Among those criticizing Sam and their 'Unholy' collaborator Kim Petras' hell-themed performance at Crypto.Com Arena is Republican politician Ted Cruz, who brands the act 'evil.'
- Feb 7, 2023
AceShowbiz - Sam Smith has landed in hot water. The English singer's "Unholy" hell-themed performance at the 2023 Grammy Awards sparked backlash among conservatives, with some going so far as to describe it as "satanic."
Texas Sen. Ted Cruz led the outrage as he denounced the production as "evil" after Sam and their collaborator Kim Petras took the stage at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Sunday night, February 5 to perform their chart-topping single, "Unholy". The Republican politician tweeted, "This…is…evil."
Some viewers also likened the extravagant performance to "devil worshipping." One person posted on Twitter, "This video hits all the checkpoints, from Sam Smith and [their] outlandish stance on cultural appropriateness, to devil worshipping & diminishing religion."
Other social media users, however, were quick to clap back at Ted, with one person replying, "Evil is when a man walks into a school & murders a dozen children Evil is when Russia bombs schools & hospitals to steal land Evil is NOT when a musician dances around in a devil suit performing a hit song."
"What's worse? You flee your state as people freeze or artists performing during a awards show? I'll wait….," a different Twitter user replied to Ted's tweet. Someone chimed in, "Can't you dislike art without calling it evil? I think this is crappy art. But this is not the first time artists have depicted the devil or evil in their work. It doesn't make them or their art 'evil.' Don't choke clutching your pearls, Teddy."
Despite the backlash, Sam and Kim made history at the event. Sam, who uses "they/them" pronouns, became the first non-binary artist to win in the Best Pop Duo/Group Performance category, while the German pop songstress became the first trans woman to take home the award.
Anthony Allen Ramos, vice president of communications and talent at GLAAD, said in a statement, "By awarding queer artists from so many segments of the LGBTQ community and representing so many musical genres as Grammy winners, the Recording Academy reminded the world just how impactful LGBTQ people are when it comes to creating music."
