Celebrity

We Beg You, Harry Styles, Please Be Serious

For God’s sake, Harry, read the room.

by Lia Kim  7 February 2023
Harry Styles Grammys

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With 32 Grammys now under her belt, Beyoncé is officially the most decorated artist of all time.

But there was one award she didn’t take home last night that’s really not helping the Grammys‘ deeply unserious reputation; and it came with some impeccable reactions from Adele and Lizzo, and a questionable speech from award-winner Harry Styles.

After getting stuck in traffic and arriving late to the ceremony (icon behaviour), Beyoncé collected four Grammy awards, bringing her total to 32. She edged out classical conductor George Solti with 31 Grammys and legendary producer Quincy Jones with 27 Grammys to become the artist with the most Grammys ever. You’d think that an artist of this calibre whose 2022 album captured the spirit of a generation during one of the most turbulent times in history via a blend of house, disco, and ballroom would be a shoo-in to win Album Of The Year.

Yet, all that wasn’t enough beat out Harry Styles city-pop album Harry’s House. It’s a bop for sure, but enough to take the Album of the Year crown? Not according to Lizzo and Adele, whose faces spoke a thousand words.

If that wasn’t clear enough, Adele apparently walked away while Harry was accepting the award. Or she might’ve just moved to the other side of the table. It’s unclear, but fans are taking what they’ve been given and running with it.

And hey, if Adele really did leave, at least she didn’t have to hear Harry mumble, “this doesn’t happen to people like me very often and this is so, so nice.” (Actually if you watch the speech, it clearly pans to Adele still very present as he speaks these exact words.) But hold on, sorry? This doesn’t happen to people like Harry Styles very often? Has Harry confused himself with, perhaps, a woman, or a person of colour? Someone with a disability?

Granted, some have reasoned that his clumsy wording comes from his upbringing in a ‘working class’ family from a small town. In which case, something like “growing up, I never thought I could do this” could be a reasonable alternative. In saying that, Harry did catch his big break at the ripe old age of 16. So he’s almost at the point where he’s spent more of his life as a successful pop star than a small town boy.

Please Harry, I beg you, just think a little more before you speak. Have you learned nothing from the Don’t Worry Darling promo tour? Next time, maybe write a speech.

This is an opinion piece written by Lia Kim, a writer and producer at Junkee. Follow her on Twitter here.