By Eve Mykytyn

The ever sycophantic Huffington Post in an article by Rebecca Shapiro blamed sexual discrimination and cited the ‘me too’ movement to explain why Lorde was the only singer nominated for Album of the year not invited to perform a solo at the Grammys.

Perhaps Shapiro is correct. I offer an alternative explanation. Lorde honoured the Boycott Divestment and Sanctions movement in support of the Palestinians and refused to perform in Israel. The ever vengeful financial chiefs of the disintegrating music industry were, perhaps, less than pleased.

“We can’t have a performance from every nominee,” Recording Academy President and United Jewish Appeal honoree Portnow said. “We have to create [a show] that has balance... and what you saw was our best judgment on how to do that.”

AIPAC producer Ken Ehrlich added, “"These shows are always a matter of choices. She had a great album, but there's no way we can deal with everybody…. we do the best we can to make sure it's a fair and balanced show,"

This might be credible if the 66 year old singer Sting had not appeared on air in two separate segments: first during a widely panned 19 minute sketch with emcee James Corden, and then to perform his 31 year old hit “Englishman in New York” with Shaggy. Sting performed in Israel in 2006 and has not indicated any public opinion with regard to BDS.

I can only speculate that Israel craves the legitimacy of a true rock and roll star ignoring the boycott. Perhaps the boost to Sting’s career offered by the Grammys was thought to offer a reward to Sting for his return to the Jewish State.