Music is an incredibly powerful tool. It’s a way that teens are able to express themselves, relate to others, and escape from the reality of their own lives. However, many go beyond the music, latching themselves onto the artists creating it. Diehard fan bases have been around for decades, but with the emergence of social media, many fans have adapted a level of dedication and passion that has never been seen before. This enthusiasm was put on display after the 2025 Grammy Awards, where many fans aired out their frustrations online with the results.
However, some of these comments went far beyond simple disappointment and quickly turned incredibly negative and ugly. For example, fans of Billie Eilish were left dumbfounded after she didn’t receive any awards at this year’s Grammys, including the highly coveted Album of the Year. Instead, Beyoncé ended up winning Album of the Year for her first country album “Cowboy Carter.” Eilish fans expressed their anger through numerous videos in which they stated they believed Eilish was crying over not winning the award, with many implying that they personally knew how Eilish was feeling after losing. This type of behavior not only exposes the spread of potential misinformation by fandoms, but it also is a blatant example of the parasocial relationships that many fans have with their favorite artist. These relationships lead to many other artists receiving unnecessary hate and criticism.
Fans of Eilish not only published numerous comments and videos diminishing Beyoncé’s success, but also diminishing her cultural impact and even attacking her race, with some fans saying that Beyoncé won only because of “DEI” initiatives. But racist comments didn’t only come from Billie Eilish fans. Beyoncé also took home Best Country Album, which sparked a heated debate among country music fans. They believed that Beyoncé couldn’t switch genres, which is a topic that she addresses throughout the album along with various other topics.
The response to the success of Cowboy Carter has sent a clear and important message about how unwelcoming country music has been to Black artists, even though the Black community helped shape the genre into what it is today. Many melodies of early country hits were hymns performed by Black churches in the South, the Black community introduced the banjo to the genre, and Black musicians helped shape the sound and style of modern country songs. And over time, Black musicians have said that country music became a very White industry, leaving no room for Black artists to feel accepted or appreciated. “Cowboy Carter” was chosen for Album of the Year because of its cultural significance and impact, not based on the number of streams or place on the charts, something that numerous fan bases have failed to understand.
Online fandoms need to realize that they don’t personally know their favorite artist, therefore they do not need to send anyone hate on their favorite’s behalf. It’s absolutely valid to feel disappointed or hurt when an album you strongly resonate with doesn’t win an award, but it doesn’t mean that fans have a right to discredit the hard work or success of another artist. And at the end of the day, a Grammy award does not determine an artist’s success, and is not worth the aggravation of aiming hateful comments at someone who you don’t know or like.
