Kelly Rowland Says She's 'Proud' of JAY-Z Calling Out Grammys Over Beyoncé's Lack of Best Album Wins

Kelly Rowland has JAY-Z’s back.

The singer, 42, shared her two cents on the comments made by the hip-hop-artist at the Grammys on Sunday, which called out the awards show over the fact that Beyoncé has never won album of the year, the show’s biggest honor.

“I don't want to embarrass this young lady, but she has more Grammys than everyone and never won album of the year,” JAY-Z said as he accepted the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award and questioned the award show’s voting process. “So even by your own metrics, that doesn't work. Think about that. The most Grammys, never won album of the year. That doesn't work.”

On Tuesday, Rowland weighed in on the rapper’s comments, telling Entertainment Tonight, “Shawn Carter is one of the greatest men I know, and his words ring so loud to me.”

She said she “couldn't be more proud” of JAY-Z, 54, adding, “I'm just really happy for a lot of things that he said. I think that he made a lot of artists feel very seen and very heard in those minutes that he took on stage.”

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The former Destiny’s Child member clarified that, like the “Empire State of Mind” rapper said, “it’s no disrespect,” before paying tribute to her former bandmate.

“I feel like she is an icon,” Rowland said of Beyoncé, 42, who was up for nine awards at Sunday’s show and added four wins to her belt.

“She is innovative, her thoughts are big and bright and she just jumps for them and does it. I think that her albums are a reflection of that, and it should be really celebrated in that way," Rowland added of Beyoncé.

JAY-Z’s comments at Sunday’s show echoed ones he made at last year’s Grammys, where Beyoncé lost out on album of the year to Harry Styles’ Harry’s House. It was her fourth nomination, following losses in 2010 for I Am ... Sasha Fierce, 2015 for her self-titled album and 2017 for Lemonade.

"The truth is, we grew up wanting to be on the Grammys, and it was our goal. We just want them to get it right. That's what we want," JAY-Z said at the time, talking about his own prior losses at the awards show before discussing his wife’s.

“Even with Bey, I felt like they missed the moment,” he added, referencing her loss in 2015 for album of the year, which went to Beck. “I was like, 'Oh, y'all missed it.’ ”

JAY-Z also praised Renaissance, which was up for the award in 2023, as an album that “has inspired the world” and therefore deserved to win.

“Look what it's done to the culture. Look how the energy of the world moved," he said, adding, "When it just inspires creativity, that's an album. That has to be album of the year.”

Elsewhere in JAY-Z’s Grammys speech as he accepted the second annual Dr. Dre Global Impact Award, he also shouted out his daughter Blue Ivy, who had joined him on stage.

"Thank you very much. I used to say it was a sippy cup for Blue, but Blue's grown up now she doesn't take sippy cups," he said of the award. "And she has her own Grammys."

The father of three also joked that his oldest child, 12, was as “nervous” as he was to be on stage as he concluded his speech.

“Just in life, you got to keep showing up," said JAY-Z. "Forget the Grammys — you got to keep showing up until they give you all those accolades you feel you deserve. Until they call you Chairman, until they call you a genius, until they call you the greatest of all time. You feel me?"