Nearly two decades after Drake released his debut mixtape (2006's "Room for Improvement"), he still spends entire albums complaining about women and haters.

As a twentysomething rapper with something to prove, Drake's petty jabs and paranoid delusions made sense. It was actually refreshing for an artist to be so open about his darkest impulses.

But the whole thing is no longer a novelty. "For All the Dogs" was made by a 36-year-old father, and it makes his rich-kid malaise sound an awful lot like misogyny.

As Nadine Smith wrote for The Independent, Drake's toxic masculinity has become "increasingly hard to ignore."

"'For All the Dogs' sees him step into a role that's nauseatingly patriarchal and almost abusive," Smith wrote. "He wants to handcuff them on 'Fear of Heights,' then whip and chain them like 'American slaves' on 'Slime You Out.' When he raps that he 'packs them into my phone like sardines' on 'First Person Shooter,' his outright contempt for women stares you directly in the face."

Beyond the blatantly sexist lyrics, "For All the Dogs" is an inconsistent, aggravating, and derivative album. (It's also way too long, which is a complaint you'll see a lot in this ranking.) Drake promised a return to form, but unfortunately, the charm that made him a superstar only appears in fickle bursts.

The rest of the 23-song tracklist is full of try-hard trap music and eye-roll-inducing lines: "They say love's like a BBL, you won't know if it's real until you feel one," "Feel like I'm bi 'cause you're one of the guys, girl." Drake's target audience these days seems to be exclusively frat boys, but I still have to ask: Is this your king?

"Her Loss" seemed like Drake's attempt to course-correct after "Honestly, Nevermind" didn't receive rapturous praise from his fan base. He took the one classic rap song on the tracklist, "Jimmy Cooks" featuring 21 Savage, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, and tried to clone its success 16 times.

This was a disappointing decision. "Honestly, Nevermind" wasn't a flop; it was a thrilling departure from the standard Drake formula. It signaled that he'd found the courage to try new things, to execute new visions, to create true albums instead of glorified playlists.

"Her Loss" erased that progress. The album feels sloppy and scatterbrained, especially compared to the cohesive club vibe of its precursor. It's peppered with unnecessary jabs at famous women (Megan Thee Stallion, Ice Spice, Serena Williams) that serve only to spark discourse on Twitter. It lacks any sense of gravity.

"It's yet more evidence that Drake's art is suffering under the strain of his obsession with churning out as much music as is physically possible," Fred Garratt-Stanley wrote for NME, while Rolling Stone's Mosi Reeves put it even more bluntly: "Drake's error is that he unintentionally reveals himself as a self-centered jerk who refuses to grow up."

Like the majority of Drake's albums, "Certified Lover Boy" would have benefited from several tracklist edits.

But unlike "Scorpion" and "Views," it doesn't have the standout cuts and certified bops to justify its obscene length. The only memorable moments are the cringey ones: the Right Said Fred sample on "Way 2 Sexy," for example, or the entirety of "Girls Want Girls." And don't even get me started on "F*****g Fans."

Put simply, "Certified Lover Boy" is swollen and boring, a watered-down collection of Drake tropes. I listened straight through the album exactly once and never returned.

Drake's long-rumored collaborative album with PartyNextDoor, who is signed to Drake's boutique label, OVO Sound, is thankfully more R&B-forward than much of his recent work. In the words of Kendrick Lamar, "I like Drake with the melodies, I don't like Drake when he act tough."

Speaking of Lamar, how could we not? It's impossible to divorce this album from the insults and drama swirling around it, as much as Drake would like us to.

"$ome $exy $ongs 4 U" was released just one week after Lamar's hate parade at the Super Bowl. Lamar took a risk at the big game by performing "Not Like Us," a hit song full of unsavory claims about his nemesis — particularly that Drake "likes 'em young" and hangs out with accused sexual predators, among others.

Drake alludes to Lamar in "$ome $exy $ongs 4 U," but for the most part, he conducts his business as usual. It's framed as an album "for the girls," not the beef-obsessed rap bros. This strategy makes logical sense, but it's still unsatisfying. Drake has decided to lean on lawsuits to save him instead of artistry.

At this point, I would consider Drake's artistry missing in action. With the exception of "Honestly, Nevermind," it feels like Drake has been releasing the same album over and over since 2021, ever confident that people will listen, even if it's bad. (Alas, he's right. "$ome $exy $ongs 4 U" debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.)

"$ome $exy $ongs 4 U" isn't bad in the same way that "For All the Dogs" is bad. But the album is persistently uninspired — yet another hour-plus slog that lacks enough intrigue or emotion to justify its existence.

There's a reason Drake is a commercial titan. He tosses out hit songs and record-breaking collections with staggering informality.

"What a Time To Be Alive" is one such example. Drake's 2015 collaborative mixtape with Future was famously written and recorded in just six days. Unfortunately, it shows.

These songs don't quite suit him. Drake takes a backseat throughout the 11 tracks, on which much of the production and many of the lyrics are undercooked.

The chemistry between these two rappers just isn't strong enough to sell the concept — which may explain why nearly a decade later, Drake and Future are so on the outs that Future allowed Lamar to insult and provoke Drake on his own album (2024's "We Don't Trust You"), leading to the most sensational rap beef in a generation. In "Not Like Us," Lamar also accuses Drake of exploiting Future for clout.

"Thank Me Later" satisfied both critics and fans at the time of its release. But beyond serving its purpose as a hype-fulfilling studio debut, it falters when compared to many of Drake's subsequent projects (even though "Find Your Love" has remained one of his strongest songs).

At least no one can accuse Drake of coming out of the gate too strong and never living up to his potential.

For those who worship Drake as a rapper, rather than a pop star, "If You're Reading This It's Too Late" is the holy grail. It sees him at his most forceful and most boastful, rapping over minimal beats and industrial sounds for 17 straight tracks.

But Drake didn't become Drake because he's a great rapper. I mean, this is a man who actually said, "Got so many chains, I feel like chain-ing Tatum."

Drake is capable of delivering strong bars, to be sure, but he's at his best when he blends his bars with moody R&B, decadent production, and melodic vocals — when he blends his narcissism with his jealousy, longing, melancholy, and regret, confronting many moods in a way that feels universal.

"If You're Reading This," by contrast, is unceasingly paranoid, aggressive, and single-minded. Save for "Know Yourself" and perhaps "Jungle," it lacks that intimate translation of memories and emotions that make people feel connected to Drake as an artist, rather than Drake as a brand.

Drake continues to insist that "More Life" is a "playlist," not an album — perhaps as an attempt to exempt it from lists like this one, since it's so difficult to compare to his other works.

The triumph of "More Life" is its ability to absorb many different sounds and spotlight many different artists. With its rich production and fun list of collaborators, it has plenty of bright spots, particularly "Passionfruit," "Get It Together," "Portland," and "Fake Love."

But if Drake's most consistent critique is that his albums are too bloated, too sprawling, and too uneven to make it all worth it, then "More Life" fails spectacularly.

It doesn't even feel like a Drake album because it's 80 minutes of other artists showing him up, from Jorja Smith to Young Thug — 80 minutes of genres and styles that only work with him as a feature. It lacks a central genius, as well as many of the quirks that make Drake, well, Drake.

I was primed to enjoy "Honestly, Nevermind," firstly because its release was announced mere hours in advance. This weakened the risk of New Drake Hype eclipsing the album itself, which several of its predecessors fell victim to.

Secondly, with 14 songs spanning just 52 minutes, this is Drake's shortest album since "What a Time To Be Alive." After the absolute slog of "Certified Lover Boy," the world deserved that.

But most importantly, "Honestly, Nevermind" is fun to listen to — a cohesive, focused package of tropical beats and atmospheric production.

Especially as a surprise drop, this made for a fascinating change of pace. There aren't any Drake-isms, quippy lyrics, or unfortunate outliers. This is an album for feral summer nights at the coolest club in town.

One staff writer at Rolling Stone described this effect as "'More Life' on molly." Another popular tweet compared it to the groovy jellyfish music from "SpongeBob SquarePants." Both are compliments, and both are correct.

"Honestly, Nevermind" is so smooth that it runs the risk of passive vibing and mindless head-bobbing. Luckily, highlights like "Sticky" and "Overdrive" serve to pull the listener back into their body. When 21 Savage arrives to deliver closing statements on "Jimmy Cooks," I never quite feel ready to leave the dance floor.

Drake is famously unable to refine a tracklist. But at the time "Scorpion" was released, that gimmick hadn't gotten old yet. As Rolling Stone's Rob Sheffield wrote, "With this guy, way too much is the point."

It would be fair to assume most people don't commit to a front-to-back listen of "Scorpion." At 89 minutes, it's his longest project ever.

But that's just one way to listen to an album, and it's clearly not the way Drake would prefer.

A lot of music traditionalists would argue that you can't judge an album by cherry-picking its highlights. But Drake doesn't care if you replay the full album. He only cares if you love pieces of it, and on "Scorpion," there are plenty of pieces to love.

You'd be hard-pressed to find a fan who doesn't have at least one or two "Scorpion" songs on repeat, even now. The album boasts some of Drake's most likable songs yet, whether it's his genius Mariah Carey homage "Emotionless," his meme-able "In My Feelings," his emo-synth jam "Summer Games," or the ultimate summer bop "Nice For What."

Concluding with "March 14," an open-heart rumination on being thrust into fatherhood, is the icing on the cake. You're left feeling like you understand Drake better than before, a feat that many of his newer albums lack.

Plus, there's something to be said for a man who has remodeled the system in his own image and broke multiple Beatles records in the process. With "Scorpion," he makes sheer magnitude work in a uniquely Drake-y way. 

In 2016, many fans and critics found "Views" underwhelming, largely due to the feverish anticipation that preceded its release.

But in retrospect, it may be the best representation of Drake as we know him now: the eclectic, confident, irritated, unabashedly corny, taste-making icon.

In the words of The Ringer's Virali Dave, Drake spends the entire album "reveling in all his absurdist, quippy glory" — and that's exactly what we love him for.

The 80-minute tracklist has something for everyone. Drake's purist rap fans have "Hype" and "Still Here." His "Marvin's Room" die-hards got a new crying-in-the-club anthem with "Feel No Ways." And all music listeners should be thankful for the album's string of undeniable bops: "Hotline Bling," "One Dance," "Pop Style," and "Controlla." In short, "Views" holds up.

All these years later, it remains Drake's most divisive project. But for all the ways critics slandered "Views" as a flop, everyone has sure streamed the hell out of it. It spent more than 100 consecutive weeks on the Billboard 200 chart; it's one of the biggest hip-hop albums of all time.

Only Drake could build a tracklist that includes a timelessly seductive love song ("Hold On We're Going Home"), career-defining hype anthems ("Worst Behavior," "Started From the Bottom"), emo slow jams ("Own It," "Pound Cake / Paris Morton Music 2"), and an audacious six-minute intro ("Tuscan Leather") and somehow turn it into his most solid, coherent album ever.

"Nothing Was The Same" is a true standout in Drake's catalog because, as Andrew Unterberger wrote for Billboard, "The LP in its entirety is stronger than just its highlights in isolation: It's the Drake album with the most consistent vibe throughout, the one where the songs most feel like they're all stemming from the same moment."

"Take Care" is Drake's masterpiece. It saw him step into his role as the High Priest of our generational oversharing: He's processing his memories in real time, collapsing a myriad of modern experiences and complex emotions into his most immersive listening experience.

It can be difficult to remember how risky "Take Care" was for Drake at the time — to release such a self-conscious, gothic record when everyone wanted classic rap songs for the radio.

"Making an album this outré demonstrates a perverse sense of confidence, and also ignores the received wisdom about consistency and incremental change," Jon Caramanica wrote for The New York Times in his review.

"'Take Care' isn't a hip-hop album or an R&B album so much as an album of eccentric black pop that takes those genres as starting points, asks what they can do but haven't been doing, then attempts those things," Carmanica continued. "In the future an album like this will be commonplace; today, it's radical."

He was right. "Take Care" was criticized by Drake's peers who said it wasn't "real rap." Now, it's what you'd put in a time capsule for future generations to understand why rap hasn't been the same since 2011.

Bruce Springsteen's 11 chart-topping albums span over three decades, from 1980's "The River" to 2014's "High Hopes" — even though Springsteen has yet to score a No. 1 hit song on the Hot 100.

Barbra Streisand logged her first No. 1 entry on the Billboard 200 with "People" in 1964.

Fifty-one years later, she set a record for the longest span between No. 1s when "Encore: Movie Partners Sing Broadway," her 2016 studio album, topped the chart.

Streisand previously had the most No. 1 albums among female artists until Taylor Swift broke her record in 2023.

Ye, who still releases music under the name Kanye West, topped the Billboard 200 for the first time in 2005 with "Late Registration."

He logged his 11th consecutive No. 1 album in 2024 with "Vultures 1," a collaborative effort with Ty Dolla $ign.

When it was released in 2000, Eminem's "The Marshall Mathers LP" sold over 1 million copies in its first week, easily earning a No. 1 debut on the Billboard 200.

Two decades later, "Music to Be Murdered By" debuted at No. 1, becoming Eminem's historic 10th chart-topper. He logged his 11th in 2024 with "The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce)."

Future earned his first No. 1 album in 2015 with "DS2," which has since spent over 300 weeks on the Billboard 200.

In 2024, Future's "Mixtape Pluto" debuted atop the chart — his third No. 1 album in just six months and 11th overall.

Earlier that year, Future topped the chart with "We Don't Trust You" and "We Still Don't Trust You," collaborative efforts with Metro Boomin. The former is widely known for reigniting a feud between Drake and Kendrick Lamar.

Jay-Z began collecting No. 1s in 1998 with his third studio album, "Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life." In 2017, he extended his total to 14 with "4:44," setting a record among solo artists.

Jay-Z is also one of the most-awarded artists in Grammy history.

Taylor Swift has only released one album that didn't top the chart: her self-titled debut, which peaked at No. 5 in 2008.

Swift earned her first No. 1 later that same year with "Fearless," which has since been ranked the fourth-biggest album in Billboard 200 history.

Most recently, "The Tortured Poets Department" launched atop the chart in 2024 with Swift's biggest sales week to date. It became her 14th No. 1 album, extending her record for the most among women, and reigned atop the chart for 19 weeks.

Swift has also broken Elvis Presley's record for the most weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 among all solo artists.

Drake has racked up 14 No. 1 albums in nearly the same number of years, from 2010's "Thank Me Later" to 2025's "$ome $exy $ongs 4 U," a collaborative effort with PartyNextDoor, released one week after Kendrick Lamar's triumphant Super Bowl performance.

Drake's grand total also includes one mixtape ("Care Package"), two more collaborative albums ("What A Time To Be Alive" with Future and "Her Loss" with 21 Savage), and one project mysteriously billed as a playlist ("More Life").

He is currently tied with Taylor Swift and Jay-Z for the most No. 1 albums among solo artists.

The Beatles hold both records for the most No. 1 songs on the Hot 100 and the most No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200. The latter group includes classics like "Revolver" (1966), "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" (1967), "Abbey Road" (1969), and their post-breakup compilation "1" (2000).

