Yesterday the Grammy nominations for 2017 were announced, which meant that it was time for our annual unpacking of virtually everything about the choices — who was snubbed, who was wrongly nominated, what on earth the Grammys think genre is, etc.
One particularly glaring oversight was the lack of nominations for Rihanna’s Anti, a creeper hit that just will not quit, and remains one of the best summations of exactly who Ri Ri has become as a pop star. Given the fact that her fans are extremely loyal — they’re called the Navy, natch — a fan account posted a screed yesterday decrying the Grammy committee for honoring Beyonce and snubbing Rihanna. The plot thickened when Rihanna “liked” the photo, thereby giving her tacit approval to the message.
The caption said: “Congrats and all to @badgalriri and all for her 8 Grammy nods but tbh fuck them because they snubbed her for Song of the Year and Album of the Year,” they wrote. “I think they didn’t want her tied or passing someone else *cough cough* ?.”
However, it seems like Rihanna didn’t fully read the caption, and simply thought she was giving a fan the ego boost she knows her approval can carry. According to The Shade Room, today she commented on the photo to clarify that she didn’t agree with the framing that pits her against Beyonce:
“I never actually read your caption,” Rihanna wrote. “Thought the pic was funny and moved right along. Til I seen it pop up over and over! I’m petty af, yes. But this is just unnecessary! I wish y’all would drop this topic and see things from the bigger picture! We don’t need to be putting black women against each other! We deserve to be celebrated, and the Grammy Academy agrees!”
As usual, she’s got a point.
Check out the full list of Grammy nominees here.
