The Grammys will not be observing any of the Weeknd’s music in the foreseeable long run.
The worldwide celebrity reaffirmed his placement Monday in an interview with Wide range, even with the Recording Academy‘s Friday shift to get rid of the mystery committees that have been blamed for shutting the “Starboy” singer out of any nominations for Grammys presented in March.
“I assume the industry and general public alike require to see the transparent program actually at engage in for the win to be celebrated, but it is an crucial start off,” the 3-time Grammy winner stated. “I keep on being uninterested in getting a part of the Grammys, particularly with their individual admission of corruption for all these decades. I will not be publishing in the potential.”
The Canadian singer, who is of Ethiopian descent, named the shift to dissolve these committees “an critical commence,” but instructed the trade publication that “the trust has been damaged for so lengthy between the Grammy organization and artists that it would be unwise to elevate a victory flag.”
Harvey Mason Jr., the Recording Academy’s chairman and interim chief executive, informed The Situations on Saturday that the alterations experienced been in the works given that previous summer and had been not right connected to the controversy encompassing the Weeknd’s shutout.
“It’s a extensive road to get to a transformative modify like this,” Mason stated. “It’s not anything that occurs quickly or in the situation of a reaction to a single party.”
These key groups — formally recognized as nominations assessment committees — experienced been all around considering that 1989. They oversaw the Grammys ballot that the 12,000-member Recording Academy at first place with each other and had the electricity to condition and amend the remaining selections.
They’ve also had a problematic previous: A couple Black artists have claimed the committees strengthen institutional racism by discounting hip-hop and R&B artists when it will come to the far more prestigious awards, this sort of as file or album of the year.
In the Weeknd’s case, controversy arose in November after he did not obtain any nominations for the 63rd Grammy Awards — in spite of the mainstream results of his album “After Several hours,” which provided the chart-topping solitary “Blinding Lights.” He proceeded to tweet that the Grammys were “corrupt.”
The Grammys continue being corrupt. You owe me, my followers and the market transparency…
— The Weeknd (@theweeknd) November 25, 2020
These improvements, even though, are not the most urgent challenges on the singer’s brain. He has donated $1 million toward war relief attempts in Ethiopia, delivering 2 million foods in partnership with the United Nations Entire world Food stuff Programme.
He told Wide variety that the new music marketplace requires to continue redistributing its income toward “marginalized communities who make and acquire the audio they provide.”
“I care about earning new music that individuals really like and helping the place I can,” the Weeknd said. “Right now my worry is what is occurring in my property state of Ethiopia and persuade folks to be aware of what is happening and donate in which they can.”
Moments pop tunes critic Mikael Wood contributed to this report.
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