The Annual Grammy Awards - General Discussion

[vibeology]

I meant to write rap. That was a brain fart on my part. Sorry. I was trying to make two separate points that rambled way too much and jumbled the up in pairing them down.

Edited February 16, 2016 by vibeology

[Qoass]

I have such mixed feelings about the Glen Frey tribute because the Eagles were very much a part of the soundtrack of my childhood but I came away from the documentary HIstory of the Eagles convinced that Glen Frey and Don Henley are massive assholes.  Don Felder is the guy who was missing from the lineup last night because he wasn't invited.

 

Still massive assholes.

[ari333]

Bummer not to invite ALL the Eagles originals.  I didn't realize someone was missing (except the one who passed of course)

 

I enjoyed all the tributes, even Gaga. Im a fan anyway, but I thought she nailed it.

 

We have not finished watching yet, but if Natalie Cole didn't get a tribute Im going to be stabby.  Mainly bc that Biebs was so flat I couldn't take it and he got two songs! He gets two flst songs and Natalie gets nothing? WUT? And I, too, hate his stupid gallop. The only thing that bugs me more than Biebs - an I hope I don't hear it -  is that Drake with his "You used to call me on my CELL PHONE" Oh dear god I loathe that song. It makes my ears bleed.

 

I like Meghan Trainor.

 

I also now like Tori Kelly.

 

Swift needs to sit the eff down. I did like her opening jumpsuit. Not her, just the outfit. :-) However, if she threw shade at Kanye, SUPER PROPS!

[truthaboutluv]

I'm sure that Kendrick will eventually win a make-up Grammy one year and we'll all be complaining about the hot new artist who got robbed.

 

Doubtful, unless the Grammy voters get over treating Rap like the stepchild that's only tolerated. Which brings me to this:

 

I think a lot of musical artists want to see a combination of lyrics, melodies and hooks and traditional rap just emphasizes the lyrics.

 

I think this statement sums up perfectly the problem with how many view Rap and why the genre has never been rewarded in the big categories. Because just to be clear, no rap song has EVER won SOTY or ROTY and again, Outkast's winning AOTY had an asterisk next to it only because Big Boi's entire side of the album was really R&B.

 

Kendrick's album had PLENTY of melodies and hooks because that album had Jazz, Funk, Soul and R&B influences all over it. But again that's symbolic of how many view Rap, i.e. it's just lyrics and saying words. The fact of the matter is, in my opinion, Rap music still makes a lot of people uncomfortable, which is why to this day it'll get invited to the party but never be at the head of the table. And Kendrick, so raw and intense in his music really makes some people uncomfortable.

 

Oh the comments online after his performance and this morning have just been so predictable and "glorious". Because what some people saw was a "scary" black guy up there in chains rapping about how 

"My hair is nappy, my dick is big, my nose is round and wide. 

You hate me don't you?

You hate my people, your plan is to terminate my culture. 

You're fuckin' evil I want you to recognize that I'm a proud monkey"

 

Yeah that makes some people squirm, including Grammy voters. Hell the good folks at Fox News were crowing about Kendrick being anti-police and inciting people when he performed Alright at the BET Awards, just because the song has the line, "And we hate Popo, wanna kill us dead in the street for sure". Of course they conveniently ignore where he says multiple times in the song that "if God got us, then we gonna be alright..."

 

So when it was all said and done, voters went with what was safe and comfortable. The world is shitty enough and most people don't like to be reminded of the awful. I mean you know it's bad when not even the white guy (that would be Eminem) could break through in those categories. Grammy voters have never truly respected Rap in my opinion and last night just further cemented that. I'm sure they're telling themselves, "well he swept the Rap categories so what's the big deal..."

 

eta: Let me just also add that I hated Lady Gaga's tribute to David Bowie because I felt that the performance quickly veered from tribute into parody. I felt like I wasn't watching Lady Gaga honoring Bowie but doing a parody of him, down to fake British accent while singing, weird teeth, weird walk, etc. And Bowie deserved way better than that. Yes Bowie was conceptual and out there but that worked for him and for whatever era he was performing in. Gaga putting on some costume and mimicking everything about a performance of Bowie's just made it cheesy and the bad camp, as opposed to the brilliant camp that actually was Bowie. 

Edited February 16, 2016 by truthaboutluv

[Qoass]

I agree about the Bowie tribute.  That medley could just as easily been performed by Bill Murray as Nick the Lounge Singer.

