Had she won for SOS, SZA would have become the first Black woman in 25 years to take home the Grammy for Album of the Year.
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In the lead-up to Sunday’s Grammys ceremony, all eyes were on SZA with the expectation that she’d be the first Black woman in 25 years to take home Album of the Year.
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Featuring hit singles like “Kill Bill,” “Snooze,” and “I Hate U,” SZA’s SOS was a major triumph straight off the bat — debuting at No.1 on the Billboard 200 and breaking the record for the biggest streaming week for an R&B album following its December 2022 release.
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Since then, SOS has claimed a ton of other records, including the most weeks at Number 1 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart — a feat held by Aretha Franklin for 54 years. “Snooze” also remains at No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100, marking its 58th week on the chart.
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And so, with such high expectations, some fans were left a little disappointed when it was Taylor Swift who wound up forging her name into the history books on Sunday night, taking home Album of the Year for Midnights and becoming the first artist ever to have won the top award for four albums.
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“I love taylor but midnights did not deserve AOTY…. especially over SOS,” one fan wrote on X in the aftermath, echoed by plenty of others who felt that Midnights “honestly isn’t Taylor’s best album.”
I love taylor but midnights did not deserve AOTY…. especially over SOS
— Michael (@Mikemccarthaaay) February 5, 2024
“Truly an album that’ll be forgotten in her discography and an example of the Recording Academy’s incompetence and refusal to reward black women when they deserve it,” someone else wrote, garnering nearly 70k likes.
undeniably her worst pop album. a poor showcase of her songwriting abilities and Jack’s production. Truly an album that’ll be forgotten in her discography and an example of the Recording Academy’s incompetence and refusal to reward black women when they deserve it.
— Nomartinitus 🫨 (@Nomartito) February 5, 2024
If you know anything about the Grammys — and the Album of the Year category in particular — you'll be fully aware this isn’t the first time that a Black artist has been deemed to have been snubbed despite being the favorite to win.
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“Midnights beating SOS for Album of the Year wouldn't be as depressing if Harry's House hadn't beat Renaissance & 25 hadn't beat Lemonade & 1989 hadn't beat TPAB & Morning Phase hadn't beat Beyoncé & Random Access Memories hadn't beat Good Kid & Babel hadn't beat Channel Orange &,” one person wrote, listing off some of the most memorable snubs of Black artists in the category.
Midnights beating SOS for Album of the Year wouldn't be as depressing if Harry's House hadn't beat Renaissance & 25 hadn't beat Lemonade & 1989 hadn't beat TPAB & Morning Phase hadn't beat Beyoncé & Random Access Memories hadn't beat Good Kid & Babel hadn't beat Channel Orange &
— Eric Renner Brown (@ericrennerbrown) February 5, 2024
“Giving album of the year to midnights over SOS is almost as bad as when harry's house won over renaissance,” echoed anotherpost with more than 82k likes, referencing Harry Styles’s controversial win over Beyoncé in 2023. “Like what do black women in music have to do at this point lmfao.”
giving album of the year to midnights over SOS is almost as bad as when harry's house won over renaissance...like what do black women in music have to do at this point lmfao
— clementine (@ilyclemmie) February 5, 2024
The last time a Black woman won Album of the Year was Lauryn Hill in 1999, and while SZA wasn’t able to change that fact, it sounds like she’s still thrilled by her achievements.
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Asked whether she had “thoughts” on the snub discourse during a post-Grammys interview, SZA — who took home three other awards that night for Best Progressive R&B Album, Best R&B Song, and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance — made it clear that she holds no complaints or hard feelings.
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“I’m grateful I won three. I could have left with nothing and I didn’t, and I’m grateful,” she told the Hollywood Reporter on Monday. “My parents got to see it and I didn’t bomb on live television, and that was so scary.”
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“I faced some really big fears and I’m just happy that it all went well, genuinely,” she said, adding: “I’m happy for everybody.”
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During her “unreal” acceptance speech while collecting the award for Best R&B Song for “Snooze,” SZA adorably gave Taylor a shoutout in the audience. And in her interview, she revealed that wasn’t the only time they interacted throughout the night.
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“We talked a bunch actually,” SZA said of Taylor. “She’s funny as hell.”
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So, as for whether her first ever solo Grammy wins have sunk in yet, SZA said she’s still in a “fever dream.”
Kevin Winter / Getty Images for The Recording Academy
“It doesn’t feel like anything yet because I’m still in last night,” she said. “I’m not really in today yet.”
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“But I’m just so grateful and relieved that it’s [Feb.] 5. I survived [Feb.] 4. I didn’t crash and burn on national television, and I’m so grateful,” she added. “Had I not won a lick, won a single thing, I would’ve been so grateful to just have survived the night.”
Kevin Winter / Getty Images for The Recording Academy
There you have it. Congrats, SZA!
Kevin Winter / Getty Images for The Recording Academy
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