Magic Johnson Was Not Happy with Beyoncé’s Grammys Record Celebration: ‘It Was Extremely Disrespectful’
Beyoncé made history at the 2023 Grammy Awards when she became the most-awarded person in the Recording Academy’s history, with a total of 32 golden gramophones to her name. The “Alien Superstar” singer took the stage to accept her thirty-second Grammy Award at the ceremony and gave an emotional speech thanking those important to her. But for retired basketball star Magic Johnson, more should’ve been done to mark the momentous occasion.
Beyoncé’s ‘Renaissance’ won Best Dance/Electronic Album at the 2023 Grammy Awards
Beyoncé released her seventh studio album Renaissance in July 2022, marking her first new solo album since 2016’s Lemonade. The LP was a celebration of Black and queer history through various forms of dance music.
Renaissance was nominated for Best Dance/Electronic Album at the 2023 Grammy Awards alongside Bonobo’s Fragments, Diplo’s Diplo, Odesza’s The Last Goodbye, and Rüfüs du Sol’s Surrender. Beyoncé came out on top, giving her her thirty-second Grammy Award and surpassing classical composer Georg Solti, who long held the record of most Grammy Awards.
“I’m trying not to be too emotional, and I’m trying to just receive this night,” Beyoncé said in her acceptance, her voice trembling. She went on to thank God, her Uncle Johnny (who inspired the Renaissance album), her parents, her husband and children, and the LGBTQ community for inventing the genre. It was the first time the awarding of the Best Dance/Electronic Album category was a part of the Grammys telecast.
Magic Johnson said Beyoncé’s Grammy honor was ‘extremely disrespectful’
Former Los Angeles Lakers player Magic Johnson took to Twitter to express his feelings about how the Recording Academy marked Beyoncé’s milestone win.
“Over the weekend I was very disappointed with the lack of tribute and recognition the Recording Academy showed Beyoncé after she became the most decorated artist in Grammy history with 32 Grammy awards,” Johnson said in a tweet.
“It should have been a much bigger moment and celebration for her, her family, and her fans from around the world,” Johnson added in another post. “I don’t know if something can be done but to me, it was extremely disrespectful to Beyoncé and all of her work as an artist.”
After LeBron James broke Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s career scoring record in February 2023, the NBA honored the occasion by playing a celebratory video documenting James’ career and had Abdul-Jabbar personally hand James an honorary basketball. “THAT is what a real tribute to celebrate a historic moment should look like,” Johnson tweeted of the NBA’s celebration.
Georg Solti wouldn’t have been able to be involved with the 2023 Grammys ceremony, as the composer died in 1997.
Beyoncé is going on tour to support ‘Renaissance’
Unlike her previous albums Lemonade and Beyoncé, Bey hasn’t released a visual component to accompany Renaissance. Instead of releasing a visual album for Renaissance, Beyoncé announced in February 2023 that she’s going on a massive world tour in 2023 and 2024 in support of Renaissance.
Beyoncé has already gotten back into performance gear for 2023. She kicked off the year with a massive concert in Dubai exploring songs from throughout her career and showcasing her unmatched vocal talents and ability to put on a show.
