The Grammy Awards, mostly known as the Grammy is an awards ceremony presented by the recording academy of the United States to highlight superior achievements in musical entertainment. The Grammy’s have been well-established for more than a decade and are no strangers to controversy and uproar. The most recent controversial scene was the Queen of Rap, Nicki Minaj’s 2012 performance of Roman holiday, in which she performed a musical production with an exorcism levitation and priest that was shunned by the Vatican church for its queer undertones and “blasphemous” representations.

This year’s Grammys was hosted on Feb. 9 and it was both shocking, surprising, and full of controversy, but not for the reason you think. Sam Smith and Kim Petras are causing an uproar on social media for performing their hit single unholy, a choral/pop ensemble that tells the story of an unfaithful husband that is cheating on his wife with a woman for fiscal services- her womanhood being left ambiguous. Thus, implying she may identify as transgender. Lies, seduction, and queer undertones are all present in the song with the main chorus being- “mommy don’t know daddy getting hot at the body shop doing something unholy, “complete with cages, whips,chains, red lights, and hooded dancers performing extremely suggestive choreography. The duo delivered an electrifying, intense, and powerful performance that was definitely not for younger ages.

Smith sang from the perspective of a married man, who also from time to time, likes to participate in infidelity. Whereas Petras, a proud woman of a transgender experience, is paying the perspective of the worker who has chatted with Smith, who credits Smith’s inspiration to the LGBTQIA community and the experiences of men who commit infidelity with members of said community.

In addition to the song stirring up controversy, Smith is a gender-fluid queer icon of heavier weight, and many of the critics both within the community and outside of it see his mere presence as generally offensive to some. Much like other singers, such as Lizzo, Madonna, and Lady Gaga, all who have had controversial appearances and performances at the Grammys in the past, none ofwhich identifies as Satanist, but citing “creative influence and design”as their main reasons for the performances.

Smith’s use of devil symbolism and imagery has angered conservatives who feel that this performance and queer information is being pushed into their children’s faces to influence them away from their morals and values, but considering the Grammys has never been suited for younger audiences, many are concerned with how the youth are accessing said programs when there are tools to prevent situations such as this. To catch a glimpse of this performance, go to www.grammy.com/videos/sam-smith-kim-petras-unholy-2023-grammys-watch-performance-live-65th-grammy-awards