Whether you are a Beyoncé fan, an Adele fan or both, there was no denying that Adele’s acceptance speech was everything and more when she won a Grammy for Album of the Year last Sunday, Feb 19. Beyoncé slays at life, but so does Adele, and I was so excited for her when she won Record of the Year and then, quickly following that, ecstatic that she won Album of the Year.
Not only did Adele graciously accept both awards, she offered her Grammy for Album of the Year to Beyoncé, pronouncing that her album “Lemonade” was her very own album of the year. She continued speaking directly to Beyoncé, telling her how empowered her and her friends are by her album, even bringing her to tears.
Pulling a “Mean Girls” homecoming stunt, Adele broke her Grammy, saying that it was meant for Beyoncé. A lot of viewers took to Twitter claiming that Beyoncé should’ve won. Although Queen B is loved by many, and “Lemonade” was a huge success and inspiration to many, Adele’s “25” deserved the praise and ultimately the win. From someone who owns both of these albums, both are equally uplifting and amazing.
Adele has so much grace in her music and her lyrics. She is an outstanding performer and speaker. She carries herself with such pride and strength; I think she is definitely someone that we can ultimately look up to, especially for younger generations. Adele is so timeless and her music is so relatable, which is why I believe many took positively to this album. It was a perfect combination of her normal soft and sweet heartbreak records, with the added upbeat songs that made us naturally sing along. While I am not discrediting Beyoncé in any way, I believe it is time that Adele is recognized as one of the great ones, as she was at the Grammys last Sunday.
Many believe that Beyoncé should win any category she is nominated for. She is the queen, and we all bow down to her, but it is time that she shares the spotlight. I say “shares” because Adele made sure that Beyoncé was recognized and even offered her the award. Beyoncé lovingly responded to Adele’s speech, and we can tell from her tears that she was moved by it. We could tell that Beyoncé genuinely felt love for her in that moment because there are not many instances where we see Beyoncé emotional.
Even though Adele gave the award up to her, many need to realize how hard Adele works and how many amazing songs have come from “25” and impacted so many, just like many were impacted by “Lemonade.” Their albums are really different from each other, but both artists relate in a way that are inspirational. They are at the top of the industry right now and I would have been happy with either win, but I think Adele really showed her grace.
James Segilia, a West Chester senior and Beyoncé advocate, spoke to me about Adele’s Grammy speech by saying, “I appreciated that Adele gave the recognition to Beyoncé for producing an album worthy of the award, especially at this time in our history.”
This is a good example of how someone who keeps up with music and is supportive of Beyoncé and her album can acknowledge Adele’s speech, even if they do not want to acknowledge that her album rightly won the award.
In a way, it is almost as though we know Beyoncé’s strength in the industry, but this was Adele’s shining moment that made us realize how valuable she is to the world of music. We know that both artists have struggled differently in the past, and what an amazing way to overcome those struggle by creating masterpieces that their many fans can relate to.
From Adele’s speech, we were exposed to the love that artists have for each other and were able to realize that they worship each other, too. It was a very special moment between two beautiful women inside and out, and it is beyond uplifting to see this precious moment between two people I admire.
Breanna Connell is a fourth-year student majoring in communication studies with a minor in journalism. She can be reached at BC810217@wcupa.edu.