As a solo musician, Paul McCartney has topped the Billboard 200 eight more times, while John Lennon managed the feat thrice before he died in 1980.

In his opening monologue, Steve Martin gave a shout-out to Dave Letterman in the crowd and poked fun at the comedian's beard: "Dave, thanks for leaving the sheep at home," Martin quipped.

"SNL" alumnus Pete Davidson revived his character Chad for a pre-recorded sketch with Laraine Newman, an original cast member, while Meryl Streep made her "SNL" debut in a new edition of the much-loved "Close Encounter" sketch.

"SNL" alums Tina Fey and Amy Poehler hosted an audience Q&A bit during the "SNL50" special, calling on celebrities in the crowd to ask questions about the show's history.

When Fey asked Reynolds how it was going, he cheekily replied, "Great! Why, what have you heard?" — a veiled reference to he and his wife Blake Lively's ongoing legal battle with her "It Ends with Us" costar and director Justin Baldoni.

Reynolds was joined by Lively, as well as fellow movie stars Paul Rudd, Rita Wilson, and Tom Hanks in the row behind him.

Rudd and Hanks both appeared in sketches during the special: "New York 50th Musical" and "Black Jeopardy," respectively.

Jon Hamm had a simple question for Fey and Poehler: "I've hosted three times, and I know I'm 'part of the family,' but, uh — am I funny?"

Fey replied, "Whenever we ask you do to a bit, you always say yes. And that's what counts."

Hamm later co-starred in the "Close Encounter" sketch with Aidy Bryant, Woody Harrelson, Pedro Pascal, Kate McKinnon, and Streep.

Bad Bunny played Santiago, the "hot brother" to Marcello Hernández's Domingo and Pascal's Ronaldo.

Tim Meadows replied to a question posed by "Abbott Elementary" star Quinta Brunson, who wanted to know what he whispered to "SNL" musical guest Sade during a 1993 episode.

"If it was March '93, I'm pretty sure I was saying, 'Hey, Sade, do you wanna drink some Zima with me in my dressing room? We could play Mortal Kombat 1 and watch the new, cool Menendez trial,'" Meadows replied.

"Also, it worked, by the way," Meadows added. "Sade and I are still together."

"I'm kind of wondering if anybody's seen it around," Keith Richards joked when Fey and Poehler singled him out in the crowd.

The camera then cut to Zach Galifianakis with a scarf wrapped around his head.

"Look, it's simply not here, OK?" Galifianakis yelled. "Can we all just stop looking? Next question."

Seth Rogen, Seth Meyers, Sarah Silverman, Ayo Edebiri, and Miles Teller could also be spotted in the audience seated near Richards. Meyers, a former "SNL" writer and "Weekend Update" host, even made fun of Fey and Poehler for orchestrating the audience Q&A to give more airtime to celebrities.

Alec Baldwin has hosted "SNL" more than anyone else in history, leading 17 episodes since 1990.

Grammy winner Brandi Carlile has been a musical guest twice.

Chris Pine, who hosted "SNL" in 2017, took time to chat with Red Hot Chili Peppers front man Anthony Kiedis and director J.J. Abrams.

Tracy Morgan appeared as a game show contestant in "Black Jeopardy" alongside Kenan Thompson, Leslie Jones, and Eddie Murphy.

"The Bear" star Ayo Edebiri appeared in a "Debbie Downer" sketch with Jimmy Fallon, Drew Barrymore, Robert De Niro, and Rachel Dratch, while Martin Short was introduced as "the only Canadian who wasn't in 'Schitt's Creek'" during the monologue.

During the special, Emma Stone arrived onstage to introduce a segment about physical comedy.

Kim Kardashian, Scarlett Johansson, and Ana Gasteyer played sisters in the "Lawrence Welk" sketch, which saw Kristen Wiig reprise her tiny-handed character, Dooneese.

Awkwafina and Sandra Oh have both hosted "SNL" once each, in 2018 and 2019, respectively.

Kevin Bacon hosted "SNL" back in 1991, while Ben Stiller has hosted twice: in 1998 and 2011.

"Sex and the City" star Sarah Jessica Parker hosted "SNL" in 1994. Her husband, "Ferris Bueller" star Matthew Broderick, hosted two different episodes in 1998.

Bowen Yang, a current "SNL" cast member, appeared with Andy Samberg in a digital short about anxiety.

Nick Jonas made a subtle cameo in the "New York 50th Musical" number as a nod to his former role in Broadway's "Les Misérables."

When asked about the "biggest obstacle facing young comedians today" during a red carpet interview, Whoopi Goldberg replied, "Being funny."

Jason Momoa also made a cameo during the audience Q&A to flirt with Donna Richards, who leads the show's wardrobe team and "has seen every celebrity here in their underpants."

Lady Gaga and Michael Polansky have been together since 2019. They got engaged in 2024.

Halsey has performed on "SNL" four times and made her hosting debut in 2019.

"Parks and Recreation" star Aziz Ansari hosted "SNL" in 2017.

Jenna Ortega and Kevin Costner, seated side-by-side in the crowd, were caught between Jason Sudeikis and Will Forte singing aggressively at each other (dressed as a pimp and a Times Square Elmo, respectively).

Anya Taylor-Joy hosted "SNL" in 2021, though she's also been impersonated on the show by Melissa Villaseñor.

Four-time "SNL" host Adam Driver made a cameo during the audience Q&A portion with Julia Louis-Dreyfus before reappearing as a hot dog during the "New York 50th Musical" sketch — costarring a huge cast of alums like John Mulaney, Maya Rudolph, Alex Moffat, Taran Killam, Kyle Mooney, and Cecily Strong.

Miley Cyrus was 20 years old when she crashed into pop's upper ranks with "Bangerz," a surprisingly sharp tale of anguish, fury, and newfound independence cleverly disguised as a blunt wrecking ball.

"Bangerz" arrived mere weeks before Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth confirmed they'd broken off their engagement. Rumors had been swirling about the longtime couple for months — Cyrus was forced to deny cheating allegations, while Hemsworth was facing similar rumors of his own — and they'd already postponed their wedding.

This was the climate that fueled "Bangerz," Cyrus' first album on a major label after leaving the Disney Channel and Hollywood Records. The move gave Cyrus an increased level of authorship at just the right time; she had a grown-up budget, a captive audience, a complex story to tell, and the nerve to do it justice.

Most people know the album's flagship single, "Wrecking Ball," and for good reason — but it's the dialogue between grief and relief, the unsettled swirl of lovesick ballads ("Adore You," "My Darlin'"), gut-wrenching anthems ("Drive," "Maybe You're Right," "Someone Else"), and devil-may-care party-starters ("We Can't Stop," "#GETITRIGHT," "Do My Thang") that truly highlight Cyrus' range and stamina.

Throughout his time in the public eye, Tyler, the Creator has kept his dating history relatively private. His Grammy-winning album "Igor" follows that lead by cloaking itself in multiple layers of character work.

Still, Tyler reveals more than enough in his songwriting. "Igor" is thick with private confessions and tender pleas: "I'm your puppet / You control me," Tyler admits in track eight, immediately after begging "No, don't shoot me down!" in a song frankly titled "A Boy Is A Gun." Even the tracks that present as love songs, like Tyler's beloved hit "Earfquake," are stained by anxiety and desperation ("Don't leave, it's my fault").

The album ends with a one-two punch that tells a Hemingway-esque tragedy with titles alone: "I Don't Love You Anymore," "Are We Still Friends?"

Liz Phair's bluntly delivered debut, "Exile in Guyville," earned her a reputation for singing about the kind of stuff women aren't really supposed to talk about: resenting and desiring men in equal measure; having "unpure, unchaste" thoughts; secretly longing for a sweet boyfriend and "all that stupid old shit, like letters and sodas," but having meaningless sex instead.

The concept album — which was partially inspired by "Exile on Main St." by the Rolling Stones — also made Phair the poster girl for refracting rock 'n' roll through a feminine lens.

But to hear Phair tell it, she didn't intend to tap into a movement. She was just being honest and loud at the same time.

"Being emotionally forthright was the most radical thing I did. And that was taken to mean something bigger in terms of women's roles in society and women's roles in music," she said of the album's legacy. "I just wanted people who thought I was not worth talking to, to listen to me."

Alanis Morissette's "Jagged Little Pill" is another landmark of '90s rock — the original golden era for pissed-off young women who write their own songs. The album spent 12 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. Just three years after its release, it became the third female-led album in history to be certified diamond.

As legend has it (though never confirmed by the author herself), "Jagged Little Pill" emerged from Morissette's 1992 relationship with Dave Coulier. She was in her late teens at the time, while he was in his early 30s. ("I think I may have really hurt this woman," Coulier later recalled thinking when he heard her songs on the radio.)

In the opening track, Morissette claims that all she really wants is patience, deliverance, and "a way to calm the angry voice" — but in reality, she also wants to set the record straight with her ex, a motivation she cops to in the very next track. "I'm here to remind you," she famously sings, "of the mess you left when you went away."

"You Oughta Know" and its 11 fellow scorchers have inspired countless other women to bare their teeth and spill their guts, from Beyoncé and Halsey to Olivia Rodrigo and Reneé Rapp, not to mention a bespoke Broadway musical.

Some people insist that teenage love isn't "real" love, or that it doesn't mean anything in the grand scheme of things. Those people have never listened to "Drivers License."

Olivia Rodrigo's "Sour," which houses that smash hit, is a quintessential cathartic breakup album in the vein of her pop-rock foremothers, yet artfully updated for a new generation. The production takes cool, unexpected detours, while the melodies dip and soar to suit Rodrigo's wide vocal range.

Through it all, Rodrigo's guileless songwriting remains the star of the show.

As Phair, Morissette, Avril Lavigne, and Taylor Swift did before her, Rodrigo poured everything she felt into her lyrics, civility and decorum be damned. Whether it burst forth in a fury, gushed out in a meltdown, or oozed slowly from her pores, she bottled and savored each impulse. We drank it up right away.

Ariana Grande's fifth and best album is impossible to detach from the true story that set the scene: Shortly after getting engaged to comedian Pete Davidson, her longtime friend and ex-boyfriend, Mac Miller, died of an accidental overdose.

By Grande's own account, Miller's death sent her into a feverish, drunken spiral. In quick succession, she broke up with Davidson and assembled her friends to help her process both losses.

For Grande and her inner circle, as with many creatives across history, that meant channeling pain into art. Grande recently credited the creative process with helping to save her life. "It was made with urgency, and it was a means of survival," she told The Hollywood Reporter.

"Thank U, Next" is anchored by its titular track, unleashed in the wake of her failed engagement. It's the most raw, self-referential, and iconic song in Grande's catalog, name-dropping her ex-fiancé as well as three other ex-boyfriends as proof of her gratitude and growth. By doing so, Grande also proved she had far more courage and moxie than your average pop star.

"I understand that like, to a lot of people, I'm not a real person," Grande said of the true-to-life lyrics. "But at the end of the day, these are people and relationships... It's real shit to me."

Amid a swirl of scandalous headlines and salacious rumors, Grande turned her plea for humanity into a hit. "Thank U, Next" became her first No. 1 song on the Billboard Hot 100 and empowered Grande to enter an era of radical honesty.

The album arrived three months later and met the high mark its lead single had set. The 12-song tracklist is packed with poignant, personal details that expose the depths of grief, guilt, and self-sabotage — balanced by the highs of friendship, resilience, and self-discovery.

Unlike Etta James' seminal debut album, which includes swooning first-dance staples like "At Last" and "A Sunday Kind of Love," her second album is blues in its truest form.

The tracklist begins with a lonely plea: "Don't cry baby / Dry your eyes, and let's be sweethearts again." It ends lonely, too, but the pleading is gone. In "Don't Get Around Much Anymore," James is resigned to her seclusion, declining invitations for dances and dates: "My mind is more at ease / But never, never, nevertheless, why stir up memories?"

"The Second Time Around" is a classic tragedy, in which James is cast as a love-sodden, self-described fool. But this isn't an album for wallowing. James' warm, earthy voice makes the alone time sound inviting — a chance for tears and diary entries and going "plum nuts" without judgment, guilt, or embarrassment.

Willie Nelson is one of the most prolific and consistent singer-songwriters of all time, having released over 100 studio albums since the early '60s.

To this day, even in such a crowded discography, "Phases and Stages" stands out as a neatly conceived, exquisitely executed exercise in empathy.

The album is structured as a divorce story from inverse perspectives: Side A explores the fallout from the wife's worn-out perspective, while Side B flips to the husband's shell-shocked point of view. Concept albums haven't often been attempted in country music — especially not in the '70s — which makes Nelson's coherent vision even more special in retrospect.

"Ordinarily, concept albums strike me as pretentious bores," Chet Flippo opined for Rolling Stone at the time of its release, "but I find 'Phases And Stages' extraordinarily convincing. The oft-married Nelson has obviously seen his share of redeyed dawns."

"AM" was the first Arctic Monkeys album released after the band's frontman, Alex Turner, split from his longtime girlfriend Alexa Chung.

This was a canon event for the indie-sleaze era; the singer-songwriter and fashionista's romance had inspired many reverent blog posts. "My mouth hasn't shut up about you since you kissed it," Turner once wrote to Chung in a Valentine's Day card, which was published by British tabloids after she accidentally left it in a bar. "The idea that you may kiss it again is stuck in my brain." His words sent Tumblr into a frenzy.

When Chung was asked about Turner's reaction to the leak, she told The Guardian, "He said, 'I'm not upset that everyone saw it because that's the truth and I couldn't give a shit.'"

"AM" is Turner's Valentine multiplied by 12, intensified by loss, and set against a backdrop of moody Brit rock. Never have impudent yearning and late-night drug-fueled phone calls sounded so seductive.

Turner describes himself as a "puppet on a string," driven wild by desire and "diamond cutter-shaped heartaches." He stumbles around parties and midnight-soaked streets, rambling about mad sounds, knee socks, cough drop-colored tongues, and the empty hotel suite in his heart. He starts the album by asking, "Do you want me crawling back to you?" By the end of the album, he's still pleading on the floor: "I wanna be your vacuum cleaner, breathing in your dust."

Yes, it's all a bit dramatic, but that's exactly why it works. Turner has mastered how to portray a familiar void in surreal terms — how to turn a phrase and sell it, bold and unblushing, with his signature Yorkshire drawl.

FKA twigs opened the portal to her sophomore album with "Cellophane," an aching lead single that presents the project's catalyst: "Didn't I do it for you? Why don't I do it for you?"

These simple questions illuminate the slippery slope of heartbreak — how often it leads to a shattered ego or an all-out identity crisis. For a famous woman of color forced to contend with tabloid drama, speculation, and racist abuse from her ex-boyfriend's fan base, that risk seems especially steep.

To cope, twigs drew inspiration from another misunderstood woman: Mary Magdalene. The complex biblical figure, a close companion of Jesus, has been flattened by generations of clergymen into a needy damsel at best and a trampy villain at worst. Twigs, who attended Catholic school as a child, felt compelled to reject these male-centric narratives as an adult.

"I am of a generation that was brought up without options in love," twigs told Apple Music. "I was told that as a woman, I should be looked after. It's not whether I choose somebody, but whether somebody chooses me."

