His song about a woman's body beat Kesha's ballad about overcoming rape.
There’s nothing quite like a catchy but fairly mediocre pop track about being in love with the literal physical outline of an unknown woman’s body, sung by British everyman and erstwhile Game of Thrones cast member Ed Sheeran, taking the trophy for Best Pop Solo Performance at the Grammys to hammer home the values of the world we currently live in.
The category’s other contenders — Kelly Clarkson, Lady Gaga, P!nk and Kesha — provided fierce competition not only vocally, but lyrically, touching on themes of political division, strength in the face of heartbreak and how to forgive your rapist.
Many expected (or hoped) Kesha would take home the prize for her incredible vocal performance with “Praying.” Not only did “Praying” show off vocal ability even few diehard fans knew Kesha possessed, with entire Youtube reaction videos dedicated to people crying immediately upon hearing her hit the track’s climactic high note/otherworldly whistle, but the song is also particularly timely, with its themes of overcoming a relationship of sexual and emotional abuse.
Given that Sheeran wasn’t even in attendance to accept the award, it’s a shame to think of the missed opportunity the moment could have been, had it been used to shine a light on a more meaningful winner.
