Bo Burnham wins his first Grammy for “All Eyes on Me”.

Bo Burnham won his first Grammy under the category Best Song Written for Visual Media for his song “All Eyes on Me”, which appeared in his musical-comedy Netflix special Inside. 

This was the first Grammy nomination for Burnham. The comedian has won multiple Emmys for Inside, which had an unprecedented amount of success. He is known for his eccentric and existentialist comedy, which is evident throughout the Grammy-winning special.

Burnham has not commented on his Grammy win. He is known to be inactive on social media in-between the release of his projects. However, he has previously expressed gratitude on the success of the special via Instagram.

He posted a photo on Instagram in July 2021 with the caption “thank you to everyone who has watched inside. i am incredibly grateful.” 

https://www.instagram.com/p/CQ9VUSqlga0/

The entirety of Inside is written, directed, shot and starring Burnham. The one-man show starts off as a cheeky-comedy poking fun at how odd it is to live in the digital age while addressing social issues such as systemic racism and income inequality. The self-awareness of Inside prevails throughout the feature, which gradually gets more dark – emphasizing depression and anxiety in presence of the pandemic.

During the special, Burnham states that he took a five-year break from performing live comedy because he suffered from panic attacks onstage. Shortly after he was ready to start back up onstage, the pandemic caused a major setback.

The popularity of the special can be attributed to the widely relatable feeling of helplessness that many faced after being shut inside, becoming increasingly aware of world issues and their own mental health.

Inside invites introspection about how the pandemic has affected us, and 20-year-old fan Marissa Bray holds the special near to her heart. “When Inside came out, I was honestly shocked at how deep it was. It was more relatable than I was expecting,” Bray said. Before viewing, she was unfamiliar with Burnham’s work. After viewing, she had the album on repeat after watching the film, finding comfort in the bleak comedian.

Bray found Inside to be relatable because she is agoraphobic, and praises Burnham for creating a piece of work that shows that people with these kinds of anxieties can still excel at performing.

“The pandemic was pretty rough on me at first. I started college and had to experience this new phase of my life in confinement,” Bray said, “When classes went online, it was really isolating. I hadn’t seen someone my own age for about eight months.”

Much like Burnham, the pandemic fostered higher feelings of anxiety and depression for Bray, taking these hits harder in isolation. She said that it’s tougher for her to interact with people following being shut inside, noting the pandemic for hindering her socialization. 

“I find I’m now more inclined to stay in or to myself if presented the opportunity, such as sending food to my door or using self-checkout. I’ll always find other options that I don’t think I would’ve chosen before the pandemic,” Bray said.

Inside discusses these complicated feelings that were put into the spotlight, which makes the Grammy-winning “All Eyes on Me” a perfect encore. Burnham is speaking to the viewer, asking for the crowd’s full attention and participation. Inside is a journey of self-introspection and accepting that some things are out of our control.

After discussing his struggles with mental health throughout the pandemic, Burnham shows that he is once again ready to perform through the lyrics of “All Eyes on Me”, pleading the audience to “get on out of your seat”.