Last week, The Weeknd accused the Grammys of being “corrupt” after receiving zero nominations at the 2021 awards. Artists including Drake, Elton John, and Charlie Puth have since spoken out about his snub, and now, Halsey, who released a new album called Manic earlier this year, has called out the Recording Academy for behind-the-scenes “bribes” and favour trading.
In a post on her Instagram story, Halsey wrote: “I’ve been thinking and wanted to choose my words carefully because a lot of people have extended sympathy and apology to me since the Grammy nominations.”
She continued: “The Grammys are an elusive process. It can often be about behind the scenes private performances, knowing the right people, campaigning through the grapevine, with the right handshakes and ‘bribes’ that can be just ambiguous enough to pass as ‘not bribes.’ And if you get that far, it’s about committing to exclusive TV performances and making sure you help the Academy make their millions in advertising on the night of the show.
“Perhaps sometimes it is (!!!) but it’s not always about the music or quality or culture. Just wanted to get that off my chest,” she concluded. “@theweeknd deserves better, and Manic did too [woman shrugging emoji] perhaps it’s unbecoming of me to say so but I can’t care anymore. While I am THRILLED for my talented friends who were recognized this year, I am hoping for more transparency or reform. But I’m sure this post will blacklist me anyway.”