Usually, when it comes to awards shows, it’s all about celebration. However, that’s not always the case when snubs are bound to happen. This is exactly why The Weeknd has decided to boycott all future Grammys.
What does this mean, exactly? It doesn’t just mean that he won’t be attending the awards show in the future. Rather, he will no longer be submitting any of his music to the Grammys at all.
This comes after the 2021 Grammy nominations completely snubbed his latest album, After Hours, and his hit single, “Blinding Lights.” He first expressed his frustration over the issue when the nominees were first announced last November 2020, calling the Grammys “corrupt.”
Many people seem to echo the sentiment as that tweet garnered over a million likes and hundreds of people – fans and his fellow peers in the industry alike – expressed their disappointment over the snub as well.
After Hours had overwhelmingly positive reviews from critics and was featured in just about every major music publication’s end of the year lists for best albums of 2020, from Rolling Stone to Billboard. Additionally, the album debuted at no. 1 on the US Billboard 200, with all songs charting in the Hot 100.
“Blinding Lights,” was thought to be a sure nominee too. It had been nominated for and won dozens of other awards prior to the Grammy announcements. It was also adored by critics everywhere and peaked at number one in the charts in over 30 countries. It even became the first song to hold a spot in the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 list for an entire year.
Is the boycott warranted? Well, whether or not something should be nominated is always going to be subject to debate and personal opinion. However, it is understandable why The Weeknd would completely lose faith and interest in the awards show after such acclaimed works of his were snubbed, especially with the voting system of the Grammys still failing to be transparent.
