The 26-year-old pop star’s exclusion from the 2021 Grammy nominations came as a surprise to many, given that her recent album, Manic, featured the hit song “Without Me,” which reached No. 1 on the Hot 100. To date, the singer has not been nominated in a Big Four (album of the year, record of the year, song of the year and best new artist) category at the Grammys.
“The Grammys are an elusive process,” Halsey continued in her post. “It can often be about behind the scenes private performances, knowing the right people, campaigning through the grapevine, with the right handshake and ‘bribes’ that can be just ambiguous enough to pass as ‘not bribes.'”
She added that many politics go into receiving a Grammy nomination, including “committing to exclusive TV performances” that help the Recording Academy earn “millions in advertising on the night of the show.”
Halsey also gave a shout-out to The Weeknd, who was also snubbed despite having released a massively popular album in After Hours, which included the record-breaking hit song “Blinding Lights.”
“It’s not always about the music or quality or culture,” she wrote. “While I am THRILLED for my talented friends who were recognized this year, I am hoping for more transparency or reform. But I’m sure this post will blacklist me anyway.”
