Bad Bunny steals the show at the 68th Grammy Awards

Editor’s Note: This article is a review and includes subjective thoughts, opinions and critiques. 

These days, the news seem dominated by tragedies — from killings at the hands of masked agents to the disturbing findings of the Epstein Files. Despite this, the 68th Grammy Awards on Feb. 1 cut through the darkness, bringing celebrities together for an evening of celebration, resistance and strong fashion statements.

The main character of the night, to me, was Bad Bunny. The Puerto Rican rapper and singer has been in the limelight for years and is already loved by millions — especially fellow Caribbean Latinos — but this past year has been particularly special for him. Bad Bunny, also known as Benito, released his sixth studio album ,“DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS,” in January 2025 and has since taken the world — strategically excluding the mainland U.S. — by storm with his accompanying tour. The album reached one billion streams in just thirteen days and debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, making Benito a more than qualified choice to headline this year’s Super Bowl.

The 68th Grammy Awards only validated what many already knew: Benito’s music is not just “good Puerto Rican music” or “good by Caribbean standards.” Instead, he’s one of the most successful artists across the world right now. The rapper left the night with three Grammy Awards, most notably the Album of the Year Award for “DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS,” beating out music giants like Lady Gaga, Kendrick Lamar and Justin Bieber, and the Recording Academy made history by presenting the category to a Spanish-language album for the first time.

“Before I say thanks to God, I’m gonna say, ‘ICE out,’” the Puerto Rican artist began his acceptance speech. “We’re not savage, we’re not animals, we’re not aliens. We are humans, and we are Americans.” Crypto.com Arena, the venue for the Grammy Awards, erupted into cheers as Benito continued, delivering his speech mostly in Spanish. It was clear this win didn’t change who the album was and is dedicated to: “all the people that had to leave their homeland, their country, to follow their dreams,” Benito said.

Benito’s dynamic Super Bowl performance on Sunday carried a similar message, the most prominent being, “The only thing stronger than hate is love.” His performance was an amazing mix of poignant political critiques and American unity, along with his foot-tapping hits.

The rest of the Grammy Awards were full of familiar names. Lamar won five over the night, including Best Rap Album and Record of the Year, surpassing Jay-Z as the rapper with the most Grammys in history at 27. Gaga’s return was equally well-received, securing her 15th and 16th trophies for Best Pop Vocal Album and Best Dance Pop Recording. 

Gaga’s “Abracadabra” was one of my personal favorites of the year, and the Best Dance Pop Recording category could’ve gone either way between Gaga and Zara Larsson’s “Midnight Sun,” an unapologetically fun and fresh record about a mystical, never-ending summer. This was the Swedish singer’s first nomination, and while I believe Larsson made a great case for herself this year, Gaga’s performance reminded us that she can innovate like no other.

Last year’s Best New Artist winner, Chappell Roan, made headlines from the red carpet with an outfit I can only describe as bold. She wore a dress seemingly attached only to her upper body by nipple rings, most likely attached to a realistic prosthetic. The pop artist was fairly quiet when it came to music in 2025, but has been in headlines for her online critiques of celebrity treatment by fans and her clapbacks at paparazzi. The 27-year-old seems disillusioned with the reality of her meteoric rise in 2024, but I personally hope she returns to the studio when she’s ready.

Back to the music: Is anyone bringing more unbridled joy to the industry right now than jazz pop artist Olivia Dean? With the sheer number of her songs making waves on TikTok, she emerged as the runaway pick for Best New Artist. It seems the industry loves her, too — a video of Stevie Wonder and Gayle King singing along to her performance of “Man I Need” is currently circulating. Hopefully, the Best New Artist curse won’t affect her as it has others in the past.

2025 was undoubtedly a difficult year in America, and it’s important not to be sidetracked by the glamour of Hollywood as the tumult follows us into 2026. Still, there’s nothing wrong with taking a night or two to appreciate the artists whose work carries us through hard times.

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