Shayooooo!
Breakfast is a dish best served hot, or in Burna’s case, served by the Recording Academy. The 65th Annual Grammy Awards was held on February 6th, and it pulled celebrities from all over the world to Los Angeles, California. Stars like Beyonce, Lizzo, Bad Bunny, Harry Styles, Adele, and even Nigeria’s very own Tems all took home awards. People expected Burna to add another Grammy to his shelf (he was nominated for Best Global Music Performance for “Last Last” and Best Global Music Album for “Love, Damini”) but the Recording Academy said, “No, not today.”
Of course, Nigerians took to Twitter to react to his not-so-surprising loss, and we must say, they have been waiting for this moment their entire lives.
One Twitter user said,
How can you leave me standing for almost 5 HOURSSSSS and think you will win a Grammy? Grammarly ni.”
Others said,
“Them talk say this year Grammy no be for common person.”
“Burna Boy lost two Grammys? If you like go to his next show and be pressing phone.”
“Burna attended all these ceremonies and still lost AMAs, lost Soul Train Awards (4 nominations), lost Grammy (2 nominations).”
Artistes say that the Grammys don’t matter, but we all know that that’s a lie they tell to soften the blow of disappointment. Burna, a whole African Giant, losing in the two categories he was nominated in this year to artistes who don’t have half his popularity might be poetic justice.
Burna is an incredible performer, and his artistry is pure genius, but he has a disease called bad manners and that is not something to just gloss over.
On New Year’s Day, he arrived about 8 hours late to his Love, Damini concert in Lagos. The show was supposed to start at 7 pm and end at 11 pm (a 4-hour set) but due to rumored “technical difficulties” the show started at midnight. The singer admitted that he had arrived at 9 pm but stayed back because of these difficulties.
There was an explanation, but never an apology.
He did not deem it fit to apologize for being late but went ahead to belittle, argue with, and insult his fans who waited and starved for his arrival. To add icing on the already messy cake, he assaulted some of them in the front row with his shoe.
The next day, his PR team did damage control through his official social media accounts, and he apologized to his fans for being late and thanked them for “weathering the storm with me.”
Did he apologize for his erratic and bizarre behavior? No. Is that surprising? Again, no. Accountability hasn’t always been his strongest quality and heaven forbid his “Twice as Tall” ego would let him apologize to those who are beneath him.
Artistes fail to realize that conduct matters. You can be great at your craft, but if your character is awful, the industry will turn its back on you. It’s an unspoken rule that the Recording Academy hands out their awards to artistes who are not only talented but also well-behaved. They track everything an artiste does, from their interactions with fans to the way they are portrayed in the media, down to their personal life.
It’s no surprise that artistes like Chris Brown, Nicki Minaj, Summer Walker, and Snoop Dogg have yet to receive a Grammy despite being incredibly talented artistes and spending a considerable amount of time in the music industry.
Of course, Burna’s loss doesn’t mean he wouldn’t add another Grammy to his shelf. There’s always next year and knowing him, he’s going to bounce back and release music that would get the attention of the Recording Academy again.
But caveat emptor!
The next time you buy a ticket and go to his concert, and you are unfortunately in the front row, wear a helmet in case he decides to use your head as a football.
Oh, and make sure you sing out loud like your life depends on it before he sends you out of his concert for being too mellow.