Showbiz
Harry Fletcher
Feb 06, 2023
content.jwplatform.com
Harry Styles is facing a social media backlash for comments made during his Grammys acceptance speech.
The singer won the Album of the Year on Sunday (5 February) for his album Harry’s House, which was one of the three awards he took home on the night.
Speaking on stage while accepting the prize, he said: “I’ve been so, so inspired by every artist in this category with me at a lot of different times in my life. I listen to everyone in this category when I’m alone.
“I think on nights like tonight, it’s obviously so important for us to remember there’s no such thing as best in music. I don’t think any of us sit in the studio making decisions based on what is gonna get us one of these. This is really, really kind. I’m so, so grateful. This doesn’t happen to people like me very often and this is so, so nice. Thank you very much.”
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It’s not exactly clear what Styles meant by “people like me” during the speech, and social media users were critical of the comments.
The speech sparked a big reaction online, with one viewer writing: “Five women in the AOTY category (seven if you count half of ABBA), three of them women of colour, and the white cis male winner gets up and says ‘this doesn’t happen to people like me very often.’”
“‘this doesn’t happen to people like me very often’” IT LITERALLY ONLY HAPPENS TO PEOPLE LIKE YOU????” another user wrote.
Another said: “‘this doesn’t happen to people like me very often’ YOU ARE LITERALLY A WHITE MAN”
\u201c\u201cthis doesn\u2019t happen to people like me very often\u201d YOU ARE LITERALLY A WHITE MAN\u201d— sketel cain (@sketel cain) 1675658591
\u201charry styles really just said \u201cthis doesn\u2019t happen to people like me very often\u201d like what #Grammys\u201d— chris (@chris) 1675658822
\u201c\u201cthis doesn\u2019t happen to people like me very often\u201d IT LITERALLY ONLY HAPPENS TO PEOPLE LIKE YOU????\u201d— \u064e (@\u064e) 1675658628
\u201c\u2026. no but being a white entertainer (let alone being a man) in this era of society + saying that \u201cthis doesn\u2019t happen to people like me very often\u201d with a serious, straight face is actually insane.\u201d— Courtlyn \u201c\ud835\udd6e\ud835\udd94\ud835\udd9a\ud835\udd97\ud835\udd99 \ud835\udd76\ud835\udd8e\ud835\udd92\u201d \ud83d\udca5 (@Courtlyn \u201c\ud835\udd6e\ud835\udd94\ud835\udd9a\ud835\udd97\ud835\udd99 \ud835\udd76\ud835\udd8e\ud835\udd92\u201d \ud83d\udca5) 1675659561
\u201c\u201cthis doesn\u2019t happen to people like me very often\u201d the lack of self awareness boy \ud83d\udc80\u201d— FEYONC\u00c9 (@FEYONC\u00c9) 1675659219
\u201c\u201cthis doesn\u2019t happen very often to people like me\u201d you are a white man wtf are you saying\u201d— lia \ud83d\ude80 (@lia \ud83d\ude80) 1675658708
\u201cA white man saying \u201cthis [amazing thing] doesn\u2019t happen to people like me very often\u201d is peak white man.\u201d— Preston D. Mitchum (@Preston D. Mitchum) 1675661136
\u201c\u201cthis doesn\u2019t happen to people like me very often\u201d WDYM?\u201d— cloocifer is a fan (@cloocifer is a fan) 1675658614
\u201cA White man won AOTY and said \u201cthis doesn\u2019t happen to people like me very often\u201d and the last time a person like me won AOTY, I was applying to college. LOLOL\u201d— Candice Marie Benbow (@Candice Marie Benbow) 1675660295
\u201cFive women in the AOTY category (seven if you count half of ABBA), three of them women of colour, and the white cis male winner gets up and says \u201cthis doesn\u2019t happen to people like me very often\u201d\u201d— \u1d0a\u1d00\u1d04\u1d0b \ud83d\udc51 \u2728 (@\u1d0a\u1d00\u1d04\u1d0b \ud83d\udc51 \u2728) 1675672928
Styles’s album beat the likes of Beyoncé’s Renaissance to the top prize on Sunday, as well as albums from Adele and Lizzo.
Beyoncé did however take home her 32nd Grammy Award to become the most decorated artist in the awards show’s history.
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