The Grammys might not mean shit, but that doesn't mean I'm not still distraught over them.
As award season creeps upon us yet again, it brings forth a wave of emotional stress and numerous "culture critics" talking about the social significance of these lengthy ceremonies. These critics usually reside on Twitter, and share content spanning from artist-oriented memes to valid criticism of the industry.
This year, the 60th annual Grammys were centered around host of talented artists, in an attempt to better celebrate a wider range of genres. Musical interludes featured artists from rapper Kendrick Lamar to Broadway icon Patti Lupone, highlighting the breadth and depth of the talent within the industry. Despite this, I was already well-aware of the shortcomings of the Recording Academy, and to cope with its inevitable failure during the Grammys, I settled in with some friends, a bucket of 50 wings, and a hearty volume of liquor.
The Grammys started stronger than expected, opening with Kendrick Lamar's "XXX." from his latest project, DAMN. Featuring Bono and The Edge, Dave Chapelle, and what my friend, Danny, assumed to be "ANTIFA super soldiers that are here to scalp all the baby boomers," Kendrick's performance was incredibly strong. He sampled another fan-favorite track, "LUST.," in his performance, followed by his verse from Jay Rock's "King's Dead." Kendrick's deeply political performance raised the bar as far as "politically charged" rap performances go, a close second to A Tribe Called Quest's tribute at the Grammys last year.
Following Kendrick's performance, Grammy host James Corden introduced himself and hinted at what else was to come. Lady Gaga performed a sultry ballad from Joanne, and Tony Bennett and John Legend shared a beautifully showy moment on stage. After the presentation of "Best Rap/Sung Performance" award, which went to Kendrick and Rihanna for "LOYALTY.," James Corden referred to both him and Jay-Z, as "hood forever." Obviously, it was excruciatingly awkward.
While Jay-Z hasn't ever had a particularly good history with televised public appearances, the levels of awkward radiating off his body were unprecedented.
Additional musical interludes included "is he doing a Rick and Morty cosplay?" Sam Smith, Jean Baptiste with Gary Clarke Jr., Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee (minus Justin Bieber, thankfully), Childish Gambino, Bruno Mars and Cardi B, Sting and Shaggy (???), Rihanna and her background dancers for "Wild Thoughts," Ke$ha and some white ladies, and some forgettable country music artists. Let's not forget Sir Elton John with She Who Must Not Be Named, Ben Platt and Patti Lupone, SZA, and "AfricAryaN" rapper Logic.
The emotional rollercoaster that was listening to Ben Platt, Patti Lupone, and SZA all in a row, was almost too much for my little musical heart to bear. That being said, SZA's performance was show stopping, showing off exactly what earned her 5 Grammy nominations. She entered what looked like the Matrix as a five-time nominee, and of course, left without winning anything. Typical.
As for Record and Album of the Year, I was not surprised at all with the results. However, Bruno Mars, the incredible showman that he is, did not deserve Album of the Year. "That's What I Like" was an incredible project, undoubtedly deserving Record of the Year for Mars' stellar performance, the single's success, and widespread popularity. However, the album as a whole, lacked the same cohesion and depth as its running mates. We all know that the Academy hates rap and hip-hop, and couldn't possibly give AOTY to a rap album. The last time a rap project won AOTY was in 2004, for Outkast's phenomal project, Speakerboxxx/The Love Below. Before that, it was Miseducation of Lauryn Hill in 1999.
Finally, not only was it incredibly poor taste to have Logic, Alessia Cara, and Khalid perform "1–800–273–8255" after the Grammys tribute to recently passed artists, I'm also still reeling from the fact the Grammys deliberately planned the tribute Linkin' Park's Chester Bennington, as the precursor to Logic's performance. Though I understand the motives behind it, I'd imagine that no artist would want Logic to pay tribute to their passing. I know I wouldn't. Thankfully, we also had Google sponsor the Suicide Prevention Lifeline, alongside Logic himself. Or as my dear friend Ruth describes it, "benevolent capitalism, nice!"
Long story short, the Grammys were a mess this year (and almost every other year). Between multiple Bono appearances that didn't need to happen, and the entire Shaggy/Sting/James Corden/D-Train disaster, the Grammys are clearly trying to maintain "millennial market appeal" harder than ever. As music consumers become more aware of the pointlessness of the whole debacle, artists and listeners alike are stepping forward to boycott the Grammys. This will hopefully open up opportunities for art to wholly recognize quality art, and not just award profitable music with market appeal.
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