shows, whether it’s Coachella or the Grammys or anything that has a lot of viewers, we all want to be the best, right? And so I think, when you’re on a stage with a bunch of other artists with time constraints and all these things that are going against you having the best performance that you can, the pressure is definitely there. It has to feel unique. There’s always those one or two performances that everyone’s talking about and becomes one of those historical Grammy shows. I think everyone involved wants to be one of those historic performances.
Very few around the NBA expected the Clippers to factor into the playoff race in the Western Conference this season. After seeing Paul George walk in free agency to Philadelphia, the Clippers spent their summer building out depth but did not make any particularly splashy signings. They entered the season projected to finish 12th in the Western Conference by win total, but as the All-Star break approaches, they find themselves sixth in the West at 28-21 and just two games back of a top-4 position.
They are in that spot thanks to that depth they built out, providing them with a raised floor and steady production, but also because of the individual excellence of a few players thrust into bigger roles. Norman Powell leads the team in scoring at 24.1 points per game on strong efficiency, making good on his offseason proclamation that George’s departure could be “addition by subtraction” by creating opportunity for others. Ivica Zubac is averaging 15.3 points and 12.7 rebounds per game, as he continues to be a steady presence inside.
And then there’s James Harden, who earned another All-Star selection from the coaches with his play leading the Clippers from the point guard spot. The veteran guard isn’t having his best shooting season, but is orchestrating the L.A. offense wonderfully, averaging 21.6 points, 8.4 assists, and 5.8 rebounds per game — and playing in 46 of 48 games so far. Harden, once maligned for his uncompromising heliocentric nature in Houston, has become something of a chameleon in this latest chapter of his career. He’s learned to adapt his game to his surroundings in a way that’s jarring to see after his time with the Rockets was marked by him bending the game to his will and forcing others to play his game.
Last week, just prior to his All-Star selection being announced, we got a chance to speak with Harden about that aspect of his game, how he would grade out the Clippers first half of the season, Powell and Zubac’s play, and more as he made the rounds as part of his new campaign with Pringles, as he is part of their Super Bowl ad.
Let’s start with this Pringles big game ad. What was the experience like shooting this with Adam Brody and Nick Offerman and what does it mean to be part of a Super Bowl ad campaign?
Phenomenal. You know, just obviously, first of all, Pringles is like in elite crisp, who’s been around for a very, very, very long time and still doing it at the highest level. So when the opportunity presented itself, it was a no brainer. So just — and the whole entire campaign, it made sense, it was funny. Then being part of that weekend, the Big Game weekend, you know, I was excited and still am excited about the opportunity, and I can’t wait for you guys to see it. But, you know, it was unbelievable. I had like a four or five hour shoot, and it was a lot of fun.
You’ve done ad campaigns and you’ve done things like that, but it’s such a different level when it’s kind of one of those Super Bowl ads, right? And kind of, how different was it for you as somebody who’s done these sorts of things before, to be in one of these? And kind of, did you feel a difference immediately?
It’s like, another level, you know, it’s another level. It’s like a playoff game, honestly. I mean, that’s the excitement around the whole shooting the campaign. So for me just to be a part of it and have the opportunity to be a part of it, was, i don’t know, it’s a blessing, honestly. Like I haven’t been in one of these spots in a minute, and I just brought all my personality out.
We’re talking before the matchup is set so I can’t ask for any game predictions, but I do want to ask you, you’re an LA guy, I know you’re a big music guy, how excited are you for the Kendrick halftime show? And when that got announced, what were kind of your thoughts on what he’s going to he’s going to bring to that stage?
That’s fire. I mean, he going to bring some excitement to, obviously, the game, the show, and then the city of LA, which is much needed right now. But Kendrick is on fire. You know, he’s always been one of the best artists, and I think the city of LA is going to embrace it and is going to appreciate it and I think the world is going to appreciate how talented he is. So I’m excited to see it.
I do want to talk about this Clippers season so far. And just to start, how would you grade the first half of the year for you guys?
Um, good. Good — not great, but good. And I feel like every team says this, but I feel like there’s a handful of games that we felt like we should have won that could have been better. But, you know, I think we’re in a good space. Getting Kawhi back and ramping him up and seeing where this team really can take it. I think we’re all excited about it. So for us, it’s just staying healthy. You know, we got, I think, nine or 10 games before the break, and then after the break, we really ramp it up and see where this team can take it. But I think we’re all excited. Like now, I think people are understanding how good we can be, or, you know, it’s not just, “Oh, the Clippers lost players last year so they’re not gonna be as good now.” No, we’re really good. So I think that’s what I’m excited mostly about, you know, within our organization.
You’ve been in a number of different kind of roster constructions and roster dynamics, and how does that allow you when you go from, last year this team plays differently with Paul George to this year without him. How do you lean on those past experience of playing with different stars and different groupings toallow you to adapt and kind of bring a team along quickly as the point guard?
