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Even Adele thinks Beyoncé should have won the album of the year Grammy over her.When the British pop star tearfully accepted the ceremony's top award Sunday night, she shined a spotlight on the woman she said she has loved since she was 11 years old."The artist of my life is Beyoncé, and this album to me, the 'Lemonade' album, was just so monumental," Adele said.Certainly for her diehard fan base known as the Beyhive -- and for many music critics -- Beyoncé's "Lemonade" was a creative masterpiece.But with its racial themes and imagery, some are questioning if the project was "just too black" for Grammy voters.Kevin Powell, author of the memoir "The Education of Kevin Powell" and a forthcoming biography on rapper Tupac Shakur, thinks so.He told CNN "Beyonce's 'Lemonade' made a lot of people uncomfortable, because it is so political, so spiritual, so unapologetically black, and so brutally honest about love, self-love, trust, betrayal.""We are still a nation that does not want to deal so directly with truth," said Powell, who has written about music and race for various publications, including Vibe magazine. "Adele's album is strong, but it is just songs about love. It is safe and uncontroversial; it breaks no new ground. And neither do Grammy voters, generally speaking, when it comes to picking winners of this particular award."Adele and Beyoncé were both nominated for song of the year, record of the year and album of the year.

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Even Adele thinks Beyoncé should have won the album of the year Grammy over her.When the British pop star tearfully accepted the ceremony's top award Sunday night, she shined a spotlight on the woman she said she has loved since she was 11 years old."The artist of my life is Beyoncé, and this album to me, the 'Lemonade' album, was just so monumental," Adele said.Certainly for her diehard fan base known as the Beyhive -- and for many music critics -- Beyoncé's "Lemonade" was a creative masterpiece.But with its racial themes and imagery, some are questioning if the project was "just too black" for Grammy voters.Kevin Powell, author of the memoir "The Education of Kevin Powell" and a forthcoming biography on rapper Tupac Shakur, thinks so.He told CNN "Beyonce's 'Lemonade' made a lot of people uncomfortable, because it is so political, so spiritual, so unapologetically black, and so brutally honest about love, self-love, trust, betrayal.""We are still a nation that does not want to deal so directly with truth," said Powell, who has written about music and race for various publications, including Vibe magazine. "Adele's album is strong, but it is just songs about love. It is safe and uncontroversial; it breaks no new ground. And neither do Grammy voters, generally speaking, when it comes to picking winners of this particular award."Adele and Beyoncé were both nominated for song of the year, record of the year and album of the year.

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Last night, Beyonce surprised football player Colin Kaepernick when she showed up to present him with the Muhammad Ali Legacy Award at the annual Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year Award Show, and made an important point that despite our nation's deep history with slavery and black oppresion, protesting racism is not protesting America. "It's been said that racism is so American, that when we protest racism, some assume we are protesting America," she said.The Muhammad Ali Legacy Award goes to athletes who use their platform for change, and the former 49ers player has been thrust into the activism spotlight after kneeling during the national anthem, which plays before football events, to bring awareness to police brutality, especially towards the black community. Over time, more and more players—at the professional, college, and high school level—began kneeling in solidarity with Kaepernick. The movement continues to gain as much momentum as it does controversy. Those opposed to the protest claim it disrespects our flag, and the men and women who die defending it. "Let's be very clear. Colin has always been very respectful of the individuals who selflessly serve and protect our country and our communities and our families. His message is solely focused on social injustice for historically disenfranchised people. Let's not get that mistaken," clarified Beyoncé, who sparked her own football controversy with her Black Panther-inspired Super Bowl performance just last year.Kaepernick made clear in his acceptance speech that his activism is for others: “I say this as a person who receives credit for using my platform to protest systemic oppression, racialized injustice, and the dire consequences of anti-blackness in America. I accept this award not for myself, but on behalf of the people. Because if it were not for my love of the people, I would not have protested. And if it was not for the support from the people, I would not be on this stage today. With or without the N.F.L.’s platform, I will continue to work for the people because my platform is the people.”

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Last night, Beyonce surprised football player Colin Kaepernick when she showed up to present him with the Muhammad Ali Legacy Award at the annual Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year Award Show, and made an important point that despite our nation's deep history with slavery and black oppresion, protesting racism is not protesting America. "It's been said that racism is so American, that when we protest racism, some assume we are protesting America," she said.The Muhammad Ali Legacy Award goes to athletes who use their platform for change, and the former 49ers player has been thrust into the activism spotlight after kneeling during the national anthem, which plays before football events, to bring awareness to police brutality, especially towards the black community. Over time, more and more players—at the professional, college, and high school level—began kneeling in solidarity with Kaepernick. The movement continues to gain as much momentum as it does controversy. Those opposed to the protest claim it disrespects our flag, and the men and women who die defending it. "Let's be very clear. Colin has always been very respectful of the individuals who selflessly serve and protect our country and our communities and our families. His message is solely focused on social injustice for historically disenfranchised people. Let's not get that mistaken," clarified Beyoncé, who sparked her own football controversy with her Black Panther-inspired Super Bowl performance just last year.Kaepernick made clear in his acceptance speech that his activism is for others: “I say this as a person who receives credit for using my platform to protest systemic oppression, racialized injustice, and the dire consequences of anti-blackness in America. I accept this award not for myself, but on behalf of the people. Because if it were not for my love of the people, I would not have protested. And if it was not for the support from the people, I would not be on this stage today. With or without the N.F.L.’s platform, I will continue to work for the people because my platform is the people.”

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Who Is Beyoncé Knowles?Born in Houston, Texas, Beyoncé Knowles first captured the public's eye as lead vocalist of the R&B group Destiny's Child. She later established a solo career with her debut album Dangerously in Love, becoming one of music's top-selling artists with sold-out tours and a slew of awards. Knowles has also starred in several films, including Dream Girls. She married hip-hop recording artist Jay-Z in 2008. In late 2013, she surprised audiences by releasing her fifth studio album, self-titled Beyoncé, and has twice performed at the Super Bowl. She released her sixth studio album, Lemonade, after the airing of an HBO special in April 2016, and two years later she dropped a joint album with Jay-Z, Everything Is Love, while the two were on tour.

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Who Is Beyoncé Knowles?Born in Houston, Texas, Beyoncé Knowles first captured the public's eye as lead vocalist of the R&B group Destiny's Child. She later established a solo career with her debut album Dangerously in Love, becoming one of music's top-selling artists with sold-out tours and a slew of awards. Knowles has also starred in several films, including Dream Girls. She married hip-hop recording artist Jay-Z in 2008. In late 2013, she surprised audiences by releasing her fifth studio album, self-titled Beyoncé, and has twice performed at the Super Bowl. She released her sixth studio album, Lemonade, after the airing of an HBO special in April 2016, and two years later she dropped a joint album with Jay-Z, Everything Is Love, while the two were on tour.