GRAMMYS

A Republican Congressman Complained About Cardi B On The Floor Of The House Of Representatives

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Cardi B often incorporates risqué elements into her music, videos, and performances, which rubs some observers the wrong way. Cardi seems to derive great enjoyment from that, though, like when she recently laughed off the 1,000-plus complaints the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) received regarding her and Megan Thee Stallion’s 2021 Grammys performance. The performance also bothered at least one high-profile politician in the House Of Representatives.

While speaking on the House floor this morning, Republican Representative Glenn Grothman of Wisconsin cited Cardi’s performance while criticizing the FCC and partially blaming them for “the moral decline of America.” He said, “I received complaints in my office, and rightfully so, about Cardi B and the Grammys. They wonder why we are paying the FCC if they feel that this should be in living rooms across the nation. I realize that Kamala Harris has used her fame to promote this performer, but I assure the FCC that millions of Americans would view her performance as inconsistent with basic decency. Wake up, FCC, and begin to do your job! The moral decline of America is partly due to your utter complacency.”

This news is still fresh, so Cardi has yet to respond to it, but based on her past reactions to this sort of criticism, it seems unlikely she will lose any sleep over it.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Cardi B Laughs Off Reports That Her Grammys ‘WAP’ Performance Sparked Over 1,000 FCC Complaints

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It’s been a few weeks since Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion’s racy performance of their hit song “WAP” at the 2021 Grammys, but the performance is still causing controversy among more conservative viewers. While it was previously reported that the performance drew a number of FCC complaints, yesterday, Rolling Stone turned up a more exact number — over 1,000 angry emails from viewers who compared it to porn and packed their long-winded missives with plenty of slut-shaming and melodrama.

Of course, Cardi herself has been the target of conservative complaints ever since she helped Bernie Sanders with his 2020 presidential campaign, so she’s used to the histrionics. She remained unbothered when the complaints were brought to her attention quote-tweeting a fan account’s screenshot and adding a .gif of a smug-looking Wendy Williams smirking at the camera to an eye-roll emoji and several laughing ones.

Maybe Cardi is unfazed because she sees through the disingenuous intentions behind such complaints, as she pointed out a few hours later. Commenting on conservative voices’ apparent silence after a Brooklyn Center, Minnesota police officer shot and killed resident Daunte Wright — on camera, no less — Cardi noted the glaring hypocrisy. “Where the f*ck are you Twitter blue-check Republicans at?” she wondered. “Y’all are the loudest in this motherf*ckin’ app. Y’all not saying nothing, y’all not complaining. Y’all blame everything with what’s wrong with America beside the police! Y’all have been very silent! What’s going on?”

Check out Cardi’s responses to the FCC complaints above, and read more of them here.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Doja Cat ‘Cried Like A Baby’ After Her 2021 Grammys Performance

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Doja Cat provided one of the highlights of this year’s Grammys ceremony with her futuristic performance of “Say So.” It turns out that was a special moment for her, since she “cried like a baby” (in a good way) after she left the stage.

She spoke about it with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe, describing the post-performance scene:

“So I performed, it was the first time that I’d ever performed and then cried like a baby after. And I don’t do that, I don’t cry. I just get off stage and I’m like, ‘Yeah, we did it, yeah.’ But for this, literally the director for the whole thing, he came up to me and I was walking off stage and he was like, ‘Thank you so much. You were amazing.’ And I’m like, ‘[sobbing] Thank you.’ And we were rushing out and I couldn’t talk to him. And I was just dying. […] [It was] ugly, ugly. Everybody was holding each other’s shoulders and looking at each other. It was really, really corny, but it was the sweetest, greatest, most intimate moment I’ve ever had.”

She also talked about preparing for the performance, saying:

“I feel like when you think of a Grammy performance, it’s like, three months of rehearsal and like it’s a huge deal, blah, blah, blah. And it is, but we had two weeks to put this together. So we had the two weeks of rehearsal for choreography, but I think that the concept was definitely something that we had for two months, three months. So visually, all that was kind of locked in by the time we started dancing. So I rehearsed for two weeks and then it was really, really difficult at first. Look: we tried different prototypes. I did the boots at the end, but we were trying to do heels. Heels were like… it was scary, but I really wanted to try. It looked so good, it had such a good silhouette.”

Watch Doja speak about her Grammys performance (and her new song with SZA) above.

Beyonce Congratulates Taylor Swift On Her 2021 Grammys Success With Flowers

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There were a lot of winners (and losers and surprises) at this year’s Grammys, with two prime examples being Taylor Swift and Beyonce. Swift’s Folklore picked up the trophy for Album Of The Year while Beyonce snagged some awards as well, which helped her get more all-time Grammy wins than any singer ever. Now the pair have gotten in touch and recognized each other for their achievements, as Swift revealed today that this morning, she woke up to flowers from Beyonce.

