By all accounts, The Weeknd had a pretty big year. After dropping a single with undeniable appeal to both his alt-R&B audience and their a-ha loving parents (and after Adam Sandler caught his fade) in 2019, Abel Tesfaye followed this up with the dynamic full-length After Hours in March of this year, not to mention the bizarre promotional cycle gimmick of showing up to all his late show appearances looking as if Sandler’s Howie Ratner ultimately got his revenge.
You’d think any of this would warrant at least one Grammy nod, but yesterday, when the nominees were revealed, Tesfaye missed the cut in each category he probably should have had on lock. “The Grammys remain corrupt,” he tweeted. “You owe me, my fans and the industry transparency…” (Needless to say, the Safdies had his back.)
Recording Academy Chair/Interim President/CEO Harvey Mason Jr. was quick to respond to the allegation via Rolling Stone, offering his understanding and his empathy: “We understand that The Weeknd is disappointed at not being nominated. I was surprised and can empathize with what he’s feeling. His music this year was excellent, and his contributions to the music community and broader world are worthy of everyone’s admiration.”
Today Elton John voiced his support for The Weeknd on Instagram alongside a very pixelated image of the “Blinding Lights” single’s cover (which he tagged himself in?), stating that “in [his] humble opinion,” it was both song and record of the year. Not a bad endorsement! See the post below.
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