Because I can do a lot of different things. I mean, I’m just not a shooter, I’m not just a scorer, I’m not just a playmaker. I can rebound, like I can fit in literally any system and play well. So, I mean, I think just looking overall, I see what this team needs, and whether it’s scoring, whether it’s play making, and then try my best to fulfill that role, along with doing other things as well, if that makes sense. So, you know, last year was a different role. This year is a different role, but not really, it’s the same James. I mean, I just get more opportunities. And honestly, it’s exciting. It’s like a game within the game. It’s like you got to really think and figure out. And some nights, you know, I ming score 30, some nights I might score 15, but have 15, 16 assists. So, you know, either way, we win I’m happy and life is good.
I want to talk a little bit about a couple of your teammates. First, Norman Powell is having a great year. What does it say about him that a guy nine yearsinto his career, he’s played a number of different roles, secondary roles, to be ready in this moment to step into that larger role and be the leading scorer on the team and do it efficiently?
It’s a testament of the work he’s put in. He put the work in, and he’s always had that mindset about he want to score, and he can score and shoot the basketball. And once again, like last year, he was limited. And I’m sure throughout his entire career, he felt like he was limited, you know what I mean? Whether it’s coming off the bench or not playing as many minutes, and now, you know, he’s having an opportunity to have a starting role, and be aggressive out there, which we look forward to. So, you know, I’m proud of how well he’s playing, the work he’s put in, and the result of that is he’s having a killer season.
And then Ivica Zubac inside, he’s a guy that’s really solidified himself as a really good center in the league. And what have you seen over these last couple years from him, because it seems like he brings a lot of stability on both ends of the floor for you guys?
Just smart. He’s not super athletic or fast, like as a big, but he’s just very intelligent. Knows how to like work angles and defensively knows where to be, sees plays before it happens. Offensively, got a very, very good post game. Like, he’s definitely gotten a lot better, since I’ve been here for a year he’s gotten a lot better. And I can only imagine, like, the confidence he’s built over his entire career. So — and, which he still has a lot more to get better at. And that’s the exciting part. He works his butt off every single day, too. And then, so I think as a team, as a whole, we just, we like growing together.
And then obviously a big story this year for you guys with the Clippers is the new building, the Intuit Dome. What has it been like to be part of starting, really, a new era for for Clippers basketball?
History. Unbelievable Like it’s a beauty to be in there. You can see it from the videos or outside, but once you’re in that space and it’s rocking in there, there’s lights and the screen, like, and you get that wall. It’s like an upgraded college arena, you know what I mean? Like on steroids. I don’t know, it’s crazy there, and I’m just happy to be a part of it and just be able to play in there and hoop every night.
Last thing for you, you’re gonna be on Starting 5 season two [on Netflix]. What are you excited for fans to get to know about you off the floor?
Everything. You know, for the most part I’m low key. I give you what I want you to see. Whether it’s my social media or just me personally in interviews or whatever. So I feel like this is an opportunity for fans, people to understand a little bit more about who James Harden is on a day-to-day base. Whether it’s, you know, off the court, family, business, just who I am a little bit as a person. And so I think it’s time for that and I’m excited about it.
Billie Eilish had a pretty good chance to win a Grammy last night (February 2), considering she was nominated for seven awards: Record Of The Year, Song Of The Year, Best Pop Solo Performance (all for “Birds Of A Feather”), Album Of The Year, Best Pop Vocal Album (both for Hit Me Hard And Soft), Best Pop Duo/Group Performance (her and Charli XCX’s “Guess”), and Best Dance Pop Recording (“L’Amour De Ma Vie [Over Now Extended Edit]”).
That said, by the time the show was over, Eilish didn’t get a single win. Her fans are presumably upset about this, but despite the disappointment, Finneas doesn’t want to see them getting into combative situations online.
“Great grammys!!! So honored to have been nominated amongst so many amazing songs/albums. I don’t wanna see ANYONE with a photo of me or billie as their PFP gettin’ in fights with other artists fans in comment sections!!! Be at peace! Congratulations to all!!”
Regardless, Eilish had a good night at the Grammys: Being nominated, especially that many times, truly is an honor, and she got to perform, too.
Find the full list of nominees and winners at the 2025 Grammys here.
It has been years since I can remember a Grammy ceremony that wasn’t marred by some sort of controversy. Usually, these revolve around some form of recognizing diversity; whether it’s for women or people of color, the Recording Academy has a long track record of dropping the ball, even leading to some artists picking up stakes and swearing off the award show for good (or for a couple of years, in the case of The Weeknd).
Last night, for the first time in a long time, the Grammys got it right.
Starting with the Big Four, and working down the list of winners from the 67th Annual Grammy Awards, there were plenty of surprises — but the biggest one was that there were no grumbles online and little public outcry over another egregious snub or obviously missed picks.
Beyoncé won her first-ever Album Of The Year award for Cowboy Carter after being snubbed for each of her last four albums (the losses for Lemonade and Renaissance, were especially galling, even prompting protest from eventual winners like Adele). And, hey, look: It may have been one of the most “here, damn” awards ever given, but at this point, demanding honest intentions is a little like asking a cat to bark.
