Also, Kanye clarifies his stance regarding Beck and the Grammys’ alleged disrespect for artistry.
With all the controversy surrounding his highly unexpected album of the year win, Beck is keeping his cool and saying the right things. Kanye West (jokingly) threatened to storm the stage after Beck won the big Grammy, and even said he should have given it to Beyoncé. But is Beck mad? Nah.
Grammys 2015: All the Coverage
“I was just so excited he was coming up. He deserves to be on stage as much as anybody,” Beck told Us Weekly. Excited to see Kanye? Apparently he’s just that in awe of Yeezus and My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. “How many great records has he put out in the last five years, right?”
“I thought she was going to win,” he continued. “Come on, she’s Beyoncé!”
The night before (Feb. 7), Beck expressed a similar sentiment to Billboard on the red carpet of the Clive Davis pre-Grammys party. “It would be a surprise with this record, honestly… I think it’s just, the moment in music, you know what I mean? I’ve been in that category before, and it’s usually something that’s very definitive of the time.”
Twice before, Beck was a contender in the album of the year category without winning: in 1997 for Odelay and in 2001 for Midnite Vultures.
Following the ceremony, Kanye expanded on his outrage during E!’s after show:
“I just know that the Grammys, if they want real artists, to keep coming back, they need to stop playing with us. We ain’t gonna play with them no more… and Beck needs to respect artistry and he should’ve given his award to Beyonce.”
And this morning (Feb. 9), Kanye clarified his harsh words, while maintaining that the Grammys should have given Beyoncé the prize over Beck.
“Beck knows Beyoncé should have won,” he insisted. When asked by a paparazzo if he’d heard of Beck before, he shot back, “Come on, man, I love Beck. But he ain’t have album of the year.”
He hasn’t coughed up the prize, but Beck isn’t about to say an ill word towards Beyoncé or Kanye. Now, let’s hope Beck doesn’t pull a Macklemore and write Beyoncé a humble-braggy, self-serving letter.