Harry Styles wore a harlequin-print Egonlab jumpsuit to the 2023 Grammys. It ended up being Harry’s night, much to the dismay of… well, everyone. Harry’s album, Harry’s House, won Album of the Year and he seemed to believe that this is the first time a white dude has ever won over a Black artist. As I said in a previous post, I actually do understand why Harry picked up AOTY – those singles were all over the radio, and the album was well-liked. Now, was the album better than Beyonce’s Renaissance? Eh.
Harry didn’t make it easy for people to root for his success with his off-key performance of “As It Was” either. It was not good.
Adele wore a big Louis Vuitton gown to the Grammys and she appeared to be having a great time, even though she was shut out from a lot of the big awards too. I think she was somewhat grateful that her ass didn’t win AOTY, you know? She’s been there and done that, and the Beyhive came for her in 2017. This time, they’re coming for Harry Styles! Anyway, she looked fine and her boyfriend Rich Paul was her date.
Photos courtesy of Getty.
If they’re going to keep giving Grammys to white people, can’t they at least find one who can sing on key during live performances? Bebe Rexha exists you know.
Lol, love this comment!
Given the horrendous technical difficulties they were working under I’m surprised he managed a performance at all. HS and the dancers spent 10 days practicing complex choreography and when the curtain went up, the circular stage spun the wrong way. HS and the dancers invented their performance on the fly on live TV.
I will never understand the appeal of this guy or his music. Whenever I hear one of his songs on the radio I think it is a remake of some old song I’ve heard a million times. And don’t even get me started on the David Bowie cosplay.
With that said, I’m not that wild about Renaissance either.
Classic rock fan here and even I know who Harry Styles is. I can’t stand his music as a friend of mine loves him and anytime we’re in a car together we have to listen to Harry. I do not get his appeal. But then people don’t get my great love for Bruce Springsteen.
Music is always subjective. However, he never should have won Album of the Year.
My brother us the ULTIMATE music snob and even he was talking about being into Harry Styles music. He’s not a fanboy but he thought it was an expertly crafted album. I was shocked considering he’s spent a lifetime mocking my love of boy bands.
I love Springsteen. Is anyone saying Styles is better? Hold me back!
Obviously they are completely different in terms of music and style and appeal to different demos, I guess. Still.
I don’t know his music, his acting skills are mediocre, and post the Olivia Wilde relationship, I have zero time for this guy.
I’m with you on this. I just don’t get his appeal either. In my opinion, he comes off as just plain old sleazy.
Lol…Gross.
the performance was really bad. like… really bad. but I think it’s ridiculous how mean people get to anyone who wins when Beyonce doesn’t. it’s not their fault!
also pretty sure “people like me” was a class thing, but America sees it more as a race thing. 🤷♀️
Yes, it was a class thing. I knew what he meant. However, that comment was still tone deaf AF given that it has been a quarter of a century since a Black woman won AOTY and White people win all the time…
I think he is just not that bright. Not mean not racist just good ol stupid.
Harry grew up in a very wealthy family
Which is still a pretty wild thing to say, because dude’s upbringing was pretty firmly what we’d call middle class here in the US.
Exactly!!! Harry’s stans were on Twitter screeching about him being poor. He was NOT poor.
His mother’s given name is Twist. That’s as Dickensian as his childhood got.
But isn’t he from a pretty comfortable/upper class background? I saw people on Twitter saying his parents were pretty wealthy.
He’s definitely not upper class. Lower middle, probably. (Class here in the UK mostly isn’t about money).
Yes, his father was in finance and his family is not working class at all, but British perspective of class is much different than in the U.S. They insist on pretending that wealthy White people are majorly disadvantaged if they do not come from a small group of landed and noble families…
I think what he may have meant also is that people and the industry in general don’t take talent show participants seriously. I mean he came from a created boy group on X Factor to now winning AOTY. And in the UK it’s the people who can afford to go Sylvia Young theatre school or have nepotism or industry connections that make it in America.
I don’t think that’s fair, no one said middle class people are “majorly disadvantaged.” But there is a difference between people like Harry Styles, who went to the local comprehensive, and people like Benedict Cumberbatch, Eddie Redmayne, Dominic West etc, who went to Eton and Harrow and then RADA etc.
I really like Harry Styles as a person. He seems nice. And I like his music. Sure he doesn’t have near the voice of Beyoncé. But enjoy his songs more than hers.
