The 66th Grammys ceremony took place in downtown Las Vegas at the Crypto.com Arena. Dua Lipa opened the ceremony with a performance of her song “Houdini”. Phoebe Bridgers won the most awards with her band, Boygenius. They won Best Alternative Music Album, Best Rock Song and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance.
Paramore won two awards for Best Rock Album and Alternative Music Performance. Their album won the band both awards. Released on February 10th, 2023, this album can be described as indie-pop or pop rock. “Paramore have shifted their sound before, trying out post-punk and even synth-pop, and This Is Why showcases yet another major vibe change.” A quote from about how the band’s change of genre is nothing new. Paramore’s wins made history as they’re the first band fronted by a woman to win Best Rock Album.
The nominees for Best Rock Album included Red Hot Chili Pepper’s ‘Return of the Dream Canteen’, Foo Fighter’s ‘But Here We Are’, and Metallica’s ‘72 Seasons’. These three albums have more rock aspects than Paramore’s newest album. These three albums aren’t the band’s best albums but, based on the award category, any of these famous 90’s rock bands should’ve won Best Rock Album instead of the only pop album nominee.
Paramore was at their prime from 2005 to around 2009. They were known for their “Riot!’ album released in 2007. Misery Business is featured in this album, one of their most well-known songs. During this time, they were considered an emo/punk rock band. The albums Paramore have released that would fit in this genre are ‘All We Know is Falling’ and ‘Riot!’. ‘Brand New Eyes’ released on September 27, 2009, is when you can hear the shift from emo/alternative rock to pop rock. Paramore’s prime was almost 20 years ago so, hearing that they won a Grammy in 2024 was surprising.
Red Hot Chili Pepper’s ‘Return of the Dream Canteen’ deserved the win in this category. They haven’t been nominated for a Grammy since 2012 for their album ‘I’m With You’. Their band’s sound has stayed unique but consistent compared to most bands that have stayed together for over 40 years.
Although the Foo Fighter’s newest album carries meaning, the songs lack originality. It sounds like any rock song you’d find on the radio. Metallica’s newest album is good for a band from the 1980’s in 2024. However, it just wasn’t the best candidate as it was bland compared to the other albums.
“I don’t think Paramore should’ve won Best Rock Album because it’s more of a pop album than a rock album. The Foo Fighters’ album is more radio rock now, they lost their sound. However, Return of the Dream Canteen is a good album. The Red Hot Chili Peppers are still a good band, so they should’ve won.” Joseph Alcon, Class of 2024.
Genres of music are used to identify what type of music people listen to. If you enjoy a song, you enjoy a song so, genres don’t really matter unless it’s used to give awards out. When a rock album award goes to a pop album, it’s a bit silly. But when it really comes down to it, genres don’t matter in any other context.