I’m really happy that Bad Bunny walked away with some awards on Sunday, Feb. 1 for the 68th Annual Grammy Awards. I’m also really happy that Kendrick Lamar got that same respect for a second year in a row.
But damn, The Weeknd broke records that he’ll never be recognized for.
For those who’re living under a rock at this point, Bad Bunny is going to be the Super Bowl LX Halftime Show performer. But the current biggest singer in the world was not on stage to perform at the Grammys.
This is because the NFL has a specific clause in their agreement with the artist to protect the Super Bowl’s status as a unique, high-profile spectacle. If Kendrick were to have performed “Not Like Us” at the Grammys last year, it wouldn’t have hit as hard during the halftime show.
This clause typically prohibits the headliner from performing at other major televised events in the lead-up to the Super Bowl.
This was also the case for The Weeknd, when the clause really gained visibility. Around the beginning of the pandemic, The Weeknd released his massively favorited, record-breaking album “After Hours.” His hit single off of the album, “Blinding Lights,” became one of the biggest hits in history – but no Grammy nominations for the 2021 ceremony.
Reports at the time indicated that the Recording Academy gave The Weeknd an ultimatum, but negotiations got contentious, so suspicion arose that the snub was partly retaliatory because of the NFL’s deal demands.
Honestly, I wouldn’t blame the NFL either. The Weeknd put on a badass show that would not have been nearly as special given the mass appeal of the album.
I’m not saying I’m annoyed that Kendrick Lamar and Bad Bunny got the spotlight they deserved leading up to the Super Bowl, but it is funny that The Weeknd couldn’t be recognized for his record-breaking talent.
Maybe he can just re-release “Blinding Lights” so it can be eligible for next year’s cycle, as that seems to be a popular thing nowadays.
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