Grammy nominations came out Wednesday morning, and if there’s one thing music lovers should know, it’s this: The internet already won.
Viral personalities took precedent this year, with Lizzo raking in the most award nominations (eight), followed by Billie Eilish and Lil Nas X, with six each. One exception was the K-pop boy band BTS, which has a large online following of devoted fans but failed to snag a nomination.
If you spend any time on social media, particularly Twitter, TikTok, and Instagram, the success of Lizzo, Eilish, and Lil Nas X will not surprise you.
Lizzo’s lyrics seem tailor-made for tweets and Instagram captions, including “Why men great ’til they gotta be great?” and “I just took a DNA test, turns out I’m 100% that bitch,” a meme-able line that has been quoted by countless fans, even Hillary Clinton.
The singer’s brand of female empowerment and body positivity has made her a favorite among the media, and her social media presence has connected her to her fans, making her seem even more accessible.
Lil Nas X became famous for his song “Old Town Road” after he uploaded it to TikTok. Months later, it hit the top of the Billboard Hot 100, where it reigned for 19 weeks. The song is a mix of hip-hop and country, playing on tropes of both genres with an earwormy beat guaranteed to get stuck in your head. It’s not good, but it is good for viral videos.
The song generated controversy after it briefly appeared on the country charts until it was pulled for not being country enough. Before the Academy of Country Music Awards this spring, John Osborne of country duo Brothers Osborne said “Old Town Road” wasn’t country, and it wasn’t really good either. “We need great songs,” he said.
It was at least good enough to nab a nomination for record of the year. Lil Nas X is no Mozart, but he’s got name recognition. It helps that he has 3.3 million followers on Twitter, and even his most random thoughts can get hundreds of thousands of likes. He was right when he told Teen Vogue he was an “internet baby.”
When “Old Town Road” finally left its No. 1 spot, it was appropriate that Eilish was the singer to finally unseat him. Eilish, who at 17 years old is just a couple of years younger than him, has become the musical queen of Generation Z. Eilish has been open about having panic attacks and her diagnosis of Tourette syndrome. Her music is sad, cynical, and perfect for the generation after millennials. She has 42.4 million followers on Instagram.
The Grammy nominations came with a few surprises, including Bon Iver’s “Hey, Ma” for record of the year. The indie-folk band’s tranquil single was no record breaker, but many fans still enjoyed it, and perhaps its directive to “call your Ma.”
When the Grammy awards roll around this January, expect to see several wins for Lizzo, Eilish, and Lil Nas X, the artists who’ve mastered pop music as well as the pop persona. Social media is changing how and why we consume music. We’re about to hear a lot more from the internet babies.
