It seemed like the producers of the Grammys show learned something from the debacle at the Oscars a week earlier. In contrast to that train wreck, the show was generally upbeat and smooth, and the In Memoriam section struck the right tone. Ukrainian president Zelenskyy addressed the viewers in a pre-recorded segment, after being rejected by the Oscars.
But has the Recording Academy, which presents the Grammys, learned anything from its past? Apparently not. Despite the long-running criticism of the influence of gender and racial bias on the awards, the Academy went ahead and bestowed Best Reggae Album honor for SOJA, a mostly white band that hails from Virginia. The group beat out Sean Paul, Spice, Jesse Royal, Etana and Gramps Morgan — all well-established artists originally from Jamaica, the birthplace of reggae. One member of SOJA said, “To the founding fathers of reggae music and to the island of Jamaica, you inspired us all.” Inspired? That’s quite the understatement.
In light of that, I was delighted to realize that Best Reggae nominee Spice — aka the Queen of Dancehall — was the woman who caught my eye on the red carpet. Spice’s look had everything! Turquoise and red is one of my favorite color combinations. The floofy, rose-covered robe? Love it. And an Aretha Franklin-style coat drop is always welcome. Unfortunately, she didn’t win a Grammy, but Spice is the winner of my totally made-up prestigious Best Dressed/Wear What You Want combo award.
My first runner-up is Tinashe who combined two of my longtime obsessions — latex and a butt bow — in one GCDS dress. Lady Gaga’s butt-bow gown by Elie Saab was also impressive, but I had to go with the latex. Imagine in 2011 — when Gaga made her red-carpet Grammys entrance in a large egg — being told by a time traveler that in 11 years, Gaga would be the one not wearing latex!