The resulting concept album, "Magdalene," transforms the sting of rejection into sacred rage. Twigs reimagines herself as the savior — the one who gets to choose, who gets to write her own story, who gets to decide what pleasure feels like — and crafts a sonic soundscape that reflects her complexity.

As an artist, twigs is more than prepared to tackle these themes, and the album feels more triumphant than its lead single may suggest.

And yet, placing "Cellophane" as the closing track poses another interesting question: Does the search for one's own self, for empowerment and liberation, ever end?

Although Adele's debut, "19," earned two Grammy Awards (including best new artist) and set her up for global success, she hadn't planned for the title to set a precedent — naming each album after her age when she wrote it — until her first "all-or-nothing relationship" fell apart at a formative point in her life.

"When it came to naming this record it was the only relevant thing," Adele told Interview at the time, "because my relationship that the entire record is about was about me coming of age, and 21 is the age when you're suddenly a proper adult and on your own."

Ironically, "21" is characterized by wisdom, poise, and vocal depth that feels earned over several lifetimes, not two short decades. The tracklist, while concise, is loaded with some of the most deeply resonant torch songs in history, from the majestic opener "Rolling in the Deep" to the dignified closer "Someone Like You."

"It's warts and all in my songs, and I think that's why people can relate to them," Adele told Interview. "I don't write songs about a specific, elusive thing. I write about love and everyone fucking knows what it is like to have your heart broken."

In the liner notes for his debut studio album (also shared on his Tumblr page), Frank Ocean detailed how he fell in love with a man who didn't love him back — or, at least, who didn't admit to loving him back until it was too late.

"I felt like I'd only imagined reciprocity for years," Ocean wrote. "I kept up a peculiar friendship with him because I couldn't imagine keeping up my life without him."

As Ocean worked to untangle their intense, epiphanic connection, he wrote "Channel Orange," an album that resists genres and categories by design, but one informed by heartbreak nonetheless.

As its title suggests, the tracklist plays like Ocean is flipping through TV stations, searching for escape in scenes of obscene wealth and historical allegories — yet the author's true state of mind can't help intruding, resulting in songs like "Thinkin Bout You," "Pilot Jones," "Bad Religion," and "Forrest Gump."

"I wrote to keep myself busy and sane," Ocean explained. "I wanted to create worlds that were rosier than mine. I tried to channel overwhelming emotions." He also thanked the man who devastated and inspired him: "To my first love, I'm grateful for you. Grateful that even though it wasn't what I hoped for and even though it was never enough, it was."

At the time of its release, Marvin Gaye's 15th album shocked fans with its candid accounts of malice, regret, and resentment.

Even the title can be interpreted as a curt, not-so-subtle breakup note. In the mid-'70s, Anna Gordy Gaye filed for divorce and reportedly demanded $1 million from her famous husband. Instead, when their divorce was finalized in 1977, Gaye was ordered to give her the advance payment from his forthcoming album plus a hefty cut of the royalties.

The following year, as promised, Gaye released his new album via Motown Records — the label founded by Anna's younger brother, Berry Gordy. He called it, "Here, My Dear."

Gaye's audacious antics didn't end there. The album opens with a spoken-word intro: "I guess I'll have to say that… this album is dedicated to you. Although, perhaps, I may not... be happy… This is what you want." Throughout the tracklist, he skewers his ex-wife for breaking her marriage vow and trying to "shackle" him financially, though he also admits he's ashamed of his own spite. Still, Gaye makes no effort to shroud his accusations in metaphor or ambiguity. Track nine is literally called "Anna's Song."

"Here, My Dear" was a commercial failure in 1978, leading to meager payouts for both parties. However, it's since been venerated as a unique, impressively raw highlight in Gaye's discography — just as he prophesied in "You Can Leave, But It's Going to Cost You."

"You have won the battle," Gaye sings, "Oh, but Daddy's gonna win the war."

Although Taylor Swift's original 2012 album "Red" concluded with a hopeful ballad about finding new love ("Begin Again"), the bulk of the tracklist was always about rejection ("State of Grace," "Red," "All Too Well"), shame ("I Knew You Were Trouble," "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together," "The Last Time"), and pining for an imagined future that would never materialize, full of cliffs and thrills and half-kept promises ("Treacherous," "I Almost Do," "Holy Ground").

Even "Begin Again" wouldn't exist without the heartbreak that preceded it. The ballad is as much about Swift's last ex as her shiny new muse — about overcoming distrust and patching old emotional wounds, just to risk the pain all over again.

"Red (Taylor's Version)," released in 2021, doubled down on the album's core themes (and its erratic use of genres) by adding even more breakup anthems ("Better Man," "I Bet You Think About Me," "The Very First Night") and closing with the towering 10-minute version of "All Too Well."

Over a decade after her fateful 21st birthday, Swift was still left wondering where it all went wrong, excavating more memories and pleading for clarity ("Just between us, did the love affair maim you too?"), proving that even the most carefully sanitized, tended-to wounds can become scars.

"When the Pawn…" may better be regarded as a pre-breakup album; by all accounts, Fiona Apple was still living with her long-term boyfriend, director Paul Thomas Anderson, until after its release. But that timeline only makes the content more intriguing.

Apple, only in her early '20s at the time, is credited as the sole songwriter on all 10 tracks. Today, they play as half-retort to sexist critics and backlash ("Here's another speech you wish I'd swallow") and half-prophecy about her love life ("The shame is manifest in my resistance to your love").

It feels like Apple tapped into a deeper, visceral pulse to make this album — a gut feeling that her life didn't fully fit, that she should run far away — but one that she wasn't ready to act on. Or, as Apple puts it in track six: "I've acquired quite a taste for a well-made mistake." Call it self-sabotage or a woman's intuition, but it makes for a deliciously indignant listen.

In "Fast As You Can," it sounds like Apple is baiting her lover to leave when she's really asking him to listen, to see her for who she really is, instead of a "pretty mouth" or a pet.

By "Get Gone," the penultimate track, Apple is making her discomfort even more explicit: "You got your game, made your shot / And you got away with a lot / But I'm not turned on," she sings. "So put away that meat you're selling."

Long before "gaslighting" became a buzzword and mental health was embraced as a serious topic for musicians, "When the Pawn…" examines how feeling flattened and misunderstood can dramatically warp a woman's psyche — even make her question her reality. "Paper Bag" is the paragon, witty and fuming: "He said, 'It's all in your head,'" Apple sings. "I said, 'So's everything,' but he didn't get it." Its music video was ironically directed by Anderson himself.

Decades later, Apple would tell The New Yorker about the pair's drug-addled dynamic and the cold, painful loneliness that defined her life at the time. She said she remembers thinking in 1998, "Fuck this, this is not a good relationship," though she was reluctant to say it publicly. Fans of "When the Pawn…" already had a hunch.

As Lorde admits in the closing track, she was a reckless, inflamed teenager when she wrote her sophomore album — roaming around New York City, figuring out how to be alone, and chasing a vision of "perfect places" that she ends up deciding does not exist.

The tracklist largely came together in the summer of 2016, shortly after Lorde split from her first serious boyfriend, photographer James Lowe. She has also said she was reeling from the recent deaths of her heroes, Prince and David Bowie, and sickened by the constant barrage of bad headlines and record-high temperatures.

"It sort of drove me insane," she wrote while annotating her lyrics on Genius. "I was walking around Midtown every day and felt like I was this close to ripping my clothes off or freaking out at a stranger."

All those formative, agonizing, skin-crawling sensations were compounded and crystallized into "Melodrama," which, despite Lorde's consistently brilliant output, remains her best work to date.

True to its title, the scope of "Melodrama" captures the way that being young and heartbroken feels like the end of the world — so every party is approached like it might be the last. Lorde's lyricism is a masterful blend of high and low brow, often dancing between esoteric and obvious, reflective and reactive.

Importantly, it never scans as arrogant because Lorde implicates herself as a member of, in her own words, the "loveless generation." She's not above any of it — the escapist drugs, the mind games, the ill-advised flings — but she's better at articulating their effects.

At first blush, Carole King's "Tapestry" may feel too warm and cozy to jive with a broken heart. Then, one day, you're listening to "It's Too Late" as you lay in bed all morning, wondering whether to bust loose from your perfectly fine relationship, and the weight of her songwriting clicks into place.

"Something inside has died / And I can't hide and I just can't fake it," King sings in the indelible chorus — though she sounds less like something has died and more like someone has been reborn.

Indeed, "Tapestry" is the sound of resolve and reinvention in the face of solitude and uncertainty, the sound of very sage advice. "You've got to get up every morning with a smile on your face / And show the world all the love in your heart," King sings in "Beautiful." This is not the standard mindset of a person who recently weathered a life-upending divorce, but that's the magic of King: When you listen to her music, you've got a friend.

Joni Mitchell's "Blue" has been cited as one of the greatest albums of all time so often that it hardly bears repeating.

"Blue" cemented Mitchell as a pioneer in the confessional school of songwriting. She authored the Laurel Canyon-era masterpiece during the tail-end of her relationship with Graham Nash (of Crosby, Stills & Nash) and in the aftermath of their breakup, when she began dating James Taylor. Naturally, Nash has said listening to "Blue" is "quite difficult for me personally."

"It brings back many memories and saddens me greatly," he wrote for Jeff Gold's 2012 book, "101 Essential Rock Records."

Nevertheless, even the apparent subject of eye-stingers like "My Old Man" ("But when he's gone / Me and them lonesome blues collide / The bed's too big / The frying pan's too wide") and "A Case of You" ("Just before our love got lost you said / 'I am as constant as a northern star' / And I said 'Constantly in the darkness'") can't resist the album's eloquent, hypnotic allure.

"'Blue' is, by far, my most favorite solo album," Nash wrote, "and the thought that I spent much time with this fine woman and genius of a writer is incredible to me."

The Beach Boys' magnum opus "Pet Sounds" masquerades in pop culture as a cheery, charming pop album — a reputation fostered by needle drops in cheery, charming movies, like "God Only Knows" in the ensemble Christmas classic "Love Actually" and "Wouldn't It Be Nice" in Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore's quirky rom-com "50 First Dates."

"Pet Sounds," however, is far more than the sum of its parts — and far more devastating than those scenes would imply.

Lead singer and songwriter Brian Wilson is credited as the album's mastermind. Just 23 years old at the time of its release, he was determined to push the band's creative and emotional limits, drawing inspiration from an unrequited teenage crush and the general malaise of innocence lost.

"Pet Sounds" opens with an existential quandary: "Wouldn't it be nice if we were older? / Then we wouldn't have to wait so long / And wouldn't it be nice to live together / In the kind of world where we belong?"

The notion is romantic, of course, but the phrasing betrays a sense of impending doom. It would be nice, Wilson implies, if only that kind of world were real.

The rest of the story unfolds as a tragedy with contrastingly bright percussion and sparkly guitars, as if the melodies, harmonies, and chords are all conspiring to disguise the grief at its core — the first stage, denial, at its finest. "You Still Believe In Me" reveals a narrator riddled with shame, grasping at thinning gestures of trust from his partner, while "Don't Talk (Put Your Head on My Shoulder)" describes a moment that's both intimate and heavy with fear. "Let's not think about tomorrow," Wilson begs, delaying their moment of reckoning.

By the closing track, it seems his fear has come to pass: "Oh, Caroline, you break my heart," he moans. "I want to go and cry / It's so sad to watch a sweet thing die." The listener is left with the sound of dogs barking and a train whizzing by, an everyday emblem of missed opportunities.

Fellow musicians and critics alike have admired the album's dense, ambitious scope, which famously spurred The Beatles to make "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band." Many have argued that "Pet Sounds" pioneered what we now think of as "the modern pop album."

"Rumours" is the definitive breakup album — a prismatic display of heartbreak, where every composer has their own ax to grind.

The real-life drama that fueled "Rumours" has been thoroughly documented and even turned into fiction. As Mick Fleetwood, Lindsey Buckingham, Stevie Nicks, Christine McVie, and John McVie decamped to Florida in the mid-'70s to write their second album together, the bandmates' relationships became increasingly tangled.

Around this time, Nicks broke up with Buckingham after several years as a couple, though neither was happy with the decision. The McVies were going through a divorce while Christine began dating the band's lighting director, Curry Grant. Fleetwood was also divorcing his wife, Jenny Boyd; they remarried in 1977, the same year "Rumours" was released, but it wasn't long before Fleetwood and Nicks began having an affair. Everyone was writing songs to and about each other, and no one was trying to hide it.

The tracklist reflects every texture and shade of the band's entwined turmoil, from Christine's post-divorce stroke of clarity ("Don't Stop") and Buckingham's indignant kiss-off ("Go Your Own Way") to Nicks' eerie snapshot of rock stardom and its illusion-shattering vices ("Gold Dust Woman").

No fewer than three tracks also happen to be some of the greatest ever made: "Dreams," "The Chain," and, of course, "Silver Springs," an archetypal Nicks song that was cut from the album's standard edition and replaced by the poppier Nicks-Buckingham duet "I Don't Want to Know." When Fleetwood broke the news of the swap to Nicks, "I started to scream bloody murder," she told Rolling Stone.

As it turned out, "Silver Springs" was the final, key piece to secure the album's legacy — witchy, feminine rage distilled to its purest form. After Nicks delivered that famous unblinking performance of the song at a Fleetwood Mac reunion show, it was released as a live recording on 1997's "The Dance" and earned a Grammy nomination for best pop duo/group performance.

"Silver Springs" was eventually included on deluxe versions of "Rumours," becoming a cult favorite, a staple on the band's setlist, and fulfilling the author's fateful prophecy: "You'll never get away from the sound of the woman that loves you."

Read about the 50 best breakup songs of the 21st century and listen to the complete list on Spotify.

Kelce officially entered his Swiftie era when he attended the second of the "Anti-Hero" singer's two performances on his home turf.

Before the concert, held at Arrowhead Stadium, Kelce was seen chatting with other Swifties and even trading friendship bracelets, according to a video posted on X (formerly Twitter).

Speaking on his podcast, "New Heights with Jason and Travis Kelce," the athlete said he was "butt hurt" he couldn't give Swift a friendship bracelet (a tradition among Swifts' concertgoers) that included his phone number.

"I was disappointed that she doesn't talk before or after her shows because she has to save her voice for the 44 songs that she sings," Kelce told his brother and cohost, Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce.

Jason then asked which number he put on the bracelet — the number on his Kansas City Chiefs jersey (87) or his phone number. 

"You know which one," Travis responded. He also quipped that while Swift "doesn't meet anybody" before her shows, he "took it personal."

In an interview with Time magazine, Swift confirmed her relationship with Kelce and offered details about the beginning of their romance. 

"This all started when Travis very adorably put me on blast on his podcast, which I thought was metal as hell," she said. "We started hanging out right after that. So we actually had a significant amount of time that no one knew, which I'm grateful for, because we got to get to know each other."

Two months after his podcast episode, Kelce told ESPN's Pat McAfee that after trying to woo the Grammy winner with a friendship bracelet, he extended an invite to one of his upcoming games.

"I told her, 'I've seen you rock the stage at Arrowhead, you might have to come see me rock the stage at Arrowhead and see which one's a little more lit,'" Kelce said in the interview.

