Grammy awards received with mixed reviews

by Will Hart
Online Videographer

The 52nd Grammy Awards were all over the place this year, and in my opinion, the winners were askew in some categories.

The underdog of the night was Taylor Swift, who won Album of the Year, along with four others awards. Swift’s Fearless beat out David Matthews Band, Lady Gaga, Black Eyed Peas, and Beyoncé for this highly coveted honor. “Taylor Swift didn’t perform well,” said senior Chelsea Eisenberg. “I’m a stickler for [performers] singing on key and she was out of tune. I don’t know if she should have won [Album of the Year],” she said.

Beyoncé, however, did not leave empty handed. She received six awards including Song of the Year, Best Female R&B Vocal Performance, and Best R&B Song for “Single Ladies.” Kings of Leon took home Record of the Year for their hit “Use Somebody,” which also won Best Rock Song.

Green Day beat out Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood, U2, Dave Matthews Band, and AC/DC with 21st Century Breakdown for Best Rock Album. Zac Brown Band won Best New Artist, along with other genre-specific awards, and performed “America the Beautiful” with pianist Leon Russell and their breakout hit “Chicken Fried.” In my mind, this showcase proved that they were truly deserving of their Best New Artist Grammy. Lady Gaga won Best Dance Album for her album The Fame and Best Dance Recording for “Poker Face.”

Lady Gaga started the night off with a very theatrical rendition of “Poker Face.” Later in the performance, she sang a duet with Elton John, where the pair sang a mash up of their songs “Speechless” and “Your Song,” respectively.

P!nk’s performance of “Glitter in the Air,” was just that—speechless. It combined acrobatics, water effects, vocals, and of course, glitter. I am now convinced that she has finally grown up from her more juvenile style evident in the music from earlier in her career. Beyoncé’s performance of “If I Were a Boy” and “You Oughta Know” were phenomenal, displaying talent that more than justified her six awards that she won.

The highlight of the night was the Michael Jackson tribute. Celine Dion, Usher, Carrie Underwood, Jennifer Hudson, and Smokey Robinson song “Earth Song” from Jackson’s 1995 album History: Past, Present, and Future, Book I. The group was accompanied by the song’s 3-D music video and Jackson’s original vocals. At the end of the performance, Jackson’s two oldest children, Paris and Blanket, came out onto the stage to accept a lifetime achievement award on Jackson’s behalf. “I liked when Michael Jackson’s kids came out to talk about their Dad,” said sophomore Danny Diaz. “It added a lot of emotion to the performance.”

The Michael Jackson tribute definitely trumped the performance dedicated to Les Paul, performed by Jeff Beck and Imelda May. Paul’s tribute paled in comparison, despite his extremely large impact on the music industry, as he invented the electric guitar.

The other performances also were not as spectacular as the Jackson quintuplet, and in my opinion, unworthy of Grammy stagetime. The Black Eyed Peas performance of “Imma Be” and “I’ve Got a Feelin” sounded out of sync­­—literally. The group and their dancers had outfits that reminded me of medieval astronauts. Their vocals were off a little, either because of their reliance on sound effects, or possibly because of their lack of ability to keep on beat.

Following the Black Eyed Peas, Jaime Foxx, T-Pain, Slash, and Doug E. Fresh sang “Blame It.” Do not get me wrong, this is a great song, but with the live voice effects, the out of place guitar licks, and an ensemble that did not seem to fit together, I was glad that the performance finished quickly.

The final act consisted of Eminem, Lil Wayne, Drake, and Travis Barker on drums collaborated to perform “Forever” and “Drop the World.” I thought they blew the roof off. I mean, at least I thought that they blew the roof off. I couldn’t really hear the performance due to the network’s unnecessary censorship. Senior Jake Brown agreed. “I [thought] it was stupid when [CBS] muted [Eminem, Lil Wayne, and Drake] even though [they] were skipping the swears,” he said.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in Viewpoint may not necessarily represent the opinions of The Westword.