[UYI]

I'm not going to lie, I'm kind of sad we didn't get a reaction shot from Selena when Justin performed. He really should have named Love Yourself "Screw You, Selena Gomez" and been done with it. 

Edited February 16, 2016 by UYI

[Hanahope]

I wasn't a fan of Gaga's tribute to Bowie either, which was disappointing.  I didn't think much of the 'tribute' to Glen Frey either, but it did remind me that as old as I am, those guys are wow, so much older.  Actually, the only performance I really liked was Hamilton.  I wish I could go see it, but I don't have a fortune to pay for that. 

 

Glad I DVR'd the show, I started watching at 10:30 and finished at the same time the broadcast did.  Helps when I don't care for most of the awards and don't like most of the performers (though I did give each one a least 30 seconds to convince me to watch the rest).

[UYI]

 

 

We have not finished watching yet, but if Natalie Cole didn't get a tribute Im going to be stabby.  

 

 

 

 

Swift needs to sit the eff down. I did like her opening jumpsuit. Not her, just the outfit. :-) However, if she threw shade at Kanye, SUPER PROPS!

 

Natalie Cole didn't get an "official" performance tribute, but she WAS the last person acknowledged in the "In Memoriam" segment. They showed her performing her "duet" of Unforgettable with her father at the Grammys in 1992.

 

Taylor DID throw shade at Kanye during her AOTY speech, but of course didn't name names, because that's not her thing, LOL. She DID humble brag about winning two AOTY Grammys, though, which isn't a good look on her.

 

I will say that even if most would have been happier with Kendrick, Chris, or Alabama Shakes winning AOTY instead, 1989 is a pretty solid pop album (my red hot hate for "Shake It Off" remains, though. BLECH.) 

 

Also, I'm not really a fan of rap at all, but Kendrick is the real deal. Talent is talent, plain and simple. 

Edited February 16, 2016 by UYI

[UMAngela]

I'm not going to lie, I'm kind of sad we didn't get a reaction shot from Selena when Justin performed. He really should have named Love Yourself "Screw You, Selena Gomez" and been done with it. 

"Love Yourself" isn't about Selena, I think it's about some Instragram model girlfriend he had.  I didn't think Selena would need to name drop Bieber to get into clubs, which he alludes to in the lyrics, so I did some Googling on the subject.  Too much time on my hands, I guess.  

[Maysie]

 

eta: Let me just also add that I hated Lady Gaga's tribute to David Bowie because I felt that the performance quickly veered from tribute into parody. I felt like I wasn't watching Lady Gaga honoring Bowie but doing a parody of him, down to fake British accent while singing, weird teeth, weird walk, etc. And Bowie deserved way better than that. Yes Bowie was conceptual and out there but that worked for him and for whatever era he was performing in. Gaga putting on some costume and mimicking everything about a performance of Bowie's just made it cheesy and the bad camp, as opposed to the brilliant camp that actually was Bowie.

 

That pretty much sums up my feelings on it. And yet, this mornings interwebs headlines are about the "amazing" tribute she paid to Bowie last night. Amazing if you're thinking amazing in its awfulness.

 

 

Taylor DID throw shade at Kanye during her AOTY speech, but of course didn't name names, because that's not her thing, LOL. She DID humble brag about winning two AOTY Grammys, though, which isn't a good look on her.

 

Yeah, she began to lose me with the bragging, but she reeled me in when she called out Kanye. I don't really like her - kind of over her, the same way I am with Beyonce and other people who begin to believe their own publicity. How long til she writes a song about him? Or will she be smart and ignore the asshole, which for him is probably worse.

 

Awards shows and me don't traditionally mesh. After many many disappointments, I've come to believe that they're kind of like popularity contests among cliques - they feel very high schoolish to me (I'm including the Oscars in this). I'm not saying they never reward the right people, but it seems to me that in the entertainment business, there's a power structure that evolves at a glacial pace and I sense that's why we see many of the same entertainers (actors, musicians) popping up everywhere, doing their jobs and then getting handsomely rewarded for it with awards and box office/chart bank. (And this is a cycle that feeds itself, imo). I imagine it's frustrating for artists to continually get overlooked or pigeonholed into a type, but I hope that for "real" artists, they're able to find their satisfaction (and reward) in just doing what they do and not buy into the myth that they're not a true success unless they win the big prize.