Even more shocking — for no one more than Beyoncé herself, apparently — the “II MOST WANTED” singer also won Best Country Album for Cowboy Carter, making her the first Black woman to win a country award in 50 years (the Pointer Sisters won in 1975 for “Fairytale”). She’s the first Black artist to win Best Country Album EVER. It should go without saying (but in a nation demanding the revocation of every stride made by Black people in the last 70 years, it apparently does not) that this was a massive disservice, considering the contributions Black Americans have made to the genre (including, depending on who you ask, inventing the damn thing).
Speaking of making history: Kendrick Lamar won both Record Of The Year and Song Of The Year for his Drake diss track “Not Like Us.” Again, it feels like there might be an edge of pettiness to the award from the Academy (directed at Drake rather than K. Dot for his years of non-stop sniping), but again, who cares? It was the right choice — and pettiness is pretty much bang-on theme given the song that won it.
Looking at the fields, there were no other songs as ubiquitous or as universally beloved (outside Canada, at least). That “Not Like Us” is only the second hip-hop song to win Record or Song Of The Year (after Childish Gambino’s “This Is America”) and Kendrick’s first ever win (which he could arguably have won in 2018 with “Humble”) should be a bit of an embarrassment to the Academy, and incentive to do better. It’s certainly an example of how to stop making the easy pick so dang complicated.
Another easy pick? Doechii’s win for Best Rap Album. Again, Grammys history is blemished when it comes to hip-hop — especially women in hip-hop — as only three women have ever won this award and neither of them is Missy Elliott (Doechii’s the third, after Lauryn Hill and Cardi B). That she won for a mixtape (her debut, Alligator Bites Never Heal) is a sweet cherry on top, recognizing the breadth and depth the genre has to offer, and acknowledging that it’s got its own rules. As Doechii pointed out in her acceptance speech, hopefully, this fully opens the door for more women to be recognized in the future.
Even outside hip-hop and Black History Month fodder, the Grammys managed to not flub the awards in other popular categories. In years past, you could have bet nearly sure money Khruangbin or somebody would have won Best New Artist over Chappelle Roan despite having been releasing music and touring since 2010 (how they were nominated in the first place, no one will ever know). And with that field, it’d have been tough to whiff (Doechii, Shaboozey, or Sabrina Carpenter could have all been acceptable), Chappelle should have been a lock — and the fact that she wasn’t just does to show how bonkers some of the Academy’s decisions have been in the past.
Carpenter, Charli XCX, Muni Long, SZA, NxWorries, Rapsody, and more won the awards for which they were nominated, proving that the changes the Grammys have recently made are starting to pay off. Whereas in the past, you could reasonably expect the picks to be stodgy, underground picks no one’s heard of — but who are in pretty cozy with the older… shall we say, sunshine-averse Academy establishment. This year, the picks were mostly more contemporary and justifiable (Chris Brown getting Best R&B Album notwithstanding). At least, you can make a case for each winner, even if your fave didn’t take home an award. And all of the above fields were filled with picks that wouldn’t ruffle most fans’ feathers, anyhow.
Still, while the veteran award season juggernauts like Billie Eilish and Taylor Swift didn’t take home any trophies, you get the sense they weren’t really expecting to, nor were their fans pushed to shout about any injustices. The 2025 Grammys ended with the optimal outcome: no one’s feelings were hurt, everyone had fun, and the show, while being long as ever, never flagged or flopped (a testament to Trevor Noah’s hosting acumen as much as anything). If this is what it looks like when the Grammys get it right, we should do this more often.
With Drake’s name trending all over social media as a result of Kendrick Lamar’s Grammy wins for the petty track, “Not Like Us,” Drake finally made a Drake-like move, turning the attention into easy promotion. The Boy announced his long-awaited joint project with PartyNextDoor, Some Sexy Songs, is dropping on Valentine’s Day (again, a very Drake-like move), sharing a short teaser clip of one of the songs on Twitter (never calling it X).
The song is vintage PartyNextDoor (although he appears to be doing a Future impression at first), blending thumping trap, moody R&B, a classic soul sample, and processed vocals about his lust for a woman from the club. The teaser video matches the song perfectly, doing a slow push through a strip club to zero in on Drake, sitting in a booth by himself looking maudlin, as usual. Should the project stick to this general vibe and avoid the overt misogyny of his more recent, red-pilled stuff, maybe this could be what he needs to regain his footing and begin repairing his tarnished image.
Certainly, fans couldn’t help pointing out how bad the Grammy ceremony looked for him on Sunday. Kendrick Lamar not only swept his nominations with the diss track, but watching superstars like Beyoncé and Taylor Swift dance along to a song calling his friends pedophiles couldn’t have been good for Drake’s ego (or his lawsuit against Universal Music Group, which was filed on shaky grounds in the first place). If he wants to take back control of the narrative, putting out a fan-favorite musical project would be a great start.
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