Two Coachella performances, 88 career Grammy nominations, two Super Bowl halftime shows, 29 MTV Video Music Awards, at least 13 film appearances — the list goes on. Beyoncé’s endless catalog of success shows versatility, vulnerability and virtuosity.
Last night, Beyoncé broke the record for most Grammys won, adding four more to her already overflowing collection of 28 awards.
Beyoncé, or “Queen B” as known by her fans, won best dance/electronic recording, best traditional R&B performance, best R&B song and best dance/electronic music album for her most recent album “Renaissance,” according to CNBC.
In her acceptance speech, Beyoncé honored her Uncle Jonny, who died from HIV complications and heavily influenced “Renaissance,” according to the New York Times.
“Renaissance” departs stylistically from Beyoncé’s most recent solo album “Lemonade,” featuring a track list which emulates a DJ mix and features Black dance music styles. The album honors Black and queer artists and showcases Beyoncé’s embrace of creative freedom.
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As she received the award, Beyoncé spoke directly to the queer community, thanking them for their love and for “inventing the genre” of house music that echoes throughout the album. House music is the oldest genre within electronic dance music that features a steady four-to-the-floor beat, according to Armada Music.
Hungarian-British conductor Georg Solti previously held the record for most Grammy awards, winning 31 during his career. A legend in both the operatic and orchestral worlds, Solti worked with London’s prestigious Royal Opera House at Covent Garden and completely transformed the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s sound.
Throughout her career, Beyoncé’s eclectic work has reflected her commitment to activism and empowerment, from her efforts to encourage feminism by featuring a Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie speech in her song “***Flawless” to her collaboration with historically Black colleges and universities for her 2018 Coachella performance.
But despite Beyoncé’s historic win last night, it is not lost to her fans that she has continuously been slighted in the “Big Four” Grammy Award categories, which include album of the year, best new artist, song of the year and record of the year. According to TIME, she has only won once in any of these categories which was in 2010 for her single “Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It).”
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Last night, Harry Styles won best album over Beyoncé for his album “Harry’s House.” Only three Black women — Lauren Hill, Whitney Houston and Natalie Cole — have ever won Album of the Year. Beyoncé’s fans, or the “Bey Hive,” have since taken to Twitter to express their dismay and disappointment at yet another ceremony that left them feeling robbed.
But Beyoncé gave a standing ovation as Styles warmly accepted the award.
This display of support and love for her fellow musicians despite the continuous institutional neglect from the Grammy Awards towards Black artists shows Beyoncé’s philosophy of love and upliftment within the music industry.
It is impossible to overstate Beyoncé’s influence on and beyond the world of music. A role model for many, Beyoncé is the picture of humility and hard work, living up to her title as Queen.
Editor’s Note: This article was updated to accurately reflect the three Black women who have won album of the year.