[Quof]

 

I didn't think much of the 'tribute' to Glen Frey either, but it did remind me that as old as I am, those guys are wow, so much older.

 

I saw Don Henley in concert recently. He played for 3 hours without a break.  He's 68.

[DeLurker]

What exactly did Taylor say that was shade at Kanye?

 

I live under a rock, but even I know about when he interrupted her acceptance at the prior award ranting about how it should have gone to Beyonce.

[vibeology]

What exactly did Taylor say that was shade at Kanye?

 

I live under a rock, but even I know about when he interrupted her acceptance at the prior award ranting about how it should have gone to Beyonce.

 

Kanye has a new album and on it he says "I feel like me and Taylor might still have sex/Why? I made that bitch famous/Goddamn, I made that bitch famous." Lovely, right?

 

So in her speech last night, she squinted her eyes, got her serious voice on and said ""As the first woman to win Album of the Year at the Grammys twice, I want to say to all the young women out there: there are going to be people along the way who will try to undercut your success or take credit for your accomplishments or your fame. If you just focus on the work, and you don't let those people sidetrack you, someday when you get where you're going, you'll look around and you'll know that it was you and the people who love you that put you there and that will be the greatest feeling in the world. "

 

I still think she shouldn't have won, but at least she used her moment to make Kanye's head explode.

[ebk57]

FYI, if anyone's interested, they're playing the entire Hamilton cast album on the XM Broadway show channel...although they just started Act II (sorry for the late notice)

[TVFan17]

I have such mixed feelings about the Glen Frey tribute because the Eagles were very much a part of the soundtrack of my childhood but I came away from the documentary HIstory of the Eagles convinced that Glen Frey and Don Henley are massive assholes.  Don Felder is the guy who was missing from the lineup last night because he wasn't invited.

 

Still massive assholes.

 

 

I don't think Don Felder should have been invited, so it made sense to me that he was not.   The performance last night (mangled though it was, and lacking a proper introduction) was not about honoring the Eagles as a band, such as, for example, a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction.  It was only about doing a little tribute to Frey.  It wasn't an award going to the band or some other celebration of their catalog of music.  It was just about, "Let's sing a song that was co-written by our friend/brother/co-founder of an iconic classic rock band... who just died." 

 

Last night's botched performance was and should have been all about Glenn Frey -- and the reality is that he and Don Felder were not on good terms.  If Don Henley had thought that it would be appropriate to invite Don Felder to participate, I'm sure he would have done so.  Since Henley and Frey were mostly in agreement about everything, I'm sure he knew that the right thing to do was to not have Felder there.

[2AT]

Lady Gaga looked like a Ziggy Stardust era Angela Bowie to me.

I would have loved to see some combination of Brian Eno, Tony Visconte, Carlos Alomar, Robert Fripp, Adrian Belew, Dennis Davis, Trent Resnor, Earl Slick, Peter Frampton, Nile Rodgers, Mike Garson, Robin Clark, Ava Cherry and the group that played with David Bowie on Blackstar, backing up a Thin White Duke era Lady Gaga as she sung the heck out of "Heroes." Her performance was better suited for one of Bowie's more theatrical pieces, like "Time," "Rock and Roll Suicide," or "Cracked Actor."

Edited February 16, 2016 by 2AT

[Dancingjaneway]

Another Grammys which means another year to realize that music now a days sucks. Taylor Swift can go away now please, oh please! Also her little speech when she won her AOTY award was just giving Kanye more publicity. She played into his hands and she's an idiot for it. The Eagles tribute was just o.k. I'm miffed that EWF didn't get an all out tribute especially with Maurice passing away. The BB King tribute was wonderful. Bonnie Raitt is fucking amazing and more artists need to look at her as to how it's done. The Hamilton number was good. I liked the Bowie tribute and have no problem admitting that. I also loved seeing Nyle Rodgers up there playing guitar. It's super unfortunate that they fucked up so badly on Adele's number because she was who I was looking foraward to. She still was a million times better than 90% of the people up there tonight. Super disappointed that Bruno Mars didn't get to pay tribute to Lionel Ritchie. I would have liked the Lionel Ritchie tribute be done by John Legend and Bruno Mars. Demi Lovato sucks and she always has. She sounds like she's barely hanging on to the note. If it had been a half step up she would have bombed so horribly.  I'm also disappointed that we didn't get's to see Uptown Funk. What can I say I like that song?? Loved Stevie Wonder with Pennatonix. Personally I think the Grammys are backwards in their thinking. They should have given out only 8 awards back when music was good (70's, 80's some of the 90's) and now give out more awards than performances. We really didn't fucking need to see Bieber, VampireWTF(that band with Depp) and fucking Pitbull. 