Swift shared photos of the gift on Instagram today. With the flowers was a note, which reads, “Taylor, Congratulations on your Grammy. It was great seeing you on Sunday night. Thank you for always being so supportive. Sending love to you and your family. B.” Sharing the letter, Swift wrote, “Woke up to flowers from the queen of grace & greatness @beyonce and suddenly it’s the best Friday EVER. Thank you B and congratulations on your epic achievement Sunday night!!”

Reflecting on the Grammys after the fact, Swift collaborator Aaron Dessner had only kind things to say about Swift, as he wrote in an extensive message, “I am constantly humbled by and grateful for our friendship and collaboration. It’s such a strange thought that this time last year, we hadn’t even begun our journey together, since you are now such a big part of my life. You have restored my faith in music and the ways in which it can help me and others. In a year of such uncertainty and fear, I’m eternally grateful for the music we made. You generously shared your songwriting genius with me and others on these records — and made everyone involved feel appreciated and confident in their work. I can’t say enough positive things about you as an artist and a person.”

Check out Swift’s posts below.

@taylorswift/Instagram
@taylorswift/Instagram

Cardi B Defends Her ‘WAP’ Grammys Performance: ‘The Grammys Are PG, That Means Parental Guidance’

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For one reason or another, it seems Cardi B is always facing some sort of criticism for one thing or another. The latest topic of Cardi criticism is her and Megan Thee Stallion’s recent Grammys performance of “WAP.” The song has earned plenty of critics due to its explicit nature and some people were floored that the track made it onto national television. Cardi is taking the criticism in stride, though.

Yesterday, she shared a video of a person sharing a tearful reaction to the song and added, “Really ? Over Wap?” Megan took to the comments to write, “She keep wiping her eyes and it ain’t even no damn tears [crying laughing emoji].”

She also responded from a tweet from cinematographer and Republican California gubernatorial candidate Errol Webber, who shared the video from earlier this year of Cardi turning off “WAP” when she noticed her daughter Kulture enter the room. He noted, “Cardi B cuts off WAP when her daughter, Kulture, walks into the room. She looks embarrassed. This is how you know Cardi B knows right from wrong, yet STILL deliberately chooses to do wrong by girating and scissoring her WAP on national TV… in view of other people’s kids.”

Cardi fired back, “The Grammies are PG .That means parental guidance.Meaning is your job like it is to mine to my child to monitor what they watch.My performance was around 10 pm on a Sunday Your child should be in bed ready for school the next day why are they up watching Wap?”

She also retweeted another response to Webber that read, “see how easy it is to turn off inappropriate music in front of ur kids instead of complaining and keeping it on.”

Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion a Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Cardi B And Megan Thee Stallion’s Grammys Performance Of ‘WAP’ Drew A Number Of FCC Complaints

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Since its release last August, Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion’s song “WAP” has been drawing in criticism from pearl-clutchers and conservatives who apparently think children are being taught to read the raunchy lyrics in school (they’re not). The controversy surrounding the song was reignited last week with the two rappers took the 2021 Grammys stage to put on a showstopping and extremely censored performance of the track. Even still, Cardi and Megan’s stage presence prompted many viewers to file complaints with the FCC.

Texas television station WFAA was able to obtain dozens of the complaints submitted to the FCC following Grammys night. Despite Cardi and Meg’s dance moves receiving many positive reviews on social media, WFAA reports that over 80 people submitted their grievances about the performance to the FCC. “The outfits they were wearing and the movements they did were absolutely disgusting,” one viewer from Idaho wrote. “This network should face very stiff penalties.”

Another FCC complaint from a viewer from Texas compared “WAP” to the six Dr. Seuss books that his estate decided to stop publishing due to racist imagery. “The media has a problem with Dr. Seuss, yet allows Cardi B to sing about her [WAP] on national television,” they wrote.

They weren’t the first one to compare Cardi’s performance to the Dr. Seuss book discontinuation. Earlier this week, a conservative comedian said “WAP” is “more welcome in some schools than Dr. Seuss books,” which prompted a response from Cardi herself. The rapper, who has admitted to shielding her daughter’s ears from the track, told the comedian to “stop comparing a sensual song to books that has RACIST content,” adding: “How can ya not tell the difference?I see that common sense aint that common.”

