On February 2, 2025 (U.S. time), the 67th Grammy Awards ceremony concluded. Rapper Kendrick Lamar emerged as the night’s biggest winner, sweeping five awards—including Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Rap Performance, Best Rap Song, and Best Music Video—for his diss track Not Like Us. Beyoncé made history by winning Album of the Year for Cowboy Carter, becoming the first Black woman to take home the Best Country Album award. Meanwhile, fan favorites Taylor Swift and Billie Eilish left empty-handed. 

 2024: A Legendary Year for Music 

2024 was hailed as a landmark year for pop music, one that fans might someday reminisce about as fondly as cinephiles recall 1994 for film. The Beatles released Now and Then, a new AI-restored track decades after their breakup, while the Rolling Stones proved their enduring relevance by snagging Best Rock Album. 

The year was packed with cultural moments: Charli XCX’s Brat sparked a neon-green summer craze; Billie Eilish performed Birds of a Feather at the Paris Olympics closing ceremony; Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars teamed up for Die with a Smile; and rising star Chappell Roan captivated audiences with her bold artistry. Even Sabrina Carpenter, after a decade in the industry, finally broke through with her sugary-pop-meets-dark-humor persona—a classic case of “pink on the outside, black on the inside.” 

 Drama On and Off the Stage 

The Grammys weren’t short on spectacle. Kendrick Lamar’s Not Like Us—a fiery diss track targeting Drake, dubbed the West Coast’s “new anthem”—sealed the fate of their decade-long feud. Kanye West stirred controversy by arriving on the red carpet with wife Bianca in barely-there outfits, only to be escorted out later. The artist, who once performed in Haikou, China, has since wiped his social media accounts clean, leaving only one follow: Taylor Swift, the same star he infamously interrupted at the Grammys years ago. 

These controversies underscored a key truth: Pop music isn’t just background noise for the TikTok era. It still holds power to shape culture and spark debates. 

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 Diss Tracks Reign Supreme 

Diss tracks have long been rap’s most potent weapon for clout, and Not Like Us proved it again. The Kendrick Lamar-Drake feud, one of hip-hop’s most gripping sagas, began in 2011 with collaborations on Drake’s Take Care and Lamar’s Good Kid, M.A.A.D City. Tensions flared in 2013 when Lamar name-dropped Drake in Big Sean’s Control, calling him a target of “friendly competition.” Though Lamar later framed it as motivational, the line marked a turning point. 

Over the years, their lyrical jabs escalated from artistic critiques to personal attacks—alleging domestic violence, secret children, and weaponizing women’s struggles. Lamar, seen as a torchbearer for independent artistry and Black culture, clashed with Drake, the epitome of commercial pop-rap. Their battle became a microcosm of hip-hop’s eternal tensions: art vs. commerce, authenticity vs. mainstream appeal, sparking debates about ethics, privacy, and cultural responsibility. 

Despite the drama, both profited. Lamar’s Not Like Us became one of Spotify’s most-streamed rap songs, amassing over 900 million plays. Produced by Mustard, the track blends West Coast pride with vicious takedowns, declaring, “City is back up, it’s a must, we outside” and nodding to Tupac: “It’s all eyes on me, and I’ma send it up to Pac.” With Lamar set to headline the Super Bowl halftime show, fans wonder: Will those explosive lyrics make the cut? 

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 Beyoncé Smashes Country Music Barriers 

In a historic moment, Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter shattered the unspoken rule that country music is a “white genre.” Her Album of the Year win—her first despite 32 prior Grammys—came as a shock even to her. While Black artists like Lil Nas X (Old Town Road) have dabbled in country, Beyoncé’s album digs deeper, reconnecting with the genre’s roots while confronting its racial gatekeeping. Despite critical acclaim, Cowboy Carter faced resistance: country radio stations limited its airplay, and the CMA Awards ignored it. Yet its defiance is precisely why it triumphed. 

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 Authenticity Wins in 2024 

Last year, audiences craved raw sincerity. Charli XCX’s Brat resurgence, for instance, was praised as a return to her gritty, underground club roots. At the Grammys, she even staged a chaotic performance featuring flying underwear. 

Newcomer Chappell Roan, a small-town Tennessee girl turned queer icon, embodies this shift. Her breakout hit Pink Pony Club—a bittersweet ode to chasing big-city dreams while mourning hometown roots—resonated deeply. During her Best New Artist speech, she urged labels to support young creators: “I’ve tasted the despair of being dropped... They deserve healthcare and fair pay.” 

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 Controversies and Questions 

Not all decisions sat well. Billie Eilish’s chart-topping Birds of a Feather was snubbed, as was Taylor Swift. The Best Rock Performance award went to The Beatles’ AI-generated Now and Then—a song impossible to perform live. Beyoncé’s Album of the Year win, despite middling commercial traction, also drew ire. Critics again blasted the Grammys’ rigid tastes and opaque voting. 

Yet for all its flaws, the ceremony upheld industry standards. In an age dominated by film and short-form video, music’s vibrancy endures. After this electrifying Grammys, one wonders: Has the golden age of records returned? The answer, as they say, lies in the music.