Lorde’s night at the Grammys was surrounded by controversy. She was the only female Album of the Year nominee—a category won by Bruno Mars—and she was allegedly the only nominee in that category who wasn’t invited to give a solo performance. (She ultimately attended, without walking the red carpet, wearing a feminist essay on her dress—an excerpt from Jenny Holzer’s “Inflammatory Essays.”) When asked about Lorde’s absence from the performances, Grammys producer Ken Ehrlich said, “There’s no way we can really deal with everybody.” Meanwhile, Grammy president Neil Portnow had to walk back a quote calling on women in the music industry to “step up.” In today’s issue of The New Zealand Herald, Lorde reflected on the Grammys in a handwritten full-page advertisement.
“Last night I saw a lot of crazy & wonderful things,” she wrote. “I just wanted to say thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for loving & embracing Melodrama the way you did. My nomination belongs to you. Thank you, also, for believing in female musicians. You set a beautiful precedent!” The message also includes doodles with notes like “JAY-Z’s hands are really soft” and “I met Stevie Nicks and almost cried.” Find the full note, shared by an employee of the Herald, below.
Related: How Did Kesha, a Victim, End Up Bearing the Weight of Making the Grammys Political?
