Silk Sonic won’t be leaving the door open to more Grammy wins this year. The duo of Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak declined to submit their album An Evening With Silk Sonic to the Grammys, Mars told Rolling Stone. “Silk Sonic would like to gracefully, humbly and most importantly, sexually, bow out of submitting our album this year,†he said in a statement. Last year, Silk Sonic surprised with the most wins of the night — four including Record and Song of the Year — for their single “Leave the Door Open.†Those wins set An Evening With up as a top contender in a crowded Album of the Year field, which is expected to include Beyoncé (Renaissance), Adele (30), and Kendrick Lamar (Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers). The duo could have earned a few more song nominations too, likely for the single “Smokin Out the Window.†(An Evening With was released in November 2021, which qualifies for the current Grammys cycle.) “We’d be crazy to ask for anything more,†Mars said, adding that the trophies for “Leave the Door Open†were “icing on the cake†to their success. After Silk Sonic’s wins last year, Mars tied the record for most Record of the Year wins by a performer at three (alongside “Uptown Funk!†and “24K Magicâ€), and he has a past Album of the Year win for 24K Magic.
They aren’t the first musicians to withdraw from the Grammys, but they are the rare case of artists doing it for a positive reason. The Weeknd is boycotting the awards after being snubbed for “Blinding Lights†and After Hours in 2021 and criticizing the since-disbanded “secret committeesâ€; he could’ve been a top contender this year for Dawn FM. Drake, who previously criticized the awards, also withdrew from competition last year after his two nominations were already announced. Pitchfork has since reported that he did not submit his album Honestly, Nevermind for 2023 consideration. Now, with this year set to relitigate past controversies like Adele’s win over Beyoncé for 25 and Taylor Swift’s win over Lamar for 1989, could more artists be set to follow Silk Sonic’s steps? Maybe chief Beyhive member Adele?
This story has been updated with additional information.