I like Bruno Mars, I really do. But Lorde was snubbed.
Album of the Year is one of the highest honors in the music industry, and that should not be taken lightly. Bruno Mars has the capacity to write a great album, but 24K Magic was not great. It was, in fact, the least original record out of the five nominees.
The most successful singles off 24K Magic, “That’s What I Like,” and the title track, were two of the most underwhelming songs I heard all year. They were catchy, but that’s about it. There was not a single element to either of those songs that was memorable.
When music’s highest honor is at stake, the integrity of the nominees needs to be considered. Mars’ record was written to fit in; it sounds like everything else that has played on pop radio stations for the past five years.
When you listen to Melodrama, you hear raw pain and emotion. You hear one of the greatest coming-of-age stories of all time. You hear self-doubt and fear. You hear the disastrous reality of what a broken heart does to a person. You hear parties for what they are, people coping with the problems in each of their lives. You are forced to explore the darkest parts of your own reality.
Melodrama has an inconceivable amount of depth to it. Lorde did not write this record to release tracks one by one and watch them paint the Top 40. “Liability” and “Writer in The Dark” are two of the most haunting songs I’ve ever heard. Every song on the album is well-crafted and meaningful. Lorde wrote this album from her heart, and the result is genuine, relatable and painstakingly self-aware.
The most important element Melodrama has that 24K Magic lacks, however, is a demonstration of growth. Lorde’s first record, Pure Heroine, was made with essentially no budget. That speaks to her raw talent. Yet her sophomore album is ahead of the rest
Lorde improved in every way possible, fine-tuning each detail of her art over the course of four years. 24K Magic, on the other hand, doesn’t hold a candle to Mars’ early ballads, like “Just the Way You Are” and “Grenade.” Mars was at his best when a piano was enough and his life wasn’t a stage on which he feels compelled to out-glam himself.
Lorde and Bruno Mars are both insanely talented, both have many years of achievements ahead of them, but Album of the Year is a special award, and it should have gone to a special album.
Halle Weber is a sophomore studying journalism with a focus in news and information at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. Do you agree? Let Halle know by tweeting at her @HalleWeber13.
