DEVON THOMAS: 2023 Grammys: Three reasons Beyoncé's 'Renaissance' should win Album of the Year

OPINION

On Tuesday, the Recording Academy announced their nominations for their 2023 Grammy Awards which, predictably, sent stan Twitter into a frenzy.

I’m not going to lie, as a veteran Hive member, it is one of my favourite days of the year.

See, the Grammys operate in this weird realm where their relevance has arguably been steadily declining over the last decade or so.

But as soon as someone’s fave isn’t nominated, the girls are in a state of duress for a good two weeks.

For the Barbs, it’s their International Meltdown Day, for the Hive, it’s our International Which Record is Bey Breaking Today Day.

All jokes aside, Bey got nominated for nine awards, including Record, Song, and Album of the Year (AOTY), and tied the record for most nominations for any musician in the history of the Grammys.

She’s also the most decorated singer in the history of the awards, scoring 28 awards over the span of her 25-year-long artist-defining career – just four awards away from being the Grammy GOAT.

As impressive as this may be, Yoncé, however, has only won an award in the Big Four once for Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It) in 2010.

In fact, Renaissance marks the fourth time she’s been nominated for AOTY having been nominated for I Am... Sasha Fierce, BEYONCÉ, and Lemonade.

Of the three she lost – she should have easily won for Self-Titled because of the sheer impact it had on the industry as a whole – not only popularising the surprise release but shifting release dates for albums and singles from Tuesdays to Fridays.

She was so mother for that.

With the release of Renaissance, Bey is set to go toe-to-toe once again with Adele’s 30 and it’s going to be such a chaotic night on Twitter omg, I can’t wait.

With all that said, here are three reasons Renaissance should bag that AOTY award.

IT RECEIVED UNIVERSAL CRITICAL ACCLAIM

From a personal perspective, this album has had a chokehold on me like no other. It is honestly my favourite Bey album of all time.

However, don’t take my word for it but Renaiscalp currently has a weighted average of 91% on Metacritic from 26 reviews.

Check her credentials!

IT BROKE RECORDS AND HAD MASSIVE COMMERCIAL SUCCESS

When Bey announced Renaislay on Instagram after a string of cryptic shenanigans on her website, I lost my mind. See, it’s not that 2022 has been an awful year for music, but it certainly is not 2016.

A week after its 29 July release, it debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 Albums chart after selling 332,000 units, extending Bey’s record as the only artist to have their first seven albums ALL debut at #1 on the chart.

At the time it was released, it broke the record for the most single-day streams for a female album in 2022.

It was the first album by a woman to debut at #1 in 2022.

Renaissance, Break My Soul and Beyoncé topped a total of 23 different Billboard Charts simultaneously - the first artist to do so.

At a whopping 778 plays on Apple Music, it is Twitter user underscore devthomas’s most listened-to album by a landslide.

Last, but not least, not only has Renaissance scored one billion streams on Spotify, but it is also currently eligible to be platinum for selling over one million records.

No one is seeing her.

SHE GAGGED THE GAYS

Honestly, this is the main reason I want Renaisnatch to win AOTY because when I say I was gagged, I was gagged.

This is honestly an album dedicated to queer culture and the influence queer staples such as house music and Balls can be found on every single track.

It also flows so masterfully and exudes so much joy that the girlies and I could not help but physically beam throughout our respective listens to the album.

That may not mean much for the average person, but to be seen by the biggest superstar in the world and celebrated in a way that doesn’t feel exploitative was a moment that will define my 20s – the same thing she did with Homecoming, Lemonade, and Self-Titled.

Honestly, if she doesn’t win for Renaissance, I have absolutely no idea what it would take for the Grammys to give a black woman their highest honour. 

Stream Alien Superstar for clear skin and bomb rounds.