JAY-Z Reacts to Beyoncé Continuously Losing Album of the Year at the GRAMMYs

On Sunday night, Beyoncé became the most-awarded individual in the history of the GRAMMY Awards. During the 65th annual ceremony, the singer won her 32nd trophy for Best Dance/Electronic Music Album for her album, Renaissance. The award officially took her past conductor Georg Solti, who long has held the record with 31 competitive wins. 

Later that night, however, Beyoncé lost the show's most coveted prize, Album of the Year, in what is widely believed to be a major upset. The award went to Harry Styles' Harry's House. It's the fourth loss for Beyoncé in the category, which her husband, JAY-Z, believes is a "missed opportunity" on the GRAMMYs' part.

In a pre-GRAMMYs interview with Tidal on Feb. 1, the rapper shared his perspective on how hip-hop artists -- and Black artists in general -- haven't gotten their "due" at the GRAMMYs.

"The truth is, we grew up wanting to be on the GRAMMYs, and it was our goal. We just want them to get it right. That’s what we want," he told the outlet. "Obviously, it’s music and it’s all subjective, but you got to be in the ballpark. That’s all we want. We just want them to get it right because we love it so much. We grew up watching Michael Jackson and Stevie Wonder. Stevie Wonder won three out of four years in a row. They got that s**t right. … It was no politics. It was just like everybody knew when Stevie came out, sit down. That’s what we want. Just get it right, because we love it so much. That’s why there’s so much emotion around it. If we didn’t care, there wouldn’t be any emotion."

When JAY-Z was nominated for eight awards and went home with none for 2017's 4:44, he referenced the loss in his follow-up album with his wife, The Carters. 

"In that moment, I was like, 'They missed the opportunity,' because people emulate success," he said, referencing the "Apes**t" lyric calling out the awards show. "I didn’t feel bad for myself, because I know it’s the GRAMMYs: I probably won some joints I shouldn’t have won and I probably lost some joints I should’ve won. That’s the way it goes, so I actually had a party."

He pointed out the similarities with Beyoncé's losses, particularly against Beck in 2015 and Adele in 2017. "Even with Bey, I felt like they missed the moment... I was like, 'Oh, y’all missed it,'" he added.

When asked why he believes Beyoncé deserves Album of the Year for Renaissance, the rapper pointed out that all one had to do was "look what it's done to the culture."

"Look how the energy of the world moved. They play her whole album in the club. I don't know if I've ever seen that. The whole entire joint -- like, everything?! Every remix is amazing. Everyone's inspired. It has inspired the world," he continued. "Every remix is better than the other one. From anybody, we're just finding these joints out in the street... It's inspiring creativity... When it just inspires creativity, that's an album. That has to be Album of the Year. It has to be."

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Although Beyoncé went home without the award, she certainly has other reasons to celebrate. Not only did the singer leave the ceremony with four new trophies, she's gearing up for a worldwide tour!

Last Wednesday, the 41-year-old singer kicked off Black History Month with the announcement that her much-hoped global tour would begin selling tickets on Feb. 6. 

"RENAISSANCE WORLD TOUR 2023," she wrote on Instagram beneath album art of her now-iconic photo shoot with a glowing horse. 

The tour, produced by Parkwood Entertainment, and promoted by Live Nation, will begin May 10 at Friends Arena in Stockholm, SE. Beyoncé will then make stops throughout Europe in Cardiff, Edinburgh, Sunderland, Paris, London, Marseille, Amsterdam, Warsaw and more. She will then continue across North America with shows in Toronto, Chicago, East Rutherford, Atlanta, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Houston and more.

According to a press release, Beyoncé will make her mark offstage, too, with BeyGOOD, the initiative she founded in 2013 to support people and programs around the world. In various cities throughout the tour, BeyGOOD will support entrepreneurs through Black Parade Route luncheons, celebrating small business owners, with grant opportunities being awarded and a foray of services with global partners to promote business sustainability. One thousand small businesses will be supported with a commitment totaling one million dollars.

BeyGOOD will also support students through scholarship funds that will be given to colleges and universities in ten different cities along the tour. Each school will be given one hundred thousand dollars and will select the student recipients. BeyGOOD’s total scholarship commitment during the Renaissance World Tour will be one million dollars.

Working with Beyoncé and the BeyGOOD Foundation, Citi and Verizon will purchase 100 tickets combined in each market across the U.S. touring leg for distribution to local community initiatives.

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