[TVFan17]

Another Grammys which means another year to realize that music now a days sucks. Taylor Swift can go away now please, oh please! Also her little speech when she won her AOTY award was just giving Kanye more publicity. She played into his hands and she's an idiot for it. The Eagles tribute was just o.k. I'm miffed that EWF didn't get an all out tribute especially with Maurice passing away. The BB King tribute was wonderful. Bonnie Raitt is fucking amazing and more artists need to look at her as to how it's done. The Hamilton number was good. I liked the Bowie tribute and have no problem admitting that. I also loved seeing Nyle Rodgers up there playing guitar. It's super unfortunate that they fucked up so badly on Adele's number because she was who I was looking foraward to. She still was a million times better than 90% of the people up there tonight. Super disappointed that Bruno Mars didn't get to pay tribute to Lionel Ritchie. I would have liked the Lionel Ritchie tribute be done by John Legend and Bruno Mars. Demi Lovato sucks and she always has. She sounds like she's barely hanging on to the note. If it had been a half step up she would have bombed so horribly.  I'm also disappointed that we didn't get's to see Uptown Funk. What can I say I like that song?? Loved Stevie Wonder with Pennatonix. Personally I think the Grammys are backwards in their thinking. They should have given out only 8 awards back when music was good (70's, 80's some of the 90's) and now give out more awards than performances. We really didn't fucking need to see Bieber, VampireWTF(that band with Depp) and fucking Pitbull. 

 

I agree about the lack of Bruno Mars in the Lionel Ritchie segment -- he really should have been the one doing the "Brick House" portion of the tribute.  He would have been great on that.

Edited February 16, 2016 by Sherry67

[MyAimIsTrue]

I saw Don Henley in concert recently. He played for 3 hours without a break.  He's 68.

 

Paul McCartney did the same thing the last time I saw him (2013) and he was north of 70 already.

[LeeLeePanda]

I think I should say, regarding Taylor Swift, that she technically had every right to call out Kanye for writing a lyric about her having sex with him because he "made that bitch famous" (more like MORE famous--he DID raise her popularity to another level after his VMA stunt, but she was already pretty popular on her own before that), because that was disgusting and crass (although the fact that he called his own wife a bitch in song--and basically implied that she's a gold digger--is even worse IMO. I mean, she and her whole family repulse me, but Kanye's married to her, not me.).

But like I said above, the humble brag about winning two AOTY awards soured it a bit for me. If she was going to mention it, I think she should have just straight up BRAGGED about it, rather than mention it under the guise of being humble.

And I'll admit that her past record on feminism, which has often looked more like a faux feminist PR tactic used to deflect genuine criticism off of her whenever she gets her delicate little fee fees hurt--also colors things a bit for me, but again, despite the humble brag, she deserved to call him out and I'm glad she did.

Conflicted feelings and all that good stuff. *shrug*

I love Kanye, but his Taylor Swift lyric was vile and uncalled for. I think he's a talented asshole, but he's really gone off the deep end.

Tay Tay, on the other hand, is the epitome of rewarding mediocrity. She's a decent song writer, I'll give her that. But she wouldn't be here today without her parents money and a team of magic makers. She's curated, all image.

Now, I have friends that have worked with her, and they she's very sweet and great to her team. That's wonderful. But for her to act like she's where she is today on her own merit is ludicrous. I guess what I'm trying to say is this: Shut up Kanye and Taylor.

Edited February 16, 2016 by LeeLeePanda

[UYI]

So can we talk about Tori Kelly's stank face last night? I think it was during Taylor's speech. I LOVE IT. :D

 

 

[slowpoked]

How long til she writes a song about him? 

 

How long?? She already did. Two albums ago:

 

[DeLurker]

Kanye has a new album and on it he says "I feel like me and Taylor might still have sex/Why? I made that bitch famous/Goddamn, I made that bitch famous." Lovely, right?