 "So we'll see what happens in the near future," he added.

Swift sent the internet into meltdown when she accepted to Kelce's invitation. However, according to Swift, the lovebirds were already official by the time she attended her first game on September 24.

"By the time I went to that first game, we were a couple," she told Time. "I think some people think that they saw our first date at that game? We would never be psychotic enough to hard launch a first date."

On that fated day, Swift was photographed wearing Kansas City colors as she watched the game from Kelce's private suite, alongside his mom, Donna Kelce.

When Kelce — already considered one of the best tight ends in NFL history — hauled in a touchdown pass from Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes in the third quarter, Swift rose to her feet and cheered.

After chest-bumping with another spectator in the box, the singer appeared to shout, "Let's fucking go!" as Mama Kelce smiled and applauded.

After the game, images of Kelce and Swift walking out of the stadium together and driving off in his old school convertible were shared on X.

The pair ended their night at Prime Social Rooftop, which Kelce rented out for Swift, his family, and his teammates, per Entertainment Tonight. In photos obtained by TMZ, the couple weren't shy about showing their affection for each other as Swift was seen wrapping her arm around Kelce's neck as they chatted to other partygoers.

In the days following, an anonymous source told People that Kelce and Swift had been "hanging out" and were still in the "super, super early days" of getting to know each other. 

"They're having fun," the source told the outlet. "This was Taylor's first time meeting his mom and dad, and everyone was enjoying themselves."

Meanwhile, Kelce debriefed the Swift-inspired frenzy on his podcast. He thanked her for "pulling up" to his game, saying he "sure as hell enjoyed this weekend."

During an episode of "New Heights," Kelce joked that his personal life is "not so personal" anymore.

"Shout out to Taylor for pulling up," he said. "That was pretty ballsy."

Kelce went on to praise Swift for her behavior with his family at her first Chiefs game.

"I just thought it was awesome how everyone in the suite had nothing but great things to say about her. The friends and family," he said. "She looked amazing, everybody was talking about her in great light. And on top of that the day went perfect for Chiefs fans, of course."

"To see the slow motion chest bumps, to see the high fives with mom," he continued. "To see how Chiefs kingdom was all excited that she was there, that shit was absolutely hysterical and it was definitely a game I'll remember that's for damn sure. And then we just slid off in the getaway car at the end."

During the Chiefs game against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium in New York, Swift supported Kelce again and brought along some A-list pals.

Swift was spotted watching the game alongside Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds, Sabrina Carpenter, Hugh Jackman, Sophie Turner, and Antoni Porowski. 

While Swift and Kelce left the stadium separately, it seems they had spent some time together beforehand; the Super Bowl champion was spotted by Page Six leaving Swift's New York apartment that morning.

Kelce said the NFL had gone overboard in their coverage of Swift during an episode of his podcast, released on October 4. 

"I think it's fun when they show who all is at the game. I think it brings a little more to the atmosphere, brings a little bit more to what you're watching," Kelce said.

"But at the same time, I think they're overdoing it a little bit," he continued.

NBC Sports, which aired the game, made frequent cuts to shots of Swift cheering on the Chiefs. The NFL also briefly changed bios on Instagram and X to reference Swift after the Chiefs beat the Jets.

In response, the NFL defended its coverage of the pair in a statement obtained by ESPN. 

According to multiple outlets, the "Fearless" singer spent a few days with Kelce following his 34th birthday.

Us Weekly, Page Six, and the Daily Mail reported that Swift flew from her home in Nashville, Tennessee to Kansas City, Missouri the day after his birthday.

The two were not seen out together, and an anonymous source told Us Weekly that the pair chose to have a "chill night" together. It's unknown when Swift left, but she was not present at the Kansas City Chiefs game against the Minnesota Vikings the following Sunday.

The "Cruel Summer" singer returned to the Arrowhead Stadium to cheer on Kelce as his team took on the Denver Broncos.

In a video shared by People, Swift was seen wearing a Chiefs-branded jacket for the game, where she caught up with Kelce's parents in the family suite. She was also seen speaking with Brittany Mahomes, the wife of Kelce's teammate, Patrick Mahomes.

Photos published by Mail Online showed what appeared to be Swift's security team outside Kelce's home until Friday afternoon, suggesting that the pop star had stayed the night.

Kelce's mother later discussed the "whirlwind" caused by Swift's game-day appearances.

"I thought it would be over at that point, but it seems to just continue, and every week just seems to trump the week before," Donna said during an episode of the "Got It From My Momma" podcast. "So it's really kind of wild, a wild ride." 

Swift and Kelce were photographed holding hands after enjoying a date night in New York City.

The outing marked the first time the two have been photographed by paparazzi in public together, and many took it as confirmation of their relationship.

Their first public display of affection came after the pair dined at celebrity hot spot Nobu, per photos and video obtained by TMZ and Page Six. 

Swift and Kelce later went to Rockefeller Center, where they made separate surprise appearances on NBC's "Saturday Night Live." They finished the night at the show's after-party, pictures from Getty Images showed.

Swift and Kelce were photographed by paparazzi after spending Sunday night at Waverly Inn. 

Swift has dined at the West Village hot spot before, most notably in 2016 with Cara Delevingne, Lorde, and Jack Antonoff.

Just a few days before the release of "1989 (Taylor's Version)," Swift was on hand to support the Kansas City Chiefs as they took on the Los Angeles Chargers.

She was filmed cheering for Kelce, looking concerned when he fell, and performing an elaborate handshake with Brittany Mahomes.

Swift and Kelce were also photographed together at a post-game party, alongside Kelce's teammate Mecole Hardman Jr. and his girlfriend Chariah Gordon.

Gordon shared a series of photos on Instagram, including one of Swift kissing Kelce on the cheek.

After the Chiefs beat the Chargers, Jason opened up to NBC Sports about his brother's new relationship and the frenzy it has caused.

"It's certainly been weird, the level that it is now," he told NBC Sports on Sunday night. "On one hand, I'm happy for my brother that he seems to be in a relationship that he's excited about, that he is genuine about. But there's another end of it where it's like, 'Man, this is a lot.'"

"This is another level of stardom that typically football players don't deal with," he added.

In an interview with People, Ed Kelce described Swift as "a very, very sweet, very charming, down-to-earth young woman."

The athlete's father also praised her first impression as "very genuine," presumably referring to the Chiefs game on October 12, when Swift and Ed were seen chatting in the stands.

"I'll tell you something very special that I noticed about Taylor the first time I met her," Ed shared. "We're sitting in the suite, she gets up and in the front room, she gets up to go get a drink or something and she starts picking up empty bottles, cans, plates that are scattered around. Because in the suites everybody gets stuff and you empty it down wherever you can."

"And I'm just thinking, I don't think she got the diva memo. She didn't get the spoiled musician," he continued. "She doesn't know how to pull that off. And that really to me said a whole lot."

At a press conference in Frankfurt, Germany, where the Kansas City Chiefs would soon play the Miami Dolphins, Kelce fielded a direct question about his feelings for Swift.

According to ESPN's NFL reporter Jeff Darlington, the reporter asked, "What is the latest status and are you in love?"

"I got to see her last week. That's the latest status right there," Kelce said of their current status, though he added, "I'm going to keep my personal relationship personal."

A video of the exchange shows that Kelce was grinning as he replied.

During a recent episode of his podcast, Kelce also said it was "cool" to see people dress up as him and Swift for Halloween, though his brother thought it was "pretty creepy."

Swift and Kelce were spotted at a restaurant in the Argentine capital after Swift postponed her second scheduled show in Buenos Aires due to "truly chaotic" weather in the city, she wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

According to People, the couple appeared to be joined by Swift's dad, Scott Swift, as they dined in a private room at Elena restaurant at the Four Seasons Hotel Buenos Aires.

Swift made a small but significant change to "Karma" during her second show in Buenos Aires as Kelce watched from the VIP tent, alongside the pop star's father, Scott Swift.

"Karma is the guy on the Chiefs, coming straight home to me," Swift sang with a giggle, per multiple videos captured by fans at the Estadio River Plate concert.

TikTok user @flormosso caught Kelce's reaction to the moment, when the crowd erupted into cheers. The two-time Super Bowl champ covered a huge grin with his hands while Scott patted him on the shoulder.

Kelce later said he "had a little bit of a clue" that Swift was preparing something special for the show, but once he heard the lyric change, it "still shocked me."

"I was like, 'Oh, she really just said that,'" he said on his podcast.

When her second concert in Buenos Aires ended, Swift left the stage and ran into Kelce's arms as he waited for her by an exit.

The couple shared their first public kiss as fans cheered.

In a cover story for WSJ. Magazine, the NFL player said he was a Swiftie before he began dating the pop star.

He praised her songwriting, especially her song "Blank Space," and even described Swift as "a genius."

"I've never been a man of words," Kelce said. "Being around her, seeing how smart Taylor is, has been fucking mind-blowing. I'm learning every day."

He also said he's been hesitant to discuss their relationship in public because he doesn't want to spook her.

"That was the biggest thing to me: make sure I don't say anything that would push Taylor away," he said.

"Obviously I've never dated anyone with that kind of aura about them… I've never dealt with it," Kelce added. "But at the same time, I'm not running away from any of it."

Once again, Swift was photographed cheering for Kelce in a private suite with Brittany Mahomes. (Unfortunately, the team lost to the Green Bay Packers 27-19.)

"They're both really hard workers, and he acknowledges her art is hers, and he has what's his," an anonymous source told People. "He understands the territory their relationship comes with and like he said, isn't letting any of the hoopla impact how they're growing together."

Swift opened up about Kelce in a cover story for Time magazine, which named her Person of the Year for 2023.

She said she enjoys attending NFL games "to support Travis" and praised him for openly courting her on his podcast.

Although Swift has a complicated history with dating in the public eye — and has kept previous relationships extremely private — she said there's nothing to hide when it comes to Kelce.

"When you say a relationship is public, that means I'm going to see him do what he loves, we're showing up for each other, other people are there and we don't care," Swift told Time. "The opposite of that is you have to go to an extreme amount of effort to make sure no one knows that you're seeing someone. And we're just proud of each other."

During a Chiefs press conference, Kelce fielded questions about navigating his relationship amid his growing fame.

"As long as we're happy, we can't listen to anything that's outside noise," Kelce said. "That's all that matters."

Kelce added that he'd be "silly" to deny Swift's role in his growing fan base, but his priority is still his job.

"I brought this upon myself, and I do enjoy having fun with it all, and the biggest thing is making sure my focus is right here in this building," Kelce told reporters.

For her 12th NFL appearance, Swift watched the Chiefs beat the Baltimore Ravens to secure their spot in Super Bowl LVIII.

After the game, she joined Kelce and his family on the field to celebrate. The couple shared several hugs and kisses in front of the crowd.

At the 2024 Super Bowl, Kelce and the Chiefs became NFL champions for the second year in a row. Swift had flown from Tokyo to watch the game and could be seen celebrating the historic win in a VIP box, flanked by friends and members of Kelce's family.

Later, she joined Kelce on the field, where the couple shared several intimate hugs and kisses.

Swift and Kelce were spotted in the crowd at Coachella watching pals Ice Spice and Bleachers perform. 

Several videos showing the couple dancing and kissing at the music festival circulated on social media. Swift also wore a "New Heights" hat to support Kelce's podcast.

Kelce later said that he prefers to watch concerts "from the fans' perspective."

"I'm a fan of the music. I'm a fan of live shows," Kelce said on his podcast. "I want to see it from the front of the stage. Yeah, we probably could've finessed it that way [watching backstage], but I think it's just that much more of an experience if you're in the pit, man. If you're in the madness with all the fans. It was awesome though."

Swift's 31-track double album "The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology" contains two songs that may nod to Kelce.

The first is "The Alchemy," which doubles as a love song and an ode to Swift's enduring career. The lyrics feature several sport-related metaphors like "Call the amateurs and cut 'em from the team" and "Where's the trophy? He just comes running over to me."

According to the liner notes, "The Alchemy" was copyrighted in 2023, so it's unclear how deeply tied to Kelce it can be. (Swift's albums are typically finished several months ahead of their release date, ensuring vinyl factories have enough time to fulfill preorders.)

However, "So High School," which also seemingly references Kelce, was released in the album's deluxe half, meaning it wasn't included with physical copies of the album. A song can be made available to stream almost immediately after completion, so it's possible the song was written more recently.

"So High School" is perhaps the only straightforward love song on "Poets," depicting a relationship that transports Swift back to her "You Belong With Me" days — the giddy rush of young love and lust.

The track appears to include direct references to Kelce, including, "You know how to ball, I know Aristotle," "You knew what you wanted and, boy, you got her," and, "Are you gonna marry, kiss, or kill me?"

Back in 2016, Kelce played a game of "Kiss, Marry, Kill" with AfterBuzz TV, in which he chose to kiss Swift.

Kelce brought Swift as his date to the 15 and the Mahomies Foundation Golf Classic gala in Las Vegas.

In a highlights reel shared by Kelce's teammate, the couple can be seen walking into the event holding hands.

Other clips shared by fans at the event show Kelce and Swift cuddling and kissing at their table. At one point, Kelce made a speech and referred to Swift as his "significant other." For a surprise auction item, they sold four tickets to The Eras Tour for $80,000.

When Swift returned to the stage for the European leg of The Eras Tour, she had adjusted the set list to perform songs from "The Tortured Poets Department." The new segment includes "So High School," possibly as a nod to her current relationship.

Swift's fourth and final performance in France also happened to be the tour's 87th show. Kelce, who wears No. 87 for the Chiefs, was in the audience. He was spotted dancing with Swift's close friend, Gigi Hadid, and filming Swift on his iPhone.

"Can you believe it's our 87th show tonight?" Swift asked the audience during her acoustic set, just before playing "The Alchemy" and "Begin Again" as the evening's surprise songs.

During the concert's "1989" segment, Swift also debuted a new outfit: a glittering yellow top with a red ombré skirt. Fans interpreted this as a nod to Kelce and the Chiefs, whose colors are yellow and red. (Kelce previously said his favorite song of Swift's is "Blank Space" from "1989").

Finally, to close the evening, Swift tweaked the lyrics of "Karma" to salute "the guy on the Chiefs" for the second time.

During Swift's third and final performance in London, Kelce made a surprise appearance during her onstage costume change for "The Tortured Poets Department."

This scene depicts Swift getting shot and killed at the end of "The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived." Then, she's picked up and revived by a set of dancers dressed as ringmasters. These characters force Swift to strip down, put on heels, and keep performing through the pain — a segue into her meta bop "I Can Do It With a Broken Heart."

Kelce joined the skit as another ringmaster. He picked up Swift's body from the stage, carried her to the fainting couch, and mimed applying powder to her face with a makeup brush. 

Kelce is now cemented in Swiftian history as the first boyfriend to join Swift onstage during one of her concerts.

Swift and Kelce were spotted out together in New York City, where they attended the wedding of Karen Elson and Lee Foster, per Vogue.

Elson is a model, while Foster is the owner of Electric Lady Studios, where Swift has recorded many songs over the years — from "Lover" to "The Tortured Poets Department."

