Recommendations of the Editorial team
When the Golden Globes were handed out a few days ago, there was still irony and awkward silence. Hardly a word about the current US government and the ICE terror in Minneapolis. Only later did the outcry arise, away from the cameras. Things were completely different at the Grammys: several musicians made clear statements. Bad Bunny said as he held one of three trophies: “Before I say thank God, I say, ‘ICE out.'” Many colleagues wore “ICE Out” buttons on their formal wear that evening.
It is a sign of protest against an immigration authority that has long been acting as a shock force. However, the resistance does not come across as clumsy. The excellent Olivia Dean recalled that if her parents had not been brave as immigrants, she would not have been born at all. Billie Eilish made it clear that the US would not exist without immigration (“Nobody is illegal on stolen land”). And Shaboozey dedicated his grammy the “children of immigrants”.
Words against hate
The music world refrains from a fierce attack on the Trump administration (apart from a few spiteful jokes from host Trevor Noah) and instead invokes the unity of Americans. This is wise in a politically awkward situation in which the country is splitting in half before the eyes of the world. One of them, as the artists say this evening, is that they don’t want simple solutions to complex problems.
Instead, they face the hate. Bad Bunny again: “It’s hard not to hate these days. Hate only gets stronger with more hate. The only thing more powerful than hate is love. That’s why we have to be different. When we fight, we have to do it with love. We don’t hate them. We love our people, we love our family, and that’s the right way – with love.”
Bono couldn’t have said that better. They are the words of a musician who will be on the big stage again this February at the Super Bowl halftime show. By announcing that they would not be touring in the USA due to ICE activities, Bad Bunny had already exposed a sore point. The musician represents a world that the MAGA people and many Republicans distrust.
Between explosive performances and touching moments, the Grammys found a political language that was not, as usual, limited to a few activists. In the past, such collective moments of common stance against unrest and exclusion have given rise to political movements. Hollywood has been too timid for this so far, but this time the music world is taking a step forward.