Wow.  Ever the class act that Kanye.

 

Also her little speech when she won her AOTY award was just giving Kanye more publicity. She played into his hands and she's an idiot for it.

Not sure he should be credit as being some kind of puppet master who manipulated things with intent...but ignoring him would have been better.

 

So can we talk about Tori Kelly's stank face last night? I think it was during Taylor's speech. I LOVE IT. :D

 

 

If I ever went to one of these things, that would be me.  Should I know who Tori Kelly is?

[Dancingjaneway]

So I realized this morning that Taylor's "Out of the Woods" sounds a LOT like T'Pau's  "Heart & Soul".  

Edited February 16, 2016 by Dancingjaneway

[slowpoked]

I'm really tired of Taylor acting like she's all about girl power, she has done nothing but make a career on perpetuating the stereotype that girls are bitchy, catty and vindictive.

So short yet so eloquent. And I hate how everyone has to walk on eggshells around her just because she threatened that if you're mean to her, she'll write a song about you. What is it that Michael J. Fox said? "Isn't she the girl who got famous by writing revenge songs? What a career!" And I still can't get over her saying Tina Fey has a special place in hell just because Tina Fey made a joke about her staying away from Fox's son. There's a special place in hell for women who don't support other women? Well, Tay Tay, if you must know, Tina Fey had done so much more for women and feminism in general than your faux feminist act with you parading your squad and screaming girl power.

 

 

Katy Perry had five #1 songs from her Teenage Dream album, making her only the second artist to do so after Michael Jackson for a little album called Thriller. I guess Katy deserved AOTY for Teenage Dream too.

Teenage Dream is one of my guilty pleasures. And heck, I thought the song at least brought back more teenage memories in a better way than 1989 supposedly does.

 

 

Bonnie Raitt is still a goddess and I loved that tribute to BB King.

That was such a nice surprise. Bonnie still rocks!

[KenyaJ]

FYI, if anyone's interested, they're playing the entire Hamilton cast album on the XM Broadway show channel...although they just started Act II (sorry for the late notice)

 

I've listened to that cast recording every day since it came out in October. I gave it to my mom for Christmas and she insisted that we go see it before any of the original cast members leave, so we have tickets for the first weekend in April. I won't be able to pay my mortgage that month, but it's fine, because I intend to die happy at the end of the last curtain call. Anyway, I was so excited for the Hamilton performance and it didn't disappoint. The crazy thing is, as much as I love "Alexander Hamilton," I would have killed to see them do "My Shot," "Yorktown," "Satisfied," or "The Room Where It Happens." Then again, I'm glad they didn't do any of those because I want to see them for the first time when I see the show. Anyway Lin-Manuel Miranda is a genius, I loved that he rapped his acceptance speech, and I'm so excited and happy for the cast and creators.

 

I love Kanye, but his Taylor Swift lyric was vile and uncalled for. I think he's a talented asshole, but he's really gone off the deep end.

Tay Tay, on the other hand, is the epitome of rewarding mediocrity. She's a decent song writer, I'll give her that. But she wouldn't be here today without her parents money and a team of magic makers. She's curated, all image.

Now, I have friends that have worked with her, and they she's very sweet and great to her team. That's wonderful. But for her to act like she's where she is today on her own merit is ludicrous. I guess what I'm trying to say is this: Shut up Kanye and Taylor.

 

I saw a tweet last night decrying the fact that Kanye's jackassery feeds perfectly into her victim routine, and it's so true. She had every right to call him out, but I hated the humble-braggy, passive-aggressive way she did it. I want them both to just go away.

 

Anyway, Hamilton cast, Kendrick Lamar, Alabama Shakes, the BB King Tribute, and Tori Kelly/James Bay and young Joey, the piano prodigy, made the night for me. Everything else was varying levels of "I don't care" to "Get this off my screen now." 

[St. Claire]

The crazy thing is, as much as I love "Alexander Hamilton," I would have killed to see them do "My Shot," "Yorktown," "Satisfied," or "The Room Where It Happens."

 

I think all of those songs are more compelling musically (and I would have been thrilled to pieces if they'd performed one of the Cabinet rap battles), "Alexander Hamilton" is a perfect song for an audience who isn't fully familiar with the show because it puts the whole cast out there- the other songs cover either the wartime/political A.Ham (missing out on the fantasticness of Phillipa Soo) or the personal one (missing out on the fantasticness of Daveed Diggs and Leslie Odom, Jr.).