Swift wore a cream-colored floral dress for the occasion, paired with a Vivienne Westwood purse, Louboutin sandals, and $64,000 worth of jewelry.

During an extended break from the Eras Tour, Swift and Kelce attended the 2024 US Open Tennis Championships, where they were photographed cuddling, kissing, and singing along to "I Believe In a Thing Called Love" by The Darkness. They even wore color-coordinating outfits.

The couple was joined by friends like Brittany Mahomes and the Haim sisters.

Swift won video of the year for "Fortnight" at the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards. During her acceptance speech, she described her joyful experience filming (and directing) the video.

"Something that I'll always remember is when I finished a take and I'd say 'cut,' and we'd be done with that take, I would always hear someone cheering from across the studio where we were shooting it," she said. "That one person was my boyfriend Travis."

After an eruption of applause, Swift continued to thank Kelce for his positive attitude.

"Everything this man touches turns to happiness and fun and magic," she said. "So I want to thank him for adding that to our shoot because I'll always remember that."

Despite recent tabloid speculation about their relationship status, Swift showed up to cheer for Kelce when the Chiefs took on the New Orleans Saints.

Swift wore a Vivienne Westwood set and glitter freckles for the occasion in Kansas City, where the Chiefs won their fifth consecutive game and extended their undefeated season.

For the second year in a row, Swift watched the Chiefs become AFC champions at Arrowhead Stadium — her ninth attendance of the season and 22nd total. She joined Kelce and his team for the on-field celebrations.

Swift traveled to New Orleans to cheer for Kelce at their second Super Bowl as a couple.

Earlier that week, Swift and Kelce were spotted dining with Patrick and Brittany Mahomes at Lilette, a popular French restaurant in the city. Swift also had dinner with friends at Gianna, an Italian restaurant near the French Quarter, the night before the big game.

Some of those friends accompanied Swift to Caesars Superdome, including the Haim sisters, Ice Spice, and stylist Ashley Avignone, who was previously mentioned in the liner notes of Swift's 2012 album "Red."

Unlike the previous year, the Chiefs lost at the Super Bowl, falling to the Eagles 40-22.

Lamar opened his performance with a teaser from an unreleased song, which fans have tentatively dubbed "Bodies," before transitioning into "Squabble Up."

"Squabble Up" was released as the second track on Lamar's latest album, "GNX," and promoted as the lead single.

It debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, making Lamar the first solo male artist to have three instant chart-toppers in a single year.

"Humble" was released as the lead single from Lamar's fourth studio album, "Damn.," which won the 2018 Pulitzer Prize in Music.

"DNA" is the second track on "Damn." The song famously includes a clip of the Fox News anchor Geraldo Rivera discussing Lamar's lyrics in "Alright" ("This is why I say that hip-hop has done more damage to young African Americans than racism in recent years").

"Euphoria" was released amid Lamar's recent showdown with Drake, in which the rappers swapped eight diss tracks back and forth.

"Man at the Garden" is the fourth track on "GNX."

"Peekaboo" is the ninth track on "GNX." The studio version features AzChike.

"Luther" is the third track on "GNX." It's one of Lamar's many duets with SZA, following "Babylon" (2014), "Easy Bake" (2015), and "Doves in the Wind" (2017).

The pair are set to embark on a co-headlining tour later this year, dubbed the Grand National Tour.

"All the Stars" was released as the lead single from the "Black Panther" soundtrack, which Lamar curated and executive produced. The song was nominated for best original song at the 2019 Oscars.

Lamar's "Not Like Us" was the centerpiece of his beef with Drake. It topped the Hot 100 for two weeks and won five Grammys, including song and record of the year.

During Lamar's performance of the song, he omitted the word "pedophile" but kept other lyrics that directly reference their beef, including "Say, Drake, I hear you like 'em young / You better not ever go to cell block one" and "Tryna strike a chord and it's probably A minor."

"TV Off" is the seventh track on "GNX." The studio version features Lefty Gunplay, a fellow rapper from Los Angeles.

Although Drake and Kendrick Lamar collaborated multiple times early in their careers, Lamar distanced himself from the Toronto rapper in 2013.

In a guest verse on Big Sean's single "Control," Lamar crowned himself the king of rap and name-dropped several others who can't compete, including Drake.

After years of simmering beef, Lamar reiterated this position when he was featured on Future and Metro Boomin's "Like That," released in March 2024 as the sixth track on their collaborative album "We Don't Trust You."

Once "Like That" topped the Billboard Hot 100, Cole responded with his own diss track about Lamar, "7 Minute Drill." However, Cole apologized shortly after, and the song was removed from streaming services.

Drake didn't back down and retaliated with a pair of diss tracks, "Push Ups" and "Taylor Made Freestyle." In response, Lamar dropped "Euphoria" and "6:16 in LA." The sparring continued with Drake's "Family Matters," Lamar's "Meet the Grahams," Lamar's explosive No. 1 hit "Not Like Us," and, finally, Drake's "The Heart Part 6," which seemed to bring an end to the lyrical bloodbath — though bad blood is still flowing from both ends.

Most recently, Drake sued Universal Music Group (the company that owns both rappers' labels) for allowing the release of "Not Like Us" and, as a result, encouraging the spread of false and "dangerous" accusations about Drake, per the lawsuit.

Drake's beef with Lamar triggered a domino effect in hip-hop, bringing a variety of rap heavyweights onto the battlefield.

Most notably, Drake's former friend Rick Ross was also featured on "We Don't Trust You" — so Drake took a shot at Ross (whom he calls "Ricky") in "Push Ups."

"Every song that made it on the chart, he got from Drizzy," Drake raps. "Spend that lil' check you got and stay up out my business."

Ross countered with his own song, "Champagne Moments," in which he calls Drake a "white boy" and lobs multiple plastic surgery accusations ("You had an operation to make your nose smaller than your father's nose"). The music video doubles as a promotional clip for Ross' business ventures.

Drake directly responded to Ross' claims on "Family Matters," rapping, "What the fuck I heard Rick drop, n****? Talkin' somethin' 'bout a nose job, n**** / Ozempic got a side effect of jealousy and doctor never told y'all n*****."

Later in the verse, he adds: "Ross callin' me the 'white boy' and the shit kind of got a ring to it."

Back in 2012, Drake and A$AP Rocky collaborated on the hit single "F**kin' Problems" for the latter's debut album. Their relationship turned sour when the Harlem native began dating Rihanna, who previously had a will-they-won't-they relationship with Drake.

In "Fear of Heights," the fourth track on Drake's 2023 album "For All the Dogs," he mocks both Rocky and Rihanna, implying sex with his ex-girlfriend was "average" and saying Rocky "can't leave" because they have children together — evoking a classic sexist trope known as "baby trapping."

The following year, amid Drake's beef with Lamar, Rocky was tapped for a feature on Future and Metro Boomin's second collaborative project, "We Still Don't Trust You." Like its predecessor, the album is rich with anti-Drake disses, both explicit and subliminal. (Until quite recently, Drake and Future were buddies, releasing a collaborative mixtape in 2015 and several duets over the years, including the No. 1 hit "Wait for U" in 2022. It's unclear what happened there.)

"N***** in they feelings over women, what, you hurt or something? / I smash before you birthed, son, Flacko hit it first, son," Rocky raps on "Show of Hands, alluding to a rumor that he had sex with Sophie Brussaux, the mother of Drake's son, before Drake did.

Drake shot back on "Family Matters," teasing Rocky for his stylish reputation, love life, and lower album sales.

"Rakim talking shit again," he raps, using Rocky's real name, Rakim Mayers. "Gassed 'cause you hit my BM first, n****, do the math, who I was hittin' then?"

Here, Drake uses an acronym for "baby mama" and implies that, if Rocky were sleeping with Brussaux, then Drake was sleeping with Rihanna at the same time.

"I ain't even know you rapped still 'cause they only talkin' 'bout your 'fit again," Drake continues. "Probably gotta have a kid again 'fore you think of droppin' any shit again / Even when you do drop, they gon' say you should've modeled 'cause it's mid again."

The Weeknd, aka Abel Tesfaye, is yet another artist who was once on good terms with Drake but has since turned on him.

Back in 2010, when The Weeknd was an elusive rising star in Toronto, two of his songs were shared on Drake's popular OVO blog. Drake also tweeted lyrics from The Weeknd's "Wicked Games" in 2011.

Drake's cosign gave The Weeknd a major boost in his career and they went on to release two duets: "Crew Love" on Drake's 2011 album and "The Zone" on The Weeknd's 2012 compilation.

Drake was reportedly eager to sign The Weeknd to his OVO label, but The Weeknd turned him down, signing instead with Republic in 2012. Some fans have suspected this was the turning point in their relationship.

Still, The Weeknd opened for the European leg of Drake's Would You Like a Tour? in 2014.

In 2020, peace still reigned, with Drake alluding to The Weeknd's vocal chops in his "Only You Freestyle" ("The boy that sound like he sang on 'Thriller,' you know that's been my n**** / We just had to fix things, family, 6 ting we can't split up").

But by 2024, the tides had quietly turned. The Weeknd was featured twice on "We Still Don't Trust You" and alludes to walking away from Drake's label offer: "I thank God that I never signed my life away," he raps in the eighth track, "All to Myself."

He also adds, "Their shooters making TikToks / Got us laughing in the Lambo," to which Drake responded directly in "Family Matters."

"If Drake shooters doing TikToks, n**** / Realest shooter in your gang, that's P's brother, y'all ain't getting shit shot, n**** / Can't listen to the stick talk in falsetto, save it for a hip-hop n****," Drake raps.

In the same song, Drake also implies The Weeknd's music is more popular among gay men.

"Weeknd music gettin' played in all the spots where boys got a little more pride / That's why all your friends dippin' to Atlanta, payin' just to find a tour guide," he raps.

Drake took unprompted aim at Megan Thee Stallion in "Circo Loco," a track from his 2022 collaborative album with 21 Savage, "Her Loss."

"This bitch lie 'bout getting shot, but she still a stallion," he raps, referencing the 2020 incident when Tory Lanez shot Megan in the foot. Lanez was convicted of assault with a semiautomatic firearm in 2022, among other charges, and sentenced to 10 years in prison.

It's unclear what prompted the lyric, as Drake and Megan had previously seemed friendly, but she replied with a fiery message on social media.

"Stop using my shooting for clout," she wrote. "Since when tf is it cool to joke abt women getting shot!"

However, Drake continued to escalate the feud, sharing support for Lanez online amid the attempt to appeal his criminal sentence.

Megan struck back with "Hiss" in 2024, in which she seems to accuse Drake of getting a Brazilian butt lift.

"These n***** hate on BBLs and be walkin' 'round with the same scars," she raps. "Don't speak on my body count if the dick ain't worth coming back for seconds / Cosplay gangsters, fake-ass accents."

Once considered friendly rivals, Drake's relationship with Ye, the artist formerly known as Kanye West, took a nosedive in 2018 when rumors began swirling that Drake had an affair with Ye's then-wife, Kim Kardashian.

Responding to the rumors in a now-deleted Instagram video, Ye addressed Drake directly: "People making rumors or thinking you fucked my wife and you're not saying nothing and carrying it like that, that don't sit well with my spirit," he said.

Drake and Ye then took a series of public shots at one another.

During an appearance on LeBron James' HBO show "The Shop," Drake said he felt betrayed because Ye had dropped his eponymous eighth studio album in 2018 a few weeks before his own album, "Scorpion."

Drake also said he believed that Ye told Pusha T about his son, fueling the "deadbeat dad" discourse, even though Ye denied the accusation. (Pusha later confirmed that he didn't find out through Ye.)

In a series of since-deleted tweets, Ye then accused Drake of threatening him and called him a "bully."

To date, the pair still haven't put their feud to bed. In 2023, Drake released the song "Rescue Me," which included an audio sample of Kim talking about divorcing Ye. More recently, Ye remixed "Like That," in which he sided with Lamar and proclaimed, "I can't even think of a Drake line."

Drake and Joe Budden have sporadically traded blows since 2016, when the "Pump It Up" rapper criticized Drake's fourth studio album, "Views," calling it "uninspired."

Most recently, the pair clashed after Budden trashed Drake's new album, "For All the Dogs."

In a clip shared by DJ Akademiks on Instagram, Budden suggested that Drake was "rapping for children" and that he hadn't matured as an emcee.

"You're going to be 37 years old," he said, adding, "I want to hear adult Drake rapping for adult people."

Drake responded to Budden's criticism in a lengthy Instagram comment under Akademiks' video in which he wrote that the podcast host had "failed at music."

Replying to Drake's comment, Budden wrote, "You'll grow up sooner or later… Father time is undefeated."

Drake and Pusha T initially clashed in 2012 when Pusha released "Exodus 23:1" and appeared to call out Drake, Lil Wayne, and the rest of Wayne's Cash Money Entertainment crew.

Over the following years, the rivals exchanged numerous diss tracks, including Drake's "Tuscan Leather," and, most famously, Pusha's "The Story of Adidon," which he used to reveal that Drake had quietly fathered a child with Sophie Brussaux, a former adult film actor.

"You are hiding a child, let that boy come home," Pusha raps in the 2018 track. Drake subsequently confirmed the rumor on his 2018 album "Scorpion."

In the same year, Pusha also released "Infrared," in which he accused Drake of using a ghostwriter named Quentin Miller.

Speaking with Rap Radar in 2019, Drake conceded that he had lost his feud with Pusha. 

Pusha T wasn't the first rapper to accuse Drake of using a ghostwriter.

In 2015, Meek Mill said Drake didn't write his own verse for their collaboration, "R.I.C.O," which appeared on Meek's album, "Dreams Worth More Than Money."

In a series of since-deleted tweets, Meek said Drake didn't promote the album because Meek found out about Drake's ghostwriter. He went on to say that he would have pulled "R.I.C.O." from the album had he known earlier.

Drake fired back at Meek with "Charged Up," followed quickly by the widely celebrated "Back to Back." Meek shot back with "Wanna Know," which again includes a nod to Quentin Miller. (Drake later described the ghostwriter charge as "propaganda.")

The two continued to exchange diss tracks over the next few years, including Drake's "Summer Sixteen" and Meek's "War Pain," but made peace in 2018 when Drake welcomed Meek onstage to perform at one of his concerts in Boston.

"This right here is a long time coming," Drake told the crowd.

Back in 2014, Drake and Tyga were both signed to the same record label, Young Money Entertainment.

So it was a big surprise when Tyga decided to target his "The Motto" collaborator.

"I don't like Drake as a person. He's just fake to me," Tyga said in a 2014 interview. "We were forced together, and it was kinda like we were forcing relationships together."

Drake responded to Tyga's comments in his 2015 track "6PM in New York."

"It's so childish calling my name on the world stage / You need to act your age and not your girl's age," Drake rapped, referring to Tyga's then-alleged relationship with 17-year-old Kylie Jenner.

In an interview with 106 KMEL the following year, Tyga said he and Drake squashed their beef when they met at one of Ye's fashion shows.

"We just chopped it up for a long time about a lot of stuff," he said. "It's all about conversation and communication."

