Let's Be Honest: Did Taylor Swift Really Need Another Grammy?

To the disappointment of Swifties everywhere, Taylor Swift went home last night without scoring a single Grammy award despite six nominations.

The loss didn't seem to disappoint the "Shake It Off" singer, though, as she was seen drinking, dancing, and celebrating with her fellow nominees as the night wore on. In fact, it seemed that some fans were more disappointed than she was!

While it is always disappointing to see such a beloved figure miss out on such a coveted award, did Swift really deserve a Grammy for "The Tortured Poets Department"? Let's discuss.

It's no secret to anyone paying attention (and let's face it, she commands attention), that Swift is a prolific artist. She has released 11 original studio albums, 4 re-recorded albums, 5 extended plays (EPs), and 4 live albums.

When you put it like that, 14 Grammys doesn't sound like much at all. It's almost hard to believe that she holds the record for winning Album of the Year a whopping four times. Her first win was for "Fearless" in 2010, followed by 2016's "1989," 2021's "Folklore," and 2024's "Midnights."

But when you look at her current nominations, did she deserve to win Album of the Year again?

This year, Taylor Swift was nominated for six Grammys. "The Tortured Poets Department" was nominated for Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album. "Fortnight," featuring Post Malone," was nominated for Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Music Video. Swift was also nominated for Gracie Abrams' song "Us" for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance.

Ultimately, she lost out in every category. She wasn't alone, though. Billie Eilish also walked away empty-handed after scoring several nominations for her latest album, which was met with much greater acclaim from fans and critics than "The Tortured Poets Department."

Ranking Taylor Swift's songs is always a challenge. Everyone has their own personal opinions, but there are some songs that can't be ranked. For example, can you really compare "Hoax" to "Shake It Off?" Can you objectively say if "All Too Well" is a better song than "Cruel Summer"? Songs are made to fit a mood and it's almost impossible to say that one song is "better" than another on an objective scale.

No one person picks a Grammy winner: as they constantly reminded us last night, 13,000 different people vote for which song they believe is the best, and so the winner is just a matter of majority rules. In this case, a majority did not prefer Swift's music and it's not hard to see why. "Fortnight" was far from her strongest showing, despite a stellar collaboration with Post Malone. The music video featured some fantastic cameos, but overall, it didn't rise to the same level that the other nominees did.

Is there a Swiftie out there who really thinks that "The Tortured Poets Department" was her best album? I mean, to each their own, but Swift has released far better songs in the past, and, dare I say, she will put out a better album in the future. There is a certain cohesiveness to some of her previous albums - "Folklore" and "Midnights" immediately come to mind. "The Tortured Poets Department" was far from cohesive.

The album was a muddled mix of songs mourning the loss of a deep love (Joe Alwyn), the anger at being burned by a recent flame (Matty Healy), and the excitement of an emerging new love (Travis Kelce). It's no surprise that "So High School" and "The Alchemy" are rated so highly by fans - these songs reflect the essence of a good Swift song. She loves being in love, and it shows.

The album falls flat when she seems to find catharsis. Songs like "Imgonnagetyouback" and "I Hate It Here" reflect an angry, bitter scorned lover while "But Daddy I Love Him" almost makes it seem like she welcomed her own heartache. It feels like lyrics scribbled onto a diary page by an angry teenager and sung into a microphone without an edit or an honest critique.

Swift is a prolific songwriter. Any Swiftie would be overjoyed to get 31 new Taylor Swift songs, but does it matter how many songs there are if they're just mediocre? Swift has shown us that she is capable of far better, and it almost seems like a disservice to the Grammys to give her an award just because she is the Taylor Swift. She has always had plenty of competition, but "The Tortured Poets Department" felt like she put out new music just because she could, not because she had something new to say.

So, with all that being said, did Taylor Swift really need to win another Grammy last night? Kristin says... no.

At least, not for The Tortured Poets Department, anyway.

Beyoncé got her well-deserved Album of the Year win for "Cowboy Carter" and Swift was clearly happy for her. We should be too.

And keep our fingers crossed that Swift puts out a better album next year.