This is the Grammys, and it’s supposed to be about the best. Taylor Swift’s latest album isn’t even in the top five of Swift’s catalog. Someone tweeted that it should have been called ‘MIDnights’ and I laughed out loud at the accuracy. If we’re just considering this album against the other nominees, Swift doesn’t have the best voice (everyone in the category beats her there, but as for her direct peers, Olivia Rodrigo and Lana Del Rey can both outsing her), the best production (Jon Batiste and Janelle Monae would like a word), or the best stage presence or videos (Miley Cyrus laps circles around her here) or even the best songs (“Flowers” and “Kill Bill” are more memorable than anything on Midnights and Swift’s biggest song of 2023 was “Cruel Summer” which came out in 2019 and gained popularity again last year). So if it’s a meritocracy, what are we even talking about? Some Swift defenders claim the Album of the Year is supposed to go to the artist who had the biggest year in pop culture. You could argue Swift (thanks to her Eras tour, her romance with Travis Kelce, and being named Time Person of the Year) had a big year, but if this is the barometer used to award Album of the Year, Beyoncé should have three of them — at least. If we’re just talking about the music, let’s be honest: Taylor Swift didn’t even belong in the category. That’s not a knock on Swift’s work necessarily, but on the Grammys insistence on awarding her, even when she hasn’t met her own standard of quality.