In June 2012, Drake and Chris Brown were involved in a violent brawl at a New York City nightclub. According to reports, both entourages threw bottles and glasses at each other; Brown emerged with a gash to his chin.

The club later sued the pair for $16 million, claiming they "made deadly weapons" with whatever they could find and "overtook the entire space."

The clash was presumably sparked by both singers' connections to Rihanna; in 2009, Brown pleaded guilty to felony assault after hitting his then-girlfriend. That same year, Drake was linked to Rihanna for the first time.

By 2019, the pair had buried the hatchet. Drake and Brown released a duet titled "No Guidance," sparking controversy among fans. The following year, Brown was featured on Drake's mixtape "Dark Lane Demo Tapes."

In 2011, Common released a song called "Sweet" in which he appeared to take a subliminal shot at Drake.

"You ain't motherfucking Frank Sinatra," he rapped.

After Common confirmed the line was indeed about Drake during an interview on "Sway in the Morning," Drake fired back in a verse on the 2012 Rick Ross track "Stay Schemin,'" accusing Common of coming for him in order to sell records.

Common responded with a remix of "Stay Schemin,'" on which he called Drake "soft" and "a bitch."

In an interview with VladTV in 2014, Common admitted he started the feud with Drake because Drake was rumored to be dating Serena Williams, Common's former girlfriend.

"For me, I think it was an emotional thing," the Chicago native said. "The Drake-Serena situation, I ain't know what was going on with that. And I ain't know if he was throwing things, shots at me."

During an interview with AllHipHop in 2010, Drake accused Ludacris of copying his one-word rhyme style, known as the "Supa Dupa" flow.

"I hate that rappers picked that flow up," he said. "I wish they had left that for people that know how to use it."

Ludacris hit back at Drake on his 2011 song "Bada Boom."

"Counterfeit rappers say I'm stealing they flows, but I can't steal what you never made up, bitch," he rapped.

After a few more back-and-forths, Ludacris appeared on "The Breakfast Club" in 2015 and said Drake had personally apologized to him. Then, at the 2017 Billboard Music Awards, Drake showed some public love to his former foe while collecting an award.

"Ludacris, we haven't always seen eye to eye, but I've always been a big fan of yours and I got a lot of love for you," he said. "I want to let you know that face to face, while I'm still here."

Year: 2024, at the 66th Grammy Awards

What beat it: "Midnights" by Taylor Swift

Even as a card-carrying Swiftie, I was disappointed to watch Taylor Swift win her fourth album of the year award for an album that doesn't measure up to her best work.

The radio-friendly pop music of "Midnights" pales in comparison to the brutal, sprawling genius that SZA displays on her sophomore album. Despite its late 2022 release date, "SOS" proved to be a peerless force, dominating the musical landscape of 2023 and confirming SZA as "a key voice in her generation" (per Rolling Stone). She received more Grammy nominations than anyone else in 2024, including song and record of the year for "Kill Bill."

Unfortunately, like many essential Black artists, SZA was shut out in major categories. Her wins were confined to genre-specific awards: best progressive R&B album, best R&B song for "Snooze," and best pop duo/group performance for "Ghost In The Machine." 

Year: 2023, at the 65th Grammy Awards

What beat it: "Harry's House" by Harry Styles

Each time Beyoncé failed to win album of the year, it got a little more inexplicable and infuriating.

Her eighth album, the queer-pop masterpiece "Renaissance," was the obvious choice for album of the year in 2023. Instead, it marked her fourth loss in the category.

To make matters worse, the Recording Academy spent a large chunk of the ceremony exalting Beyoncé for becoming the most-decorated person in Grammys history — and patting themselves on the back for allowing it to happen — just to end the night by handing the top award to Harry Styles. And to be clear, "Harry's House" is good, but it's no "Renaissance." It's not even close.

Once again, Beyoncé was triumphant in genre-specific categories — best dance/pop album, best dance/electronic recording for "Break My Soul," best traditional R&B performance for "Plastic Off the Sofa," best R&B song for "Cuff It" — but not in the prestigious general-field races.

Year: 2022, at the 64th Grammy Awards

What beat it: "We Are" by Jon Batiste

Olivia Rodrigo stunned the world in 2021 with "Drivers License," her first official single that immediately soared to the top of the Billboard Hot 100.

Rodrigo seemed to arrive on the pop battlefield as a predestined star, brandishing lyrics that could make grown adults cry.

Her debut album "Sour" built upon this power with an array of eloquent heartbreak anthems, from pop-rock bangers to tender piano ballads. The collection was met with universal critical acclaim and commercial success, charting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 for five nonconsecutive weeks.

At the Grammys, however, "Sour" suffered a shocking loss to Jon Batiste's "We Are." Although Batiste was the most-nominated artist of the evening, few expected his album to take home the top prize. It had failed to crack Billboard's top 50 and made a minimal impact on the year's musical legacy.

Thankfully, Rodrigo did walk away with three awards for her celebrated debut: best pop vocal album, best pop vocal performance for "Drivers License," and best new artist.

Year: 2020, at the 62nd Grammy Awards

What beat it: "When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?" by Billie Eilish

Just a couple of months after releasing the best album of her career, "Sweetener," Ariana Grande found herself in the midst of multiple personal crises. Her longtime love and ex-boyfriend, Mac Miller, unexpectedly died of an accidental overdose. Shortly after, she broke off her whirlwind engagement to Pete Davidson.

Grande channeled this feverish period of upheaval and grief into one of the most compelling pop albums in recent memory. "Thank U, Next" is filled to the brim with intimate personal details, irresistible hooks, genre-blending beats, and angelic vocal runs. It was written and recorded in just three weeks.

This isn't to say Billie Eilish's debut album isn't a stunning piece of art, or that she isn't deserving of praise. As a teenager, Eilish already cemented herself as a Grammy darling.

But it is to say that 2020 should've been Grande's year. She has proved herself as a once-in-a-generation pop star, infusing her music with brightness and resilience. "Thank U, Next" marked Grande's arrival as a living icon, while Eilish has plenty of growth ahead of her — and even Eilish herself would agree with this assessment.

"Can I just say that I think Ariana deserves this?" she said during her acceptance speech.

Year: 2018, at the 60th Grammy Awards

What beat it: "24K Magic" by Bruno Mars

The so-called "sophomore slump" is extremely difficult to avoid, especially when you're following a trendsetter like "Pure Heroine." But Lorde returned with "Melodrama," a masterfully vivid portrait of a woman in transition and easily one of the decade's best albums.

But "Melodrama" was viciously undervalued at the 2018 Grammys, netting just one nomination for album of the year.

Lorde was the only female artist nominated for album of the year in 2018 (and the only nominee who wasn't asked to perform solo). She ultimately lost to "24K Magic" by Bruno Mars — a catchy, safe album that doesn't come close to Lorde's precocious grandeur.

Year: 2017, at the 59th Grammy Awards

What beat it: "25" by Adele

"Lemonade" is a one-of-a-kind album that only Beyoncé could make.

The disrespect she was paid at the 2017 Grammys is one of the great injustices in music history; she also failed to win best pop solo performance for "Hold Up," best rock performance for "Don't Hurt Yourself," best rap/sung performance for "Freedom," and record and song of the year for "Formation."

Even that year's album of the year winner, Adele, said that "Lemonade" should've won. (To make matters worse, it was Beyoncé's third straight loss in that category.)

"I can't possibly accept this award. My artist of my life is Beyoncé. And this album for me, the 'Lemonade' album, was just so monumental," she said onstage. "So well thought-out and so beautiful and soul-bearing and we all got to see another side to you that you don't always let us see, and we appreciate that. And all us artists here, we fucking adore you. You are our light."

Year: 2016, at the 58th Grammy Awards

What beat it: "1989" by Taylor Swift

Although "1989" is a pop gem, its artistry doesn't match Kendrick Lamar's "To Pimp a Butterfly." 

Lamar is widely considered the greatest living rapper, known for impeccable lyricism and prodigious production. But his third studio album also holds an extraordinary amount of cultural significance. As Mark Braboy wrote for Business Insider, it "became the unofficial soundtrack to the Black Lives Matter movement amid a continuing wave of fatal police violence against unarmed black Americans across the country."

To this day, Lamar has yet to win album of the year. Meanwhile, Swift has won more times than anyone else.

Year: 2015, at the 57th Grammy Awards

What beat it: "Morning Phase" by Beck

When "Beyoncé" unexpectedly arrived on a Thursday night in 2013, it was the definition of game-changing. The concept of a surprise drop or a "visual album" didn't really exist before. Now, everyone wants the magic Beyoncé created that night.

At a time when immersive listening experiences had all but disappeared — streaming had begun to take over, and iPod playlists encouraged fans to bounce from song to song without much thought — Beyoncé offered a collection of 14 songs that were so intentional, so unique, so undeniably flawless that we had no choice but to wrap them around our collective consciousness like a blanket.

Each track on "Beyoncé" was its own moment, but they were inextricably connected, weaving a stronger fabric together. Enter: Beyoncé the storyteller, the big-picture visionary.

And "Morning Phase" is, well, fine.

Beck's win for album of the year read as an overdue apology; the Recording Academy failed to reward his best work from previous decades, like 1996's "Odelay" and 2008's "Modern Guilt." Obviously, it was too late. Giving him the award in 2015, the year of "Beyoncé," was just laughably out of touch. 

Year: 2014, at the 56th Grammy Awards

What beat it: "Random Access Memories" by Daft Punk

In 2014, Swift was already the youngest album of the year winner in history. But her fourth album, "Red," elevated Swift to a new level of success: it spawned her first-ever No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 ("We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together") while "All Too Well" was hailed by fans as the best song of her career.

"Red" seemed like a shoo-in for Swift's second big win at the Grammys. Instead, fans and critics were shocked when she lost the award to EDM duo Daft Punk.

This misstep has only proved more and more galling as years have passed. In 2019, "Red" topped countless rankings of the decade's best albums, from Stereogum (No. 10) and Billboard (No. 4) to Rolling Stone (No. 4) and, yes, Business Insider (No. 1). "Random Access Memories" failed to crack the top 10 in any of these lists, or it failed to be included at all.

Year: 2013, at the 55th Grammy Awards

What beat it: "Babel" by Mumford & Sons

Frank Ocean didn't produce one of those debut albums that you later recognize, only in retrospect, as the birth of an icon. "Channel Orange" was an instant classic — a tectonic shift in the modern musical landscape. Those young artists that are being hailed these days for "genre-bending," like Billie Eilish and Lil Nas X? Their music wouldn't exist without "Channel Orange."

But the Grammys gave Ocean a consolation prize known as best urban contemporary album (like, what does "urban contemporary" even mean?). "Channel Orange" lost the big award to a much safer, more traditional option: the folk-rock, banjo-heavy sophomore album from Mumford & Sons, which isn't even the band's best work.

Year: 2011, at the 53rd Grammy Awards

What beat it: "The Suburbs" by Arcade Fire

"The Fame Monster" was such a Moment that Pitchfork ranked it as one of the best albums from the 2010s, despite it being released in 2009.

"For something that cast such a long shadow over this decade, we're making an exception," Amy Phillips wrote. "'The Fame Monster's' release kicked off an arms race of pop kookiness: Suddenly, it seemed like everyone from Katy Perry to Nicki Minaj to Kesha was falling all over themselves to out-weird each other. But nobody's freak flag ever flew higher than Gaga's."

Once again, however, the Recording Academy favored a more obvious choice: Arcade Fire's "The Suburbs," an admittedly excellent album, but far more palatable for a voting bloc that's majority male, white, and older.

Year: 2008, at the 50th Grammy Awards

What beat it: "River: The Joni Letters" by Herbie Hancock

In 2008, Kanye West had already been nominated for album of the year twice: for "The College Dropout" in 2005 and "Late Registration" in 2006.

But "Graduation" felt like his watershed moment, his career-defining masterpiece (of course, we hadn't yet heard "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy").

It also seemed like a much easier choice for the Recording Academy to make, even for a group of voters that historically ignores rap and hip-hop. "Graduation" was more commercialized than West's previous works. It was the work of a perfectionist, a sharp student of pop music who craved acclaim, an artist desperate to be recognized as an icon in his own time.

"Graduation" perfectly synthesized the culture in which it was formed, but still had an eye on the future. It had huge stadium bangers, radio hits, sprawling self-examinations, and one particularly poignant self-fulfilling prophecy: "On this day, we become legendary."

And what did this genius piece of work lose to? A... tribute album... of cover songs. OK!

Year: 2008, at the 50th Grammy Awards

What beat it: "River: The Joni Letters" by Herbie Hancock

Grammy voters squandered two chances to get it right in 2008.

"Graduation" was a phenomenal piece of work, but the question of its legacy is divisive for West's fan base. The Mark Ronson-produced "Back to Black," on the other hand, is an undeniable, certified classic — and, in retrospect, Amy Winehouse's last chance to get the recognition she deserved. (She swept the other three main categories that year, and she deserved to sweep all four.)

"The Grammys voting panel could not have known that Herbie would ultimately outlive her and that 'Back to Black' would become her final album," Dee Lockett noted for Vulture. "But they should've known then that while both albums were an homage to the past (Hancock was a Joni Mitchell covers album; Amy's a doo-wop and soul tribute though technically original work), they had different purposes."

"Amy's album proved her a once-in-a-generation talent, but Hancock's only reaffirmed the obvious: He's a legend," Lockett continued. "Except there are quite a few of his albums that do a better job of making that point. Amy would never have another."

Year: 2007, at the 49th Grammy Awards

What beat it: "Taking the Long Way" by The Chicks

Listen, we love The Chicks. But Timbaland really did his thing with "FutureSex/LoveSounds." Justin Timberlake was already a star, but this album made him a legend.

The current landscape of pop music simply wouldn't exist without Timberlake's seminal body of work. With its indulgent interludes, beatbox bridges, futuristic symphonies, twitchy beats, and sing-song rap verses, "FutureSex/LoveSounds" is super weird — too weird for Grammy voters, especially in 2007 — but it's also weirdly perfect. It was somehow both commercially successful and ahead of its time.

Year: 2006, at the 48th Grammy Awards

What beat it: "How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb" by U2

"The Emancipation of Mimi" is often cited as Mariah Carey's comeback album, following a decade of pop dominance and then two albums that flopped.

Commercial giants are only welcomed back when the new music is undeniably catchy or downright transcendent. This album was both.

"The Emancipation of Mimi" became Carey's highest-selling release in the US in a decade. The Grammys typically like to reward albums that are relevant (it means all the voters have listened to it, at least). The Grammys also like Carey, who won best new artist back in the day. And yet, voters chose to congratulate U2 yet again.

This wasn't even really a case of two near-equal albums going head to head: "How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb" was less deserving than multiple nominees, including Kanye West's "Late Registration."

As Zach Schonfeld wrote for Newsweek, "Grammy voters love U2, but this one's a stretch. Though commercially successful thanks to 'Vertigo,' 'Atomic Bomb' was the first U2 album that sounded like just another U2 album."

Year: 2002, at the 44th Grammy Awards

What beat it: The soundtrack from "O Brother, Where Art Thou?"

Movie soundtracks are usually considered long-shots for the major Grammy categories, so how did one beat the debut album from one of this century's most talented vocalists?