I took it as referring to his talent show, manufactured boy band origin story.
I have never felt so old in my life as I did watching the GRAMMYs last night. Sam Smith’s controversial performance was anything but. It was just lame. And I don’t understand the hype around Harry at all. The performance was silly and his song sounds like a bad ripoff of A-Ha’s Take on Me. Madonna has the face of a 12 year old. And Beyoncé wasn’t robbed. Taylor Swift or Brandi Carlisle(sp?) should have won.
I also felt so old watching that! Something about Madonna grimly introducing Sam and Kim while holding a riding crop made me feel so ancient. I enjoyed Lizzo and brandi carlile‘s performances a lot though.
A riding crop? Oy vei.
Aha is having quite a comeback considering that The Weeknd also interpolated “Take on Me” for Blinding Lights. I believe they must be getting some nice royalties (or whoever owns the rights to their music)
I listen to Take on Me at least once a month because it’s just a good song. As corny as it sounds, I like the Kids Bop version of Blinding Lights it’s a bop!
I’m so old I didn’t even know the Grammys were on!😂
I think everyday that it’s the day I will understand the fuss over this dude and I just never do. I guess I’m too old to see the appeal of yet another mediocre white dude.
I thought 30 was a bad album. I was so disappointed.
Yeah 30 was terrible. I’m shocked she got nominated for AOTY.
I adore Adele, i have all her albums, but I’ve listened to 30 one time all the way through. I just did not like it.
Same. And I loved “21” and “25.”
Yes! This is me exactly. Once and then never again….
There is way more than just the people who get tons of radio play and attention.
More and more of my friends try music from different countries in different languages and found so much good stuff out there. Any recommendations welcome from you guys as well.
Listen as much as I love Beyoncé I wouldn’t automatically want her to win just because she deserved it before. Renaissance was okay. I would make more of a case for bad bunny.
Harrys performance was awful..no effort what so ever.
Harry was off key, hut I don’t think he was helped by the sound mixing, which was bad all night. I could bare!y hear Bad Bunny
I love Harry so much. I thought Harry’s House was an amazing album. That said, it’s absolutely insane that Beyoncé keeps getting shut out of these awards. Has anyone historically published any take on how this happens in terms of the voting patterns?
I didn’t watch any of the show. Just looking at these pics, Harry looks like he’s wearing a jumpsuit covered in Xmas tinsel. Adele look good, great color dress.
Someone mentioned Bowie in their comments.
David Bowie was a true creative talent, and I can bet my house in saying Never sang off key in a public performance.
Harry is a mediocre talent with a huge machine behind his career.
I totally agree. Harry has mediocre talent and no skills in front of a camera or in interviews. BUT his management is basically industry mafia…look them up. They own everything. They manage everything. Harry is manufactured. The people at his table last night were all managers. He’s completely controlled.
I can’t believe he said “this doesn’t happen to people like me”. What?
I don’t have an opinion about Harry, but I love his banana penis necklace. I bought the bracelet, and it’s a great conversation piece.
Thank you for this! Immediately ran to google. It does not disappoint.
I don’t get the appeal of Harry Styles. He was labeled as one of the world’s most attractive men in a previous post, right? WHY? And what is that outfit he’s wearing. I like him even less than I did due to the drama he had with Olivia Wilde. Both of them are the worst.
Didn’t watch. Followed along on Twitter. Have never understood this man’s appeal. Never. And Harry’s humblebrag fell flat when you find out the producer of the Grammy’s daughter is a featured voice on one of his songs. So, yes, people can believe you won over Beyonce.
In the words of Eminem, “Where the f is Kanye when you need him?”
Terrible singing and he’s a try hard. Plus there are awards for most airplay – the Billboard Awards. He should not have won the grammy for album of the year.
I love Harry. I get it that musical taste is individual and it feels that award shows favor this person or that unjustly. But Harry was swept up into the ego/chaos/once in a lifetime hysteria that was One Direction when he was just 16 years old living in small town and working in a bakery. Despite the fame explosion, he kept his head on straight. He was consistently professional, grateful, and appreciative of his opportunity and his fans. So I’m not surprised at his success. He kept his One Direction fan base of young girls as they grew into adulthood. My daughter loved One Direction as a teen and has kept the love as he transitioned into his solo career. Of course he’s not perfect, his fashions are not to my taste, and Olivia Wilde and her kids blah blah blah, but he is doing something right.