[funkopop]

I am planning on watching the Tony's this year specifically for Hamilton and I hope they perform either My Shot, Satisfied or Wait For It or they can just get rid of the rest of the awards all together and just make it 2 hours of Hamilton.  I won't be able to see the show live so I resort to trolling Youtube for clips and praying that they do release a dvd of the show at some point.  

 

Hamilton really is worthy of all the buzz its getting.  I remember the first time hearing the album and having to pause it and compose myself because I was in awe of just the brilliance of it.  There is a video of Lin Manuel performing "Alexander Hamilton" in 2009  at a White House Correspondents dinner.  There are points where the audience laughs at a straightfoward performance from him.  I kind of felt bad for him in that moment but I'm glad the show is such a HUGE success.

Edited February 16, 2016 by funkopop

[mojoween]

I want BOTH Taylor and Kanye to shut the hell up and besides if you aren't going to go all Nicki Minaj at the VMA's about it, I'm not interested.

[funkopop]

I want BOTH Taylor and Kanye to shut the hell up and besides if you aren't going to go all Nicki Minaj at the VMA's about it, I'm not interested.

 

Ohmygod!! To hear Taylor say "and now to that bitch talking about me. Kanye what's good?!!"

[vibeology]

I am planning on watching the Tony's this year specifically for Hamilton and I hope they perform either My Shot, Satisfied or Wait For It or they can just get rid of the rest of the awards all together and just make it 2 hours of Hamilton.  I won't be able to see the show live so I resort to trolling Youtube for clips and praying that they do release a dvd of the show at some point.  

 

It's not a DVD and it's not the full show but Hamilton is coming to PBS this fall as part of the Great Performances. Its a long wait, but it should be amazing.

[TVFan17]

Has everyone seen this story floating around today, with video footage, about Paul McCartney, Beck and Taylor Hawkins not being allowed in to Tyga's Grammy party?  -- http://www.msn.com/en-us/music/grammy/tyga-denied-paul-mccartney-beck-and-taylor-hawkins-entry-to-his-grammys-afterparty/ar-BBpzDc2?li=BBnb7Kz

 

I am not a huge Beatles fan, though I like some songs, but even those who are not huge Beatles fans should know that they are truly, without question, one of the most influential, iconic, appreciated, respected, legendary, etc., bands of all time, and that Sir Paul is one of the most famous musicians/songwriters of all time.

 

While I always chuckle when reports trickle out about celebrities uttering this specific sentence, I really think that Paul would have been justified in saying, "Don't you know who I am?"  He could then add in, "You idiot.  I'm a m***** f****** Beatle.  Let me in the door."  He does say at one point, in the video, something along the lines of "How VIP do we gotta get?.... We need another hit, guys."

 

He handled it well.  Taylor and Beck just looked stunned that Paul McCartney wasn't being allowed in the door.

[funkopop]

But Tyga though?!!!

[TVFan17]

But Tyga though?!!!

 

Paul mentioned Mark Ronson's name, so it made me wonder if Ronson was one of the co-hosts of the party, with Tyga, or if Ronson invited him.   Otherwise... I am baffled.

 

All I know of Tyga, more or less, is his Kardashian association.

[KenyaJ]

Hamilton really is worthy of all the buzz its getting.  I remember the first time hearing the album and having to pause it and compose myself because I was in awe of just the brilliance of it.  There is a video of Lin Manuel performing "Alexander Hamilton" in 2009  at a White House Correspondents dinner.  There are points where the audience laughs at a straightfoward performance from him.  I kind of felt bad for him in that moment but I'm glad the show is such a HUGE success.

 

I didn't get the sense they were laughing at him, but that they were laughing at the idea of a hip hop tale about one of the founding fathers. It's such an unexpected pairing that, at first mention, it sounds fairly ridiculous. But I love that as he got deeper into the song, you could see the President and First Lady getting into it and really enjoying it. I love that performance and getting an early glimpse of the genius that would spring forth from LMM.

 

Also, as dumb as it is that Paul McCartney wouldn't be let into Tyga's party, I'm kind of side-eyeing him (and everyone else) for even wanting to attend a Tyga party. And Tyga can afford to throw a party???