As BBC's David O'Donnell noted, "Acoustic Soul" by India.Arie received seven nominations but received zero awards, despite how it "broke the mold for female R&B singers at the time."

"It's a piece that blurs the boundaries of the genre and as a result found a diverse audience base from hip-hop to folk fans," O'Donnell wrote. "It's an album of simple beauty from a singer with a sublime vocal talent."

Year: 2001, at the 43rd Grammy Awards

What beat it: "Two Against Nature" by Steely Dan

"Kid A" is one of the most innovative alt-rock albums and profound musical statements in recent memory. Both Rolling Stone and Pitchfork named "Kid A" the No. 1 best album of the 2000s. The Guardian ranked it at No. 2, describing it as "the sound of today, a decade early." (That was in 2009, but it's still an apt description if it were "two decades early.")

By contrast, "Two Against Nature" was thoroughly average. But since it was Steely Dan's first album in 20 years, I guess the voters got overly excited.

Year: 1998, at the 40th Grammy Awards

What beat it: "Time Out of Mind" by Bob Dylan

Radiohead's "OK Computer" was so perceptive it feels prophetic. It was less of an album and more of a crystal ball, peering into our technology-driven future (now present) and empathizing with our emotions before we had even felt them.

"Radiohead appeared to be ahead of the curve, forecasting the paranoia, media-driven insanity, and omnipresent sense of impending doom that's subsequently come to characterize everyday life in the 21st century," Steven Hyden wrote for the AV Club. "Lofty thematic chit-chat aside, 'OK Computer' delivered the goods for a monumental rock record: It sounded miles-deep and ocean-wide, it blew out your brain and re-invigorated your ears, and made lying on your bed with headphones on seem like a profound activity."

"Time Out of Mind" may have been Bob Dylan's best album to date, but it feels downright forgettable compared to "OK Computer" — an album that is literally preserved in the Library of Congress for having significant cultural, historical, or aesthetic impact on society.

Year: 1997, at the 39th Grammy Awards

What beat it: "Falling Into You" by Céline Dion

Céline Dion is a force, but in retrospect, her massively popular album "Falling Into You" is formulaic at best.

It had little lasting impact on the landscape of music and pales in comparison to its album of the year competitors, including the Fugees' "The Score," the Smashing Pumpkins' "Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness," and especially Beck's best album "Odelay," which still sounds fresh and innovative to this day.

Was "Odelay's" egregious snub the reason Beck has gone on to win Grammy Awards for inferior projects? We can only speculate.

Year: 1988, at the 30th Grammy Awards

What beat it: "The Joshua Tree" by U2

"The Joshua Tree" is probably U2's best album, but I think we can all agree that Prince's best album trumps pretty much any other musician's best album almost every time, including U2. 

"Purple Rain" might be Prince's best-known work, but "Sign o' the Times" is his magnum opus. It was even inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, nearly 30 years after it was disrespected by that same organization.

Year: 1985, at the 27th Grammy Awards

What beat it: "Can't Slow Down" by Lionel Richie

No disrespect to Lionel Richie, but this is "Purple Rain" we're talking about. I rest my case.

Year: 1981, at the 23rd Grammy Awards

What beat it: "Christopher Cross" by Christopher Cross

Not only is "The Wall" a seminal body of work, a self-evident standard that artists still strive to and fail to reach, but it lost to "Christopher Cross." Oh, you don't know who Christopher Cross is? That's OK, neither does anyone else.

If any one ceremony could encapsulate why the Recording Academy can't be trusted, it's this one. Cross became the only artist in Grammys history to win all four major awards in the same night — album of the year, record of the year, song of the year, and best new artist — and remained the only artist to do so for nearly four decades, until Billie Eilish joined the ranks in 2020. He never won another.

Year: 1970, at the 12th Grammy Awards

What beat it: "Blood, Sweat & Tears" by Blood, Sweat & Tears

"Blood, Sweat & Tears" is a wonderful jazz-rock album, but that hardly matters when "Abbey Road" is in the running — and, mind-bogglingly, the award wasn't even given to the next-best choice.

As Craig Jenkins wrote for Vulture, "The Recording Academy had one job in 1970, and that was to slide the album of the year trophy to one of the three masterworks of the late '60s."

"'Blood, Sweat & Tears' is great, but 'At San Quentin'? 'Crosby, Stills & Nash'? 'Abbey Road'!? These are epochal records within their respective forms. 'Blood, Sweat & Tears' isn't even the tightest mainstream jazz-fusion album from the same eligibility period. (What's up, 'Chicago Transit Authority'?) Swing and a miss."

Year: 1967, at the 9th Grammy Awards

What beat it: "A Man and His Music" by Frank Sinatra

Thankfully, "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" did win album of the year in 1968. But the band's second-greatest work failed to get the same recognition the previous year.

To make it even worse, "Revolver" was only nominated in that singular category, so despite creating an album full of classics — from "Eleanor Rigby" and "Yellow Submarine" to "Got to Get You into My Life" — the band came up completely empty-handed.

Sabrina Carpenter was nominated for each of the "Big Four" awards for her masterful pop album "Short n' Sweet," plus best pop vocal album and best pop solo performance for "Espresso," both of which she won.

Thankfully, the Grammys gave Carpenter enough time onstage to honor her breakthrough into pop royalty after years of cutting her teeth at Disney Channel, training for Broadway, and perfecting her goofy-yet-sexy onstage persona.

Carpenter showcased the full range of her skillset with a Lucille Ball-esque performance, complete with comedic bits and costumes, a jazzy blend of "Espresso" and "Please Please Please," and even a tap-dance break.

Chappell Roan made headlines throughout 2024 for drawing massive crowds at festivals like Coachella and Lollapalooza. As she proved once again on the Grammy stage, Roan is a born entertainer with the creative vision, showmanship, and soaring falsetto to match.

Rather than sticking with the obvious choice and singing her breakout hit "Good Luck, Babe!" — nominated for both record and song of the year — Roan smartly opted to perform her gay-awakening anthem "Pink Pony Club" to honor her love of Los Angeles.

Shortly after, Roan returned to the stage to accept the award for best new artist, where she boldly took the music industry to task; Roan dedicated her speech to demanding higher wages and better worker protections for herself and her peers. You just can't teach stage presence like hers.

Delivering eccentric choreography in head-to-toe Thom Browne, Doechii had the Grammy crowd buzzing with her medley of "Catfish" and "Denial Is a River," both standout tracks from her latest mixtape "Alligator Bites Never Heal."

The self-described "Swamp Princess" also became the third woman in Grammy history to win best rap album, following Lauryn Hill and Cardi B.

Raye, who was nominated for best new artist and songwriter of the year, non-classical, executed a show-stopping rendition of her single "Oscar-Winning Tears" — hitting high notes and nailing vocal runs with a poise that brought to mind early Adele.

Charli XCX was one of the most-nominated artists at the Grammys this year and one of the evening's final performers. Thankfully, the old cliché of "saving the best for last" applies here.

Charli kickstarted her "Brat" medley with "Von Dutch," strutting around the arena's parking garage while flanked by a crowd of partygoers and hot girls, including supermodel Alex Consani and internet "It Girl" Gabbriette Bechtel.

By the time Charli and her entourage arrived onstage, it felt like the whole crowd was on their feet. Even Taylor Swift, the apparent source of envy that Charli sings about in "Sympathy Is a Knife," was jumping around with a champagne bottle in her hand.

Charli capped the performance with "Guess," her hit collaboration with Billie Eilish, while panties and undergarments rained from the ceiling. It was hard not to feel jealous of the cool kids on that stage — which was, of course, exactly what Charli was going for.

Ever since Billie Eilish's landmark year in 2020, when she swept all four general-field categories, she has been a reliable highlight at the Grammys. But on Sunday, her static rendition of "Birds of a Feather" was surprisingly forgettable.

In contrast with her previous Grammy performances of "When the Party's Over" and "Happier Than Ever," Eilish supplied muddled vocals and subdued energy levels that failed to do the fan-favorite song justice.

How many times do we need to watch Benson Boone follow this exact blueprint?

"Beautiful Things" may have been his breakout hit, but it's a cookie-cutter pop song that doesn't need yet another televised performance — especially not if Boone insists on recycling every detail for every one, from the all-too-faithful instrumentation to the onstage backflip and the sparkly jumpsuits stolen directly from Harry Styles' playbook.

Teddy Swims had one of the biggest hits of 2024 with "Lose Control," a soulful ballad that spent months climbing the charts. Based on his live performances over the past year, it might be fair to assume that Swims doesn't know any other songs.

Swims delivered exactly what was expected of him and nothing more, a strategy that felt especially dull immediately following Doechii's dynamic performance.

To paraphrase the Recording Academy's former president, maybe the male nominees need to step up their game next year.

It's been widely reported that Gaga and Polansky were introduced by Sean Parker, the founder of Napster and cofounder of Facebook. (Polansky attended Harvard at the same time as Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook's more famous cofounder. Polansky and Parker are longtime associates.)

However, Gaga revealed they actually met through her mother, Cynthia Germanotta, who runs Gaga's mental health nonprofit. According to Vogue, Germanotta and Polansky originally crossed paths by "philanthropic overlap."

"My mom met him and she said to me, 'I think I just met your husband,' and I said, 'I'm not ready to meet my husband!'" Gaga told the magazine. "I could never have imagined that my mom…found the most perfect person for me?"

In December 2019, Parker celebrated his 40th birthday in Los Angeles with a star-studded bash and performance from Stevie Nicks. Gaga was invited — and her mom said Polansky would be there, too.

"So I went to the party and I kept asking for him and he finally came over to me and we talked for three hours. We had the most amazing conversation," Gaga told Vogue.

"I didn't know much about her and honestly wasn't sure what to expect," Polansky added. "I was struck immediately by her warmth and openness — she was so genuinely curious about what my life was like growing up in Minnesota."

Gaga and Polansky welcomed the new year with a midnight kiss while attending a party in Las Vegas, as seen in a video shared on X (then Twitter) by Las Vegas Review columnist John Katsilometes. 

Fans waited outside the building in the hopes of snagging a glimpse of the singer. They eventually saw Gaga exiting the building with Polansky, who was holding her hand the entire time.

At this point, people weren't sure who the businessman was, and the relationship was shrouded in mystery. Many outlets referred to Polansky as Gaga's "mystery man."

Gaga was in Miami to perform at the AT&T TV Super Saturday Night show. In her downtime, the singer lounged on a balcony with Polansky, where they were spotted kissing. 

After photos of the couple surfaced online, Us Weekly identified Gaga's new love interest as Polansky.

A source told E! News that Gaga "has been dating the same guy for over a month. They've been seeing other since before the holidays and she's crazy about him."

The source also confirmed that Polansky spent New Year's Eve with the singer as "they had already been seeing each other for weeks" at that point. 

The day after Gaga performed at the AT&T TV Super Saturday Night show, she and Polansky watched the Super Bowl together from a box at Miami's Hard Rock Stadium.

In a video shared online by comedian Jeff Ross, Gaga clapped along to Jennifer Lopez and Shakira's halftime performance with Polansky by her side. 

After paparazzi photos and fan videos surfaced from the couple's time in Florida, Gaga shared her own memory from the trip on Instagram. In the photo, she's sitting on Polansky's lap with his arms wrapped around her.

"We had so much fun in Miami. Love to all my little monsters and fans, you're the best!" she captioned the photo. 

Gaga shared a close-up selfie of herself with Polansky on Instagram the day after the holiday.

"Happy Valentine's Day!! 'Babe, do I have lipstick all-over me?'" Gaga wrote in the caption, adding a crying-while-laughing emoji. "Happy v-day to all my monsters!!! I love you!!!"

After Gaga's split from talent agent Christian Carino in February 2019, the singer reportedly wanted to take things slow, a source told Entertainment Tonight. And while her intention was to keep things light with Polansky, they were "getting serious," according to the source. 

"Gaga is really getting serious with her boyfriend and the chemistry is undeniable. At first she wanted to keep it low key and quiet because she had just gotten out of a relationship and thought taking it slow would be good, but they had an immediate connection, so it was tough to keep under wraps. They were spending so much time together, she finally decided to post on Instagram to make it official," the source said.

They added that she "wasn't expecting to get so involved so quickly" but "started telling her friends she was completely in love with him."

"Anyone that has spent any time with them can see the connection. They are completely smitten. Her friends haven't seen her this happy in years," the source said, adding, "It didn't take long for her friends to adore him too."

While both the businessman and the musician both have packed calendars, the source explained that they're "supportive" of each other's schedules.

"He can often work remotely so even travels with her," the source said. 

Shortly after President Donald Trump declared a national emergency due to COVID-19, Gaga shared a selfie of herself with Polansky on Instagram.

"Day 6 of self-quarantining!" she wrote in her caption. "Going strong, playing video games and cards, and taking care of ourselves."

Gaga also encouraged her fans to stay home to help prevent the spread of the virus. "Important reminder: keep your mind as stress free as possible and your body moving," she wrote. "It's ok and so wonderful to stay home if you can! What a kind act for the world."

A source told Entertainment Tonight that Gaga and Polansky thought self-isolating together was "the right thing to do."

"It's given them time to spend together and focus on one another without work or any other distractions," the source said. 

Years later, Polansky said they spent the time "taking walks, making coffee, hanging out with the dogs, reading books together." He described it as an "amazing chapter of a weird kind of normalcy."

"She's really into him!" a source told E! News, adding that they "are opposites of each other, which all-around is a good thing for her."

The source also said that the businessman "cares a lot about Gaga." 

On an episode of MSNBC's "Morning Joe," Gaga spoke about prioritizing mental health during the pandemic with hosts Mika Brzezinski and Joe Scarborough. During the interview, she nonchalantly referred to Polansky as "the love of my life."

"With Born This Way Foundation, my mother, Cynthia Germanotta, and our cofounder Maya, who I love so very much, they are working with my, the love of my life, on something for mental health," Gaga said.

Gaga raised $35 million in seven days for the WHO's global coronavirus response fund by calling philanthropists and corporate leaders. In an Instagram post, Gaga revealed that Polansky helped her fundraising efforts. 

"With some of my co-fundraisers @booconnor @michaelpolansky
#oneworld #togetherathome," she wrote on Instagram. Gaga tagged Polansky's Instagram account, which is private. 

As The New York Times reported, Gaga had long-standing ties to Biden before she endorsed him for president in 2020. After he was elected, she accepted an invitation to perform at his inauguration in Washington, DC.

Many viewers were so captivated by Gaga's powerful rendition of the National Anthem (not to mention her over-the-top Schiaparelli Haute Couture gown) that they may have missed Polansky, who was also present at the historic event.

The businessman attended to support Gaga, and photographers even captured a photo of the couple kissing with their masks on. Gaga later shared the image on her Instagram, adding a dove emoji in the caption.

After pandemic restrictions had lifted, Gaga went on a two-month global tour to promote her 2020 album "Chromatica."

The Chromatica Ball kicked off in Germany on July 17, 2022, and wrapped up in Miami on September 17, 2022. We later learned that Polansky joined Gaga on the road.

"Michael and I did that tour together," Gaga told Vogue. "I did it pain-free! I haven't smoked pot in years. I've, like, changed."

