Well, here it is. My take on last night’s 53rd Grammy Awards Ceremony. Let’s jump right in!
Aretha Franklin tribute: Great performance, ladies! The nation sat glued to their TVs hoping Christina Aguilera could redeem herself after the Super Bowl anthem debacle. Naturally, she did…and with all the grunting and, at times, overzealous riffing that typifies a Christina performance. I was pleasantly surprised to see Florence Welch of Florence and the Machine on stage. She may have stood out from the American superstars on her right, but Flo showed off the pipes. I’m fairly certain more people were paying attention to Jennifer Hudson’s weight loss than her actual vocal ability. With that in consideration, Jennifer commanded the mic with her new look and classic vocals.
Obligatory Gaga Snippet: The Queen arrived in “style” with attendants carrying her while encapsulated in an egg (which in my mind looked slightly like a butterfly’s chrysalis, but whatever) . Once she emerged, Gaga took to the stage and performed the lead off single, “Born This Way” from her upcoming release. Even though she remains shrouded in mystery, something tells me Gaga wasn’t born out of an egg…
Fashion Police: B.O.B’s monocle and Cee Lo Green’s peacock get-up pretty much sums up the range for the night.
Bieber Fever: While I do not enjoy Justin Bieber’s music, I did think it was pretty cool when they showed the video of Usher discovering Justin for the first time in 2007. Then it just got weird. Justin sat on stage with a guitar when Usher came out and proceeded to have a heart to heart with his protégé in front of the entire Staples Center…and national television. It was just plain creepy. Throw in some ninjas with drums following the intimacy and we’re left wondering what just happened.
Doppelganger Alert: Why does John Mayer look exactly like Johnny Depp? We’ll leave it there.
Mick: Mick Jagger got up there for his first Grammy performance and danced his heart out. The guy is a true showman even in his later years. Hopefully the rumor of a Stones tour in the summer is true because I’ll be there.
We’d Like to Thank God: Lady Antebellum was taking some names last night. Some may believe that they didn’t deserve the nods, let alone the awards. I was happy for them. It shows the industry’s versatility when a country group with a pop edge can take home two big awards. And I’m a sucker for underdogs.
Speaking of Underdogs: Arcade Fire. I am a huge AF fan so needless to say I was having a little bit of a freak out. Many people were upset because they have never heard of them so let’s do a little intro here. Arcade Fire is an alternative rock group based out of Canada with routes in the U.S. and Haiti. They have two albums that came out before “The Suburbs.” A good deal of Arcade Fire’s revenue from shows is donated to relief organizations in Haiti. The best part about them winning Album of the Year is that they are signed to an independent label. Following the announcement, indie bands’ Twitters blew up with proclamations of hope and reassurance. Even Kanye was psyched.
