This past Sunday (Feb. 12, 2017) we all witnessed one of the most stunning Beyoncé performances to date, at the 2017 Grammys. Beyoncé presented a 9 minute, beautifully intricate and visual performance that seemed to be an ode to motherhood and Black women. This performance being the first time many of us has seen her since the February 1st announcement that The Carters were having twins. Beyoncé’ received 9 nominations for her 5th album titled “Lemonade”. The album doubled as a film, a visual representation of each track, taking us through the stages following heartbreak to healing.

This year was a particularly interesting year for The Recording Academy, at the heels of national protest against our President, and last year’s outcry of “#OscarssoWhite” We all wanted to see if Beyoncé’s incredible album could snag the coveted Album of the Year recognition. While Beyoncé did win for Best Record, and Best Urban Contemporary Album, she lost out on AOTY to Adele’s 25. Adele in turn gave a tear jerking acceptance speech that proclaimed Beyoncé as the one deserving of the AOTY. Rihanna’s 8 nominations for Anti went unanswered, which Justin Tinsley proclaimed as her Magnum Opus, but I’ll save that topic for a different post.

Immediately following the end of the award broadcasting, Tidal, the Jay-Z owned music streaming service, released “Shinin” a DJ Khaled joint featuring Beyoncé and Jay-Z. As the up-tempo beat comes in and we hear DJ Khaled say “I worked my whole life for this one.” It was evident that we had another Carter classic.

“Shinin', shinin', shinin', shinin', yeah
All of this winnin', I've been losin' my mind, yeah

Oh, hold on
Don't try to
Slow me down
Hold on
Don't try to
Slow me down"

The chorus holds all the love of this track for me, a poignant point following the alleged Grammy snub. The lyrics go on to say that, “We smilin’ for a whole nother reason, it’s all smiles through all four seasons” followed by a classic Jay verse where he joyously raps about the upcoming birth of his twins.

While the scathing think pieces roll out criticizing the institution of The Recording Academy, who has only awarded AOTY to 2 Black artists in the last 20 years, The Carters are back to business. The loss of this award has no effect on the reasons this family is smiling and will continue to smile. They’re blessed beyond even their own imaginations, and with two new lives coming into the world what’s another Grammy in a home that already houses 43 in total.