"On the 'Chromatica' tour, I saw a fire in her," Polansky added. "I wanted to help her keep that alive all the time and just start making music that made her happy."

Gaga confirmed her engagement to Polansky in her October 2024 cover story for Vogue.

According to interviewer Jonathan Van Meter, the couple officially got engaged a few months earlier, in April, after a low-key day spent rock climbing.

Just a few weeks earlier, on her 38th birthday, Gaga had shared a selfie on Instagram that included a sweet shoutout to Polansky in the caption.

"Today has been so special — I can't remember a time I was so happy on my bday. I am in love with my best friend, my family and friends are loving and kind and healthy," she wrote.

Gaga performed at the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics on the bank of the River Seine. She sang a French circus tune, "Mon Truc en Plumes," in a cabaret-inspired routine.

After the ceremony, Gaga and Polansky met with French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, who shared a clip of their brief interaction on TikTok.

In the short video, Gaga introduces Polansky as "my fiancé" while Attal shakes his hand.

Polansky accompanied Gaga to the Venice International Film Festival premiere of "Joker: Folie à Deux," in which Gaga costars as Lee, an unhinged fan of Joker who becomes Harley Quinn.

The couple walked the red carpet together holding hands.

The aforementioned Vogue cover story included details about Gaga's relationship with Polansky that were previously unknown to the public.

Gaga told the magazine that she and Polansky fell in love after just one date. When the pandemic hit and social-distancing guidelines were introduced, Polansky moved from San Franciso to Malibu in order to be with her.

"It was really kind of special," Gaga said. "I'd been so focused on my career since I was a teenager. And the gift of that time was that I got to completely focus on my relationship. I met this totally supportive, loving human being who wanted to get to know me — outside of Lady Gaga."

Gaga gushed about Polansky throughout the interview, describing him as "so smart and so kind," as well as protective of their personal life.

"He's a very private guy and he's not with me for any other reason than that we are right for each other," she said. But I think what I want my fans to know is that I'm just, like, so happy."

Gaga and Polansky attended the 2025 Grammys and posed for a photo together.

The singer won best pop duo/group with Bruno Mars for their song "Die With a Smile," which was released in August 2024.

During their acceptance speech, Gaga shouted out Polansky and thanked him for supporting her.

She said: "Michael, I love you so much, all your support and love every single day."

Stevie Wonder became the first Black artist to win album of the year in 1974 for his 16th studio album, "Innervisions," 15 years after the inaugural Grammys ceremony.

He won again in 1975 for "Fulfillingness' First Finale," becoming just the second artist ever to win the award in consecutive years, after Frank Sinatra in the '60s.

Along with Sinatra, Paul Simon, and Taylor Swift, Wonder is one of just four artists who has won album of the year three different times; Wonder won again in 1977 for "Songs in the Key of Life," and he remains the only artist in Grammy history to win with three consecutive studio albums.

Michael Jackson won album of the year in 1984 for his magnum opus, "Thriller."

That year, Jackson became the first artist ever to win eight Grammy Awards in one night. The record was later tied by Santana in 2000.

Lionel Richie won album of the year in 1985 for "Can't Slow Down," his second solo album.

Quincy Jones won album of the year in 1991 for "Back on the Block," an album he produced that features various artists, including Ella Fitzgerald, Ice-T, and Ray Charles.

Natalie Cole won album of the year in 1992 for "Unforgettable…With Love," her 12th studio album.

Whitney Houston won album of the year in 1994 for the soundtrack of "The Bodyguard," a film she starred in.

Houston recorded most of the soundtrack's songs, and also served as the album's co-executive producer with Clive Davis.

Lauryn Hill won album of the year in 1999 for her debut solo album, "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill."

She became the first-ever hip-hop artist to win the prestigious award. Hill is also one of just five artists to win album of the year and best new artist in the same night, a feat most recently achieved by Billie Eilish.

As Billboard notes, Hill is the only female artist in Grammys history to win album of the year for an album on which she was the sole producer.

Outkast won album of the year in 2004 for "Speakerboxxx/The Love Below," the duo's fifth studio album.

Ray Charles posthumously won album of the year in 2005 for "Genius Loves Company," his final album. The album's two co-producers, John Burk and Phil Ramone, accepted the award on Charles' behalf.

Herbie Hancock won album of the year in 2008 for "River: The Joni Letters," a tribute album comprised of Joni Mitchell covers.

Jon Batiste won album of the year in 2022 for "We Are," his sixth studio album.

Batiste was up for the award again in 2024 for "World Music Radio," but lost to Taylor Swift's "Midnights."

Beyoncé finally won album of the year for the first time for "Cowboy Carter," her eighth studio album and Nashville-inspired opus. She also became the first Black woman to win best country album.

She was previously nominated in 2010 for "I Am... Sasha Fierce," 2015 for "Beyoncé," 2017 for "Lemonade," and 2023 for "Renaissance," but lost to Taylor Swift, Beck, Adele, and Harry Styles, respectively.

Jimmy Sturr won his first Grammy Award in 1987 for best polka recording for "I Remember Warsaw." He has received 24 nominations. 

Aretha Franklin, known as the "Queen of Soul," won her first two Grammys in 1968 for her hit single "Respect." She received 44 nominations before she died at age 76.

The renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma won his first Grammy in 1985 for a Bach recording. He has received 31 nominations.  

The famous crooner Tony Bennett won his first two Grammys in 1963 for the song "I Left My Heart in San Francisco." He received 41 nominations before he died at age 96.

Paul McCartney won his first Grammy in 1965 for best new artist with The Beatles.

After the band split, he continued to rack up nominations and awards for his work as a solo artist, including best rock song for "Cut Me Some Slack."

McCartney's latest award, however, was also bestowed for his work with his former band: best rock performance for "Now and Then," billed as "the final Beatles song." He has received 83 nominations. 

Bruce Springsteen, known as "The Boss," won his first Grammy in 1985 for best rock vocal performance for "Dancing in the Dark." He has received 51 nominations.

The recording engineer Al Schmitt won his first Grammy in 1963 for his work with composer Henry Mancini on the film "Hatari!" He has received 36 nominations.

The guitarist Pat Metheny won his first Grammy in 1983 for best jazz fusion performance for the album "Offramp." He has received 39 nominations.

The film and TV composer Henry Mancini won his first two Grammys at the first-ever ceremony in 1959 for his score to the show "Peter Gunn." He received 72 nominations before he died at age 70.

Serban Ghenea, a celebrated mix engineer, has won Grammys for his work on famous albums like Justin Timberlake's "Justified," Taylor Swift's "1989," Adele's "25," Swift's "Folklore," Swift's "Midnights," and more. He has received 50 nominations.

The country singer-songwriter Vince Gill won his first Grammy in 1991 for best country vocal performance for "When I Call Your Name." He has received 48 nominations.

U2 won their first two Grammys in 1988 for the album "The Joshua Tree." The Irish band has received 46 nominations.

Kendrick Lamar was nominated for seven Grammys following the success of his first major-label album, "Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City," but went home empty-handed from the 2014 ceremony.

However, it didn't take long for Lamar to make up the deficit. The following year, he won his first two Grammys: best rap song and best rap performance for "I."

Since then, Lamar has won best rap album three times, record of the year, and song of the year. He has received 57 nominations.

Ye, who still releases music under the name Kanye West, won his first three Grammys in 2005 for best rap album ("The College Dropout"), best rap song ("Jesus Walks"), and best R&B song (Alicia Keys' "You Don't Know My Name"). He has received 76 nominations. 

Vladimir Horowitz won his first two Grammys in 1963. The pianist received 45 nominations before he died at age 86.

David Frost won his first Grammy Award in 2000 for best spoken word album for children. He has since won classical producer of the year seven times and received 36 nominations.

Stevie Wonder won his first four Grammys in 1974 for his album "Innervisions." He is also the only Black artist in Grammy history to win album of the year three times.

The R&B legend has received 74 nominations throughout his career.

Jay-Z won his first Grammy in 1999 for best rap album for "Vol. 2 … Hard Knock Life." Most recently, he received an award for his songwriting credits on Beyoncé's "Cowboy Carter."

The rapper-slash-mogul has received 89 nominations.

John Williams won his first Grammy in 1976 for composing the original score for Steven Spielberg's "Jaws."

Most recently, he won best instrumental composition in 2024 for "Helena's Theme" in "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny." He has received 76 nominations.

Pierre Boulez won his first two Grammys in 1968 for his classical album "Berg: Wozzeck." The French composer received 67 nominations before he died at age 90.

Alison Krauss won her first Grammy in 1991 for best bluegrass recording for the song "I've Got That Old Feeling." The singer-songwriter has received 44 nominations.

The pianist Chick Corea won his first Grammy in 1976 for best instrumental jazz performance for the song "No Mystery."

Most recently, he won best jazz instrumental album for "Remembrance" at the 67th annual Grammys. He has received 75 nominations to date.

Quincy Jones, the illustrious producer best known for his work with Michael Jackson in the 1980s, won his first Grammy in 1964 for best instrumental arrangement for his production of Count Basie's "I Can't Stop Loving You."

Most recently, Jones won best music film for "Quincy" at the 61st annual ceremony. He received 80 nominations before his death at age 91.

The Hungarian-British composer Georg Solti won his first Grammy in 1963 for best opera recording for "Verdi: Aida." He received 74 nominations before he died at age 84.

Beyoncé won her first two Grammys in 2001 with Destiny's Child for their hit single "Say My Name."

In 2023, she received her record-breaking 32nd award for best dance/electronic album for "Renaissance." Most recently, she won three awards at the 67th annual ceremony for "Cowboy Carter," including best country album and album of the year.

The legendary singer has received 99 nominations throughout her career, the most of any artist in history.

Save for his debut, all of Kendrick Lamar's studio albums have been contenders for the biggest Grammy Award: "Good Kid, M.A.A.D City," "To Pimp a Butterfly," "Damn," and most recently, "Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers."

He has won best rap album three times, record of the year, and song of the year — not to mention a Pulitzer Prize — but never album of the year. 

Mariah Carey has been named Billboard's top-selling female artist of all time. As of writing, she boasts 19 No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 — just one shy of the all-time record set by The Beatles — and is the only artist to top the chart in four separate decades.

Yet Carey has lost all three of her bids for album of the year. She received her first nomination in 1991 for her self-titled LP but lost to Quincy Jones.

She was later nominated for "Daydream" in 1996 and "The Emancipation of Mimi" in 2006, but lost to Alanis Morissette and U2, respectively.

Just two albums in Drake's record-breaking catalog have been up for album of the year: "Views" in 2017 and "Scorpion" in 2019. They lost to "25" by Adele and "Golden Hour" by Kacey Musgraves, respectively.

Although Drake has criticized the ceremony's relevance — both onstage and on social media — he resumed submitting his music for consideration with the 2022 album "Her Loss," which received four nods, but only in rap categories.

"4:44" is the only album in Jay-Z's legendary oeuvre that has been up for album of the year.

Jay-Z has been nominated five other times as a contributor or producer on other people's albums ("Tha Carter III," "Good Kid, M.A.A.D City," "Beyoncé," "Donda," and "Renaissance"), but he didn't win any of those, either.

In 2024, Jay-Z openly criticized the Recording Academy's history of snubs during his acceptance speech for the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award.

Rihanna has largely pivoted to business ventures in recent years, but for several years, she was a hit-making machine.

During Rihanna's reign over the charts, only "Loud" was nominated for album of the year.

Her eighth and most acclaimed album to date, "Anti," somehow wasn't up for the award, despite racking up six other nominations in 2017, including best urban contemporary album.

Eminem received his first nod for album of the year in 2001 for "The Marshall Mathers LP," but lost to "Two Against Nature" by Steely Dan." 

He has been nominated two more times, in 2003 for "The Eminem Show" and in 2011 for "Recovery," but lost to Norah Jones and Arcade Fire, respectively.

Björk has only received nods in genre-specific categories — most recently best alternative music album for "Fossora" in 2023 — but has lost all 16 of her nominations.

Bruce Springsteen is one of the biggest winners in Grammy history with 20 awards, but he has still never won album of the year. 

The Boss has been nominated just twice: in 1985 for "Born in the U.S.A." and in 2003 for "Rising." (Shockingly, he got no love for "Nebraska.")

Lauryn Hill took home the biggest Grammy Award in 1999 for "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill," becoming the first hip-hop artist to do so.

Many of Madonna's groundbreaking albums, including "Like a Prayer," "Erotica," and "Confessions on a Dance Floor," never received a nod for album of the year — or, for that matter, a nod in any of the high-profile general-field categories.

Nirvana received just five Grammy nominations during Kurt Cobain's lifetime, and none were in the "Big Four" categories.

The groundbreaking band won just one award: best alternative music performance for "MTV Unplugged in New York," bestowed nearly one year after Cobain's death.

Incredibly, Prince lost both of his bids for album of the year. "Purple Rain" was bested by Lionel Richie's "Can't Slow Down" in 1985, while "Sign o' the Times" lost to U2's "The Joshua Tree" in 1988.

David Bowie's "Let's Dance" lost to Michael Jackson's "Thriller" in 1984.

Many of Bowie's most inventive and beloved albums, including "Hunky Dory," "The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars," and "Station to Station," didn't get any Grammy nominations at all.

Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On" has been hailed as the best album of all time, but it didn't get a chance to compete for album of the year.

Gaye only won two Grammys in his lifetime — best R&B vocal performance and best R&B instrumental performance for "Sexual Healing" in 1983 — but was never nominated in a major category. He was posthumously given the Recording Academy's Lifetime Achievement Award in 1996.

It's hard to believe that Pink Floyd's seminal concept record lost to Christopher Cross, who swept the "Big Four" categories in 1981 with his self-titled album.

Cross became the only artist in Grammys history to win all four general-field awards on the same night and remained the only artist to do so for nearly four decades until Billie Eilish joined the ranks in 2020. He never won another.

Meanwhile, Pink Floyd never received another nomination for album of the year. The band only took home one award for best rock instrumental performance.

Only one album by the best-selling British band has ever been up for album of the year: "Some Girls" in 1979. It was their first-ever Grammy nomination, and they have yet to compete for the top prize again.

In fact, The Rolling Stones have only won four Grammys to date — including best rock album for "Hackney Diamonds" in 2025 — and none in a major category.

Elton John received his first nod for album of the year in 1971 for his self-titled LP, but lost to Simon & Garfunkel's "Bridge Over Troubled Water."

He has been nominated two more times, for "Caribou" in 1975 and "Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy" in 1976, but lost to Stevie Wonder and Paul Simon, respectively. 

Before her death in 2018, Aretha Franklin, the renowned "Queen of Soul," won 18 Grammys out of 44 nominations.

Franklin was also honored with the Recording Academy's Grammy Legend Award, the Lifetime Achievement Award, and the MusiCares Person of the Year award in 1991, 1994, and 2008, respectively. Five of her songs, including her beloved cover of Otis Redding's "Respect," have been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

Despite these accolades, Franklin never received a nomination in a general-field category like album, record, or song of the year. She received just two nominations for best R&B album for "A Rose Is Still A Rose" and "So Damn Happy," but lost both.