Why is Billie Eilish so apologetic for winning a Grammy? Watch her speech

Last night’s Grammys were, well, the Grammys. Do we really care about them anymore? What you need to know is that Billie Eilish won Record of the Year for her song, “Everything I Wanted”. The song, let’s be real, slapped in the moody & atmospheric way that all Billie Eilish songs slap. In the 2020 Grammys, if you can remember, Eilish swept the awards. 

But, what many people remember is how Billie Eilish got increasingly flustered & embarrassed by her wins, even apologizing in one of her speeches for Album of the Year. Why, because she believed it should have gone to Ariana Grande’s “thank u, next”. Eilish did this last year because she was afraid of backlash from fans of artists that she had won against, which showcases the toxicity of some fans.

This year, however, Eilish’s latest Grammy apology continues a trend that highlights the racism of award shows. Because, as we’re learning, award shows are hella racist and it feels like nothing we do is really helping the problem in the long run. 

Here’s what you need to know about what happened.

Why did Billie Eilish apologize for her Grammys win? 

After winning Record of the Year, Billie Eilish acknowledged that Megan Thee Stallion’s “Savage” remix deserved the honor instead of her own song “Everything I Wanted” from the No Time to Die. (You know, the next James Bond movie that will, apparently, come out at some point?) 

Eilish also beat Doja Cat (“Say So”), Dua Lipa (“Don’t Start Now”), Post Malone  (“Circles”), DaBaby & Roddy Ricch (“ROCKSTAR”), Black Pumas (“Colors”), Beyoncé (“Black Parade”) for the award as well. But, let’s be real, Megan Thee Stallion’s “Savage” remix? Straight up fire. Megan Thee Stallion’s talents did not go unrecognized. She won Best New Artist  along with Best Rap Song & Best Rap Performance.

What did Billie Eilish say in her Grammys acceptance/apology speech?

In her speech, Eilish expressed the following about her fellow Grammys nominee:

“This is really embarrassing for me. Megan, girl… I was going to write a speech about how you deserve this. But then I was like, ‘There’s no way they’re gonna choose me.’ I was like, ‘It’s hers.’ You deserve this. You had a year that I think is untoppable. You are a queen. I want to cry thinking about how much I love you.”

She added, “You are so beautiful. You are so talented. You deserve everything in the world. I think about you constantly. I root for you always. You deserve it, honestly. Genuinely, this goes to her. Can we just cheer for Megan Thee Stallion, please?”

Why does this showcase racism in the industry?

Billie Eilish is the latest of white Grammys winners to apologize and give recognition to Black artists that they felt should have won. In 2017, Adele shouted out Beyonce in her Album of the Year acceptance speech because she believed that Lemonade should have won. (And, let’s be real, Adele is not wrong on that front. Not that he album wasn’t good, but, you know, freaking Lemonade wins.)

Before Adele, Macklemore similarly put the focus on Kendrick Lamar. He posted a screenshot of a text that he sent to his fellow rapper when he beat him for Best Rap Album. Macklemore wrote, “I wanted you to win. You should have. It’s weird and it sucks that I robbed you.”

In addition to this conversation on racism in award shows, people are also feeling for 19-year-old Billie Eilish. Largely because she feels like she had to discredit her wins both this year & last year. Many, however, did applaud the young music superstar for how graciously she handled herself on stage. (Maybe a Megan Thee Stallion & Billie Eilish collab can come from this mess?)