Beyoncé Was Always Destined to Break the All-Time Grammy Wins Record, and She Finally Did
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Mother of god, with finality, we can truly say that the cultural shift is complete. With her 32nd Grammy trophy, Beyoncé has become the winningest artist in the history of the awards. And, despite getting stuck in traffic and missing her awarding for the Best R&B song, she did it just about halfway through the show.
At the 65th Grammy Awards on Sunday (Monday in Manila), Beyonce was nominated in nine categories in total, including for Song of the Year, Record of the Year, and Album of the Year, among others. The queen took home honors for the Best R&B Song, Best Dance/Electronic Recording, Best Dance/Electronic Music Album, and Best Traditional R&B Performance for her work in RENAISSANCE. With the four wins tonight, she surpasses late classical conductor Georg Solti who bagged 31 Grammy awards throughout his illustrious career.
“Thank you so much, I’m trying not to be too emotional. I’m trying to just receive this night,” she said during her acceptance speech. “I’d like to thank my Uncle Johnny, who’s not here, but he’s here in spirit. I’d like to thank my parents, my father, my mother, for loving me and pushing me. I’d like to thank my beautiful husband, my beautiful three children who are at home watching. I’d like to thank the queer community for your love and for inventing this genre. God bless you and thank you so much to the Grammys.”
RENAISSANCE, suffice to say, was well-received by fans and critics (and clubs) alike at the time of its release. It had promised a shift in the culture, so to say, and it delivered. Arriving six years after Lemonade, Beyoncé latest work paid homage to the lyricism dancefloor culture, with a healthy mix of dance, house, disco, and R&B. This produced a modern maximalist oeuvre that blended eccentric visual art, the energy of electronic music, the history of the nightclub scene, and, well, daydreaming. It was also a celebration of Black queer culture in many ways, as well as of her own journey toward creative freedom.
RENAISSANCE looks
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She explained at the time of the album's debut:
“Creating this album allowed me a place to dream and to find escape during a scary time for the world... It allowed me to feel free and adventurous in a time when little else was moving. My intention was to create a safe place, a place without judgment. A place to be free of perfectionism and overthinking. A place to scream, release, feel freedom. It was a beautiful journey of exploration.”
What more can we say about her? Beyoncé is an icon in every sense of the word (but we already knew that). She's paved the way for all the female performers who came after her and has continued to find new ways of musical exploration.
She's inspired generations' worth of artists. In just about every awards show since god knows when, she's been thanked by some of the world's best, including Adele and Megan Thee Stallion. This year, Lizzo, who won the 2023 Record of the Year for About Damn Time, shouted out the queen during her speech, as well. She certainly won't be the last.
This was the first time she had her work up for the dance/electronic categories, as well. RENAISSANCE edged out Fragments, Diplo, The Last Goodbye, and Surrender in the Best Dance/Electronic Music Album.
Heading into the evening, Beyoncé was already the winningest female performer in history. She also ties the record for most lifetime nominations, sharing that distinction with her husband, Jay-Z, with each getting 88 of them (imagine living in that household; imagine the trophies all over the joint).
She now stands in a league of her own, moving past Solti, Quincy Jones, Alison Krauss, Chick Corea, and Pierre Boulez on the all-time list. That's some queen shit right there. Now, how many more times can we say "mother" here?
