Women ruled the 2021 Grammy nominations list that was unveiled on Tuesday, but there was a name noticeably missing: Halsey. After spending a few days to ruminate on yet another snub, the pop star took to Instagram stories to get some things off her chest.
“I’ve been thinking and wanted to choose my words carefully because a lot of people have extended sympathy and apology to me since the Grammy nominations,” she wrote. “The Grammys are an elusive process. 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.’”
If artists were able to manage any of these political tactics, Halsey also suggested having to commit “to exclusive TV performances and making sure you help the [Recording] Academy make their millions in advertising on the night of the show,” if you wanted your name on the list.
“It’s not always about the music or quality or culture,” she continued before giving a shout out to The Weeknd, who also got shut out and aired his grievances earlier this week. “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.”
Halsey released her third album, Manic, this year, and despite it going Platinum and its lead single “Without You” topping the charts, she wasn’t nominated for any Grammys. See her full response to the snub below.
