Watching the Grammy’s is an easy way to keep my music tastes relevant. But a few years ago, when Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion performed WAP, complete with a stripper pole and a big bed, and Sam Smith came in a red dress, I thought I may quit watching. Now, I am far from being a prude; I cuss like a sailor, have lived a women-libbers life, have lots of gay people in my family, and I do understand art is provocative and I appreciate that. But maybe, because of my age, I thought some past year’s awards shows were getting too raunchy and political for my prime-time music tastes.
But I have hung in there to learn about new talented artists and in the hopes of seeing performances by music legends. My methodology for watching looonng shows is to record them and then fast forward through the commercials and most of the acceptance speeches.
If you exclude this year’s opening act, which was more like aerobics and looked as if the singer was poorly lip-syncing (and maybe she was), the Grammy performances this year were off the chain! The sweetest was Joni Mitchell’s number. The most entertaining was Miley Cyrus. The biggest surprise was Tracy Chapman and to no-one’s surprise at all was Taylor Swift sweeping the show and working the audience. Also, I have come to love the way Billy Eilish sings. She and her brother won an award for “Barbie” and performed it beautifully and emotionally.
I only have two minor complaints:
Though the performances were iconic, there was little new music, and I didn’t discover any new artists. It may have been as simple as the “pickin’s were slim,” which would explain why few men were even nominated this year. Women artists dominated the Grammy roster.
And then there was Jay-Z, with his beautiful wife, daughter, and life, who won the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award. In his acceptance speech there was little gratitude. He openly admitted his wife, Beyoncé, had won more Grammys than any other person (and him too in the Rap category). Then implied that she hadn’t ever won album of the year because of racism at the awards. Not sure how you can win more Grammys than anyone ever and then complain about racism at the same time. Not to be insensitive, but it just seemed trite and boring from a billionaire.
Yawn.
I should have just fast-forwarded.
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