Some of the artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Pop Smoke’s Manager Rips Grammys All-Time Low Ratings

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New Pop Smoke Music

Music industry executive Steven Victor is coming right at the Grammys. The hip-hop manager to the late Pop Smoke and artists like Pusha T has stepped up to get at the organization over its all-time low ratings. Pop Smoke’s Manager Rips Grammys Victor went to his Instagram page and didn’t hold back. Steven shared a […]

The post Pop Smoke’s Manager Rips Grammys All-Time Low Ratings appeared first on SOHH.com.

Chika Shares A Look At How Nike Custom-Made Her Pastel 2021 Grammys Outfit

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This year was Chika‘s first time being nominated for a Grammy. She was up for Best New Artist, meaning she turned up to the awards show in style. She was dressed head-to-toe in a pastel Nike sweatsuit, complete with a trench coat and matching mask. After fans swooned over her outfit, the rapper shared a closer look at how Nike custom-made her clothes.

Detailing the process in a series of tweets, Chika shared a few mock-up images the designer had sketched for her. The trench coat was also made of sweatshirt material and was hand tie-dyed alongside the other pieces. “Nike LA & @iCONtips made a 1 of 1 track suit and hand dyed coat for me with colors i picked, i found the perfect bag, and we pulled this all off over iMessage convos,” she explained. “and made the custom mask less than a day before the show. they went the hell off.”

While she didn’t end up winning the Best New Artist nod, Chika did put her own spin on a cover of a previous Best New Artist’s track. Ahead of her appearance at the awards show, she took on Billie Eilish’s 2020 track “My Future” for Spotify, infusing it with her own style. About the cover, Chika said: “I picked ‘My Future’ by Billie Eilish as my [Best New Artist] cover for Spotify because the song is beautiful and presents an interesting opportunity to talk about where I am as an artist, especially on the heels of this nomination. My present is moving so fast that each passing moment is practically the future already. And I’m in love with the ride I’m on.”

Check out Chika’s 2021 Grammys outfit above.

Chika is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Megan Thee Stallion Shuts Down Rumors That The Grammys Are ‘Rigged’

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Megan Thee Stallion — who came away with a Best New Artist win at last night’s Grammys ceremony — doesn’t believe that the awards show is inherently rigged. While some stars, like The Weeknd and Lil Wayne, spent the last several weeks railing against the Recording Academy’s “unfair” selection practices, Megan had a far more philosophical outlook on the results of the voting. Stopped by TMZ at some point over the course of the evening, Megan gave a straightforward response to their question about whether she had advanced awareness of the results.

“I didn’t know sh*t,” she replied. “Hell no, the Grammys ain’t rigged. Bitch, you win some, you lose some.” Asked about the importance of the wins for women, she just threw out her standard response: “Real Hot Girl Sh*t!”

The Grammys’ “snub” of artists like The Weeknd in multiple categories — and the singer’s reactive boycott of last night’s ceremony — have only contributed to the feeling that the Grammys have become more of a “popularity contest” in recent years, despite efforts to become more inclusive. However, as Cardi B pointed out, plenty of artists were nominated despite lack of mainstream recognition.

While it’s easy for artists who miss out to chalk their losses up to conspiracies and agendas, the truth is, a voting body comprised of such a broad variety of music industry professionals can hardly be expected to agree on anything, even if more efforts are made to include atypical entries on ballots and shortlists — and artists, who by nature are “sensitive about our sh*t,” to paraphrase Erykah Badu, are exactly the type of folks to take their ommissions personally and resort so using social media to publicize their sour grapes.

You can watch the video of Megan responding to the question of whether the Grammys are rigged here.

Megan Thee Stallion is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

The 2021 Grammys Had Less Than Half As Many Viewers As Last Year’s Ceremony

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Between the pandemic and the barrage of artists criticizing them, the past few months have presented challenges to the Recording Academy. Despite all the hurdles they faced, though, they managed to put on a Grammys broadcast this year that was imperfect but still quite entertaining and about as good as could be done given the circumstances.

As was probably expected, the broadcast had fewer viewers than usual, as has been typical with big events during the pandemic; This year’s Super Bowl had its lowest ratings in over a decade. The Grammys also experienced a drop-off and it was significant.

Variety reports that per Nielsen Live+Same Day fast-affiliate numbers, the show had an average of 7.88 million viewers, earning a 1.9 rating with adults 18 to 49. That makes this year’s show the lowest-rated in Grammy history. For reference, last year’s Grammys managed to draw 18.7 million viewers and achieve a 5.4 rating in the aforementioned demographic.

The publication also notes that these numbers are not final and that final figures that take into account live West Coast viewing will be available soon. With that in mind, the final figure is expected to rise by about 15 to 20 percent in the official national ratings. That said, even if the 7.88 million viewer count rises by 20 percent (the generous end of the estimate), that would elevate it to about 9.46 million viewers, which is still around half of the count of 2020 Grammy viewers.