Thank you. Clearly most of the commenters simply don’t like HS and that’s fine. But to dismiss him as another mediocre white man is a bit harsh. Harry’s House was an incredible album and HS is talented. He didn’t just come out of nowhere.
I’ve had a soft spot for him since seeing him and Lizzo sing “Juice” together- their friendship is really fun!
No Harry hate here. My kids love Harry’s House and I haven’t grown tired of the album yet, though they ask me to play it all the time. Hearing my three year old try to request Music for a Sushi Restaurant every day cracks me up. Even went with my sister,16 years younger and solidly in his demographic, to see his latest tour. I will never spend that much money for a ticket again but was impressed with his stage show and seemingly genuine appreciation for his fans. It was definitely an experience. The Olivia Wilde situation was gossip gold, one of the gossip highlights of the past two years! I never sought out his music, it seemed to infiltrate from other people around me, but I’m a fan now and think Harry’s House is a great album.
If not for Taylor or Olivia, his famous girlfriends, I would never think of him. When I do see him, annoys me.
I like Beyonce and Harry Styles, but neither of their albums bowled me over. That said—good for Harry for his wins–but someone who isn’t blind must help him with his styling choices. The harlequin jumpsuit on the red carpet was laugh-out-loud bad. As for B–with the most Grammys in history and billions in the bank, I’m finding it a stretch to feel bad that she has not won an AOTY…
I’m getting tired of his cosplay of maybe I’m gay/maybe I’m not. It’s clout-chasing if he’s not gay and getting a lot of publicity and acceptance from gay-friendly audiences. Is his Maybe I’m Gay stance supposed to take away from his whiteness? I know I’m not explaining this correctly, but I see this as a cynical game from him. Definitively gay artists, like the wonderful Lil Nas X (who is also Black) has faced a lot of backlash and harassment because he is gay (and he’s much more talented than Harry, IMO). Beyonce is a Black, Female Artist and a Black artist hasn’t won this category for over 20 years. I don’t know. I’m just not happy about Harry’s win in this category.
@J.FERBER +1 I’ve seen this described as ‘queer-baiting’. Agree with what you are saying.
EVERYTHING about Styles is contrived, right down to his fug tatts. He went from manufactured pop star to manufactured ‘rock star’. His solo success is down to the built in fan base he had from 1D – he makes every effort not to alienate his fans base, right down to allowing them harass his partners.
He’s a mediocre talent, always has been and yeah he really annoys me. He tries too hard.
Can’t believe he won over Bad Bunny and ABBA!!!!
Agreed, he definitely does stuff to keep those 1D stans happy because he knows that’s his core fanbase. I don’t know why he said this doesn’t happen for someone like him after winning that underserved Grammy. Are we supposed to believe that privileged straight white men with huge PR machinery behind them are the new minority now?
I don’t understand why ABBA was nominated since they’re not currently in the music business? There’s probably a glaringly obvious reason I just haven’t heard.
I normally wouldn’t comment but the hate for this guy is unreal. He is incredibly talented, his songs always get turned up in our house. The way he touched his ear during the performance seemed to indicate that there was sound issues, it’s probably very difficult to stay on key when you can’t hear yourself properly. I say let people live.
To win an album of the year, one should be able to perform the songs on key. SMH.
I don’t dislike Harry Styles. I actually admire him for dressing the way he wants, and hope his example leads others to chill about gender/fashion stuff.
I just don’t think he deserved to get AOTY. And his “people like me” line stung, because while he may not have meant it to be about race, it was like salt in the wound after Beyonce was snubbed yet again.
It touched a nerve and that nerve is raw.
I prefer Niall Horan to Harry Styles. Niall also came from the same group as Harry did and IMO NIall is just a better and more well-rounded musician. I did not even watch the Grammy’s last night. Had zero interest for the first time in a long while.
Listening to his speech all I could hear was; “it’s like a film, a real film, a film that deserves to be seen in theaters like a real film”. For all the media training this guy has had, you’d think he’d learn how to speak in public.
Olivia might not be getting off with him anymore but she sure rubbed off on him.
What a tone deaf speech and performance. Sit down Harry.
JaneBee, Thanks for the term I was looking for, queer-baiting; that sounds exactly right.
Forgot to say, I’m fawning over Adele and Rich Paul– what a GORGEOUS couple.