Difference between record of the year and song of the year as Kendrick Lamar wins both Grammys
Topics: Drake, Grammys, Kendrick Lamar, Music
Maxine Harrison
Featured Image Credit: CBS Photo Archive/Getty
Topics: Drake, Grammys, Kendrick Lamar, Music
Kendrick Lamar won both Song Of The Year and Record Of The Year at the 67th edition of The Grammys on Sunday.
The 37-year-old rapper has collected a whopping 22 awards throughout his career but in this year's Grammys it was his diss track to rapper Drake that caught people's attention.
Kendrick took home five Grammy Awards for Best Music Video, Best Rap Song, Best Rap Performance, Song of The Year and Record of The Year - all of which were for the same song, 'Not Like Us'.
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Following his wins, many fans were left questioning the difference between Song of The Year and Record of The Year - award categories that at first glance seem to be the same.
Well, there is a subtle, yet distinct, difference.
When it comes to Record of The Year, the decision is focused on a specific recording of a song and acknowledges the artists, producers and engineers who have helped create that recording.
In comparison, Song of The Year focuses more on the composition of a song and recognizes the songwriters who wrote it. A little technical difference, we know, but that is essentially the difference between the two award categories.
So what does this mean for Kendrick’s winning of the two awards? Well, the Song of The Year Award he received as he was the sole song writer. For this reason, the Song of The Year Award is sometimes referenced as the songwriter's award.
For the Record of The Year Award, the producers, engineers etc. who worked on 'Not Like Us' also received the award as well. This includes Sean Momberger, Mustard & Sounwave Ray Charles Brown Jr. and more.
The success of the track proves it was received well by listeners, and it all came about as a response to the popular feud with fellow rapper Drake. The two rappers have apparently had beef that dates back to the 2010s, and since, Drake has filed a lawsuit against his own record label Universal Music Group - which both artists were signed to at the time of the song’s release - for defamation over 'Not Like Us'.
Online reactions to Kendrick’s Grammy wins have sparked memes. One X user wrote: “I can’t put into words how much Kendrick has defeated Drake on all fronts, I mean this is mind blowing.”
Another penned: “The entire crowd bopping around, cheering, dancing to 'Not Like Us' by Kendrick Lamar after winning a Grammy... damn Drake.”
Whilst there is yet to be a public response by Drake to Kendrick’s win, Drake’s father was asked his thoughts via a TikTok video to which he responded: “I don't care enough about that s***... all the best to him."