Justin Bieber was nominated for four Grammys, but he isn’t exactly thrilled about it

In an “Imma let you finish, but –” type of moment, Justin Bieber took to Instagram today to question the Grammys selection process. To be clear, Bieber wasn’t exactly snubbed (Kanye, no need to intervene here), but he was nominated in the ‘Pop’ category which, according to the artist, doesn’t make sense.

If you’re confused (because Bieber is considered a Pop phenom of epic proportions) let us explain. While Bieber has long dominated the music industry as a ‘Pop’ artist, his latest album ‘Changes’ showcased a more soulful, melodic Bieber. Specifically, ‘Changes’ was created as an R&B album, not a Pop album.In an Instagram post explaining his confusion – which, he notes, is not to be misunderstood as a lack of gratitude or indicative of him turning his back on the ‘Pop’ genre – Bieber said, “I am flattered to be acknowledged and appreciated for my artistry. I am very meticulous and intentional about my music. With that being said, I set out to make an R&B album. ‘Changes’ was and is an R&B album. It is not being acknowledged as an R&B album, which is very strange to me. I grew up admiring R&B music and wished to make a project that would embody that sound. For this not to be put into that category feels weird, considering from the chords to the melodies to the vocal style, all the way down to the hip-hop drums that were chosen, it is undeniably, unmistakably an R&B album!”

 

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He concluded his message with clarification that he does (absolutely) love Pop music, it just wasn’t what he set out to make this time around. “My gratitude for feeling respected for my work remains and I am honoured to be nominated either way.” He also thanked everyone who fought for him to have any nominations.[video_embed id='2084075']RELATED: Beyoncé leads Grammy nominations with nine [/video_embed]Comments on the post are somewhat mixed, with many celebrities and fellow artists expressing their support for Bieber’s disappointment, while others seem to agree that ‘Changes’ simply doesn’t sound like an R&B album.

The Weeknd yummy yumHalsey yummy yummyNicki Minaj yummy yummyKaty Perry yummy yumSelena Gomez yummy yum #GRAMMYs pic.twitter.com/GRDHXS9oEh

— kat✨ (@sugarysaturn) November 24, 2020

And while Bieber is questioning the category of his nominations, it seems that another Canadian star was skipped over entirely. To arguably everyone’s surprise, The Weeknd didn’t receive any nominations – despite his album, ‘After Hours’ being one of the biggest albums of the year. Also, ICYMI, he’s also set to headline February’s Super Bowl halftime show. Selena Gomez, Halsey, Kehlani, and Luke Combs were also notably left out of the nomination mix.Nicki Minaj also took to Twitter to voice her strained relationship with the award show, and the tea is p-i-p-i-n-g hot.

Never forget the Grammys didn’t give me my best new artist award when I had 7 songs simultaneously charting on billboard & bigger first week than any female rapper in the last decade- went on to inspire a generation. They gave it to the white man Bon Iver. #PinkFriday

— Mrs. Petty (@NICKIMINAJ) November 24, 2020

So, you might be wondering, how exactly do these nominations work? Who calls the shots here? As Variety notes, “Grammy nominations are selected by experts in their respective genres, primarily comprising artists, producers, songwriters and executives.”Speaking to Bieber’s dilemma, Pop is considered an especially confusing category, as popular, mainstream artists are often ignored by specific genre committees that lump them, instead, into the ‘Pop’ category. Is this what happened to Bieber, and can this explain why The Weeknd was somehow missed entirely?Earlier this year, Tyler The Creator similarly called out the Grammys and their genre selections, following their decision to include his Grammy Award winning album "IGOR" in the Rap category. Speaking backstage after the win, he said, "It sucks that whenever we — and I mean guys that look like me — do anything that's genre-bending or that's anything they always put it in a rap or urban category."[video_embed id='2083021']RELATED: Shawn Mendes and Justin Bieber open AMAs with show-stopping duet[/video_embed]