The Weeknd made a surprise return to the Grammys stage for the 2025 edition of the annual ceremony on Sunday night.
After an intro from Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. in which Abel’s past public criticism of the Grammys was acknowledged, the Hurry Up Tomorrow artist hit the stage with “Cry For Me,” later bringing Playboi Carti out with him to bless the world with a rendition of “Timeless.”
As you’ll recall, Abel said back in March 2021 that he would “no longer allow my label to submit my music” for Grammys consideration. As he said in a statement to the New York Times, Abel took issue with what he called “secret committees,” with his then-recent album After Hours having received zero nominations despite widespread acclaim. Mason was quick to respond at the time, saying the Recording Academy was “constantly evolving.”
In a 2020 tweet, Abel called the Grammys “corrupt” and said the institution owed him and his fans and the industry at large “transparency.” Judging by Mason’s remarks on Sunday night, not to mention The Weeknd’s surprise performance, all now seems to be well between the two.
The Weeknd’s past criticisms of the Grammys do not stand alone. Earlier in 2020, Ye shared a video to social media in which he appeared to urinate on one of his two dozen Grammy trophies.
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