Beyoncé’s ‘Deer in the Headlights’ Reaction to Best Country Album Grammy Win Gets Broken Down by Body Language Expert
Beyoncé is once again a Grammy winner. She took home not one but two awards for “Cowboy Carter” at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards just hours after announcing tour dates for her 2024 album, including the night’s top prize, Album of the Year. But it was the 43-year-old’s reaction to winning the Grammy for Best Country Album that had her radiating “disbelief.” Ahead, a body language expert breaks down Beyoncé’s reaction to taking home the trophy in the Best Country Album category.
Beyoncé won Album of the Year and Best Country Album at the Grammys
On Feb. 2, 2025, Beyoncé made history at the Grammys, which were held in Los Angeles, Calif., at Crypto.com Arena. She took home the night’s top prize, Album of the Year, for “Cowboy Carter” after being nominated four times previously. She also won Best Country Album.
The trophies made Beyoncé the most-awarded artist in Grammy history with 35 wins. (She’s also the most nominated artist in the awards show’s history.) The wins came after Beyoncé received 11 nominations, more than any other nominee.
‘Real genuine surprise’ came over Beyoncé when she won the Best Country Album Grammy
Perhaps no one was more surprised by Beyoncé winning the Best Country Album Grammy than the star herself. Sitting with her husband, Jay-Z, and their 13-year-old daughter, Blue Ivy Carter, when presenter Taylor Swift called her name, Beyoncé had to be reminded to head to the stage and accept the award.
According to body language expert Darren Stanton, Beyoncé appeared “genuine[ly] shock[ed]” that she won, beating out nominees Kacey Musgraves, Post Malone, Chris Stapleton, and Lainey Wilson.
“I think looking at [Beyoncé’s] reaction from last night it came from a place of genuine shock, surprise, and disbelief,” Stanton said in his analysis for Betfair Slots. “She was a statue for a second, like a deer in the headlights. There was real genuine surprise. Her eyes went wide, her mouth dropped open and she froze.”
“These micro-expressions can often suggest fear,” Stanton explained. “But she wasn’t scared. It was more a fleeting flash of emotion that suggests surprise and disbelief.”
As for Beyoncé’s “non-verbal reactions,” she came across as “very genuine, very passionate and very humble when she delivered the speech. There were no expressions of arrogance or a[n] ‘it’s about time attitude.’ People often use sarcasm to express this but there was none of that.”
“Her vocal tone remained level and there were no signs of aggression or annoyance or pettiness,” he added. “When people hold things towards [sic] their heart it is usually a non-verbal sign they are being genuine and she kept moving the award towards [sic] her heart.”
Billie Eilish’s reaction to Beyoncé’s Album of the Year win appeared to be from a place of ‘joy’
When Beyoncé won her first-ever Album of the Year Grammy, cameras caught Billie Eilish’s reaction, which quickly went viral. Eilish, also an Album of the Year nominee, stood teary-eyed as Beyoncé walked to the stage.
“In terms of Billie Eilish’s reaction, some people may have thought that she was crying because she didn’t win but I think they were genuine tears of elation and pride that Beyoncé had won,” Stanton said.
“For most of the stars of this new younger generation, Beyoncé is their icon—the biggest pop star of their childhood,” he went on. “Billie, obviously, has that empathy with Beyoncé. They were genuine tears of joy at the fact that she had finally won the Grammy.”
“You could see in her eyes in the close-up that there were no signs of sadness despite the fact she was crying. It was a clear look of admiration and pride.”
Showbiz Cheat Sheet acknowledges conditions and cultures can impact body language and is sensitive to all backgrounds.
