The Grammy Awards always promise to feature controversy and moments that will be talked about for weeks after they take place. This year’s award ceremony was no exception. One of the most talked-about moments was Taylor Swift winning Album of the Year for her latest, 1989. While Swift fans applauded the decision - and Swift went down in the record books for being the first woman to win Album of the Year twice - there were many who believed she did not deserve the honor. Many of those vocal against Swift’s award believed that Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp A Butterfly deserved the award more. Actor Don Cheadle was one of them; he tweeted after Taylor’s win that he wanted to “pull a Kanye” after the winner was announced. The question people had was why did Kendrick Lamar (or anyone) deserve the award over Taylor Swift?

There is no question that Taylor Swift is a sensation. She has sold over 27 million albums since her career began in 2006. This includes her first self-titled album, where her biggest concern seemed to be getting friend-zoned by a guy named Drew. Each album has sold millions of copies - 1989 has sold over 8 million to date. However, it’s not just her albums that are selling big. She also sells out all of her concerts: the 1989 Tour made at least $173 million dollars. Swift’s fans buy her music, concert tickets and merchandise religiously, and when her next album inevitably comes out, there is no doubt the same result will occur.

However, while Swift is able to speak to her fans and make loads of money doing it, the fact that her album was one of the most popular of the year does not mean it deserved to win Album of the Year. The problem with Swift is that the range of her music is fairly narrow. The vast majority of her songs speak to a teenage type of heartbreak - one that her many tween and teen fans know well - and no doubt one of the reasons she continues to be such a big hit. Kendrick Lamar, on the other hand, speaks about a wider range of issues - issues which have more of a worldwide impact. Many of the songs on To Pimp A Butterfly discuss racial issues in the United States; one of the songs became a major influence on the Black Lives Matter movement. While there are many albums that have to do with love or love lost, Swift seems to only focus on the idea of high school fairytale-type romance. There does not seem to be too drastic of a difference between what Swift sings about now and the "friend-zoned by Drew" song that came out 10 years ago. These kinds of songs are fun to sing along to on a road trip, or provide a sort of therapy after breaking up with your boyfriend, but those things do not equal Album of the Year material.

Taylor Swift deserves an immense amount of credit for her success. She has taken over the Top 40 genre almost effortlessly, and she will continue to be popular for years to come. However, there are legitimate reasons why 1989’s Album of the Year win was surrounded by controversy, and it seems the debate of whether the award was well-deserved will continue for some time. For those who believe she did not deserve it, the lack of depth and variety in her songs is a legitimate argument against her record-breaking win.