[UYI]

How long?? She already did. Two albums ago:

 

 

I guess the question now is, "How long until she writes a song about him AGAIN?"

 

I completely forgot to look for Scott Weiland's name in the In Memoriam segment last night, but I checked and he was in there. 

 

But I did see Lesley Gore, and that made me sad all over again. ;'( 

 

 

If I ever went to one of these things, that would be me.  Should I know who Tori Kelly is?

 

From everything I've heard of her and about her, the answer is yes. She and James Bay did a duet last night, and many thought they were one of the highlights (sorry about the extra stuff; that was probably all added in to avoid copyright issues):

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7deh2fGCNMw

[GreyBunny]

Lady Gaga's "tribute" to Bowie was one of the worst Elvis impersonations I'd ever seen.

[UYI]

Good Meghan Trainor won Best New Artist, she can fade back into obscurity now. 

 

That's actually a bit of a myth. Yes, winning Best New Artist CAN be seen as a curse, but plenty of artists who have won it--Mariah Carey, Sheryl Crow, and Adele, just to name a few--have done just fine.

 

Now, I just you COULD say some artists who won it, like Cyndi Lauper and Amy Winehouse, even if they WEREN'T one hit wonders, suffered later on (Cyndi from being in Madonnas's shadow, Amy with her drug issues and eventual death), but in a way, they didn't: Amy will always be remembered for her voice and talent, and Cyndi has DEFINITELY aged more gracefully than Madonna (and I say that as someone who LOVES Madge's music!), and has earned a lot of respect for her voice and songwriting.

 

And someone who actually likes Meghan Trainor (waits for y'all to draw blood :P), I hope she sticks around. ;) 

Edited February 16, 2016 by UYI

[MyAimIsTrue]

Anyway Lin-Manuel Miranda is a genius, I loved that he rapped his acceptance speech, and I'm so excited and happy for the cast and creators.

 

Definitely a genius and he has the McArthur Genius grant to go along with it.  When Lin-Manuel won his very first Tony for "In the Heights" he rapped his acceptance speech and for the past several years he's written the closing wrap up number (which is often rapped by that year's host) for the Tony Awards on the fly as the show is airing.

 

I'm at work so I don't have access to YouTube to post a link but if you guys can find the video of Lin-Manuel and his wedding party performing a  rendition of "To Life" from 'Fiddler On the Roof' as a surprise for his wife at his own wedding it'll be worth your time to watch.  Just awesome.

[UYI]

I don't get Meghan Trainor. She's not particularly talented. She isn't very pretty, she isn't thin (especially by Hollywood standards). Why is she so popular? Adele while while not thin, at least has a pretty face and can sing (although tonight she sounded off)....Meghan seems so ordinary.

 

YMMV, but I think she has a very pretty face/eyes, and an AWESOME voice. Her Nantucket accent might grate for some, but I like it. :)

Edited February 16, 2016 by UYI

[UYI]

Meghan Trainor is, like, dumpy white chick from New England who sings with an off-Jamaican accent. "All About That Bass" and "Hips Are Moving" are little novelty songs, but they should NOT earn someone fucking Best New Artist. This is some fucking bullshit. Her ass shouldn't have won. She's the weakest of the people nominated. I wanted Tori, but really every other nominee was better than stanking ass Meghan Trainor.

 

This is some bullshit.

 

 

 

"Lips Are Movin'", actually. ;)

 

And I honestly don't understand all the hate about her looks. No, she doesn't look like Taylor Swift, but how many people do? I think she has very pretty eyes, and she's certainly sings MUCH better live than Taylor does. And I think she has room to grow as an artist/songwriter. She's only 22, and she seems like a sweet girl. 

 

But I've already said my peace on Meghan, and I realize some won't agree, so I'll stop now. :)

Edited February 16, 2016 by UYI

[UYI]

So apparently Lauryn Hill was supposed to do a duet with the Weeknd last night, but obviously that didn't happen:

 

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/lauryn-hill-grammy-president-trade-words-after-hill-no-show-20160216

[ari333]

I thought the Hamilton performance was live from New York, but then they were all there in not-New York to receive the award. Im confused

[Quof]

Didn't the Hamilton cast accept from the stage in NYC?  I was trying to figure out how Hamilton was "live" during Grammy time.  Turns out, Hamilton is dark on Mondays. So they sold tickets to come see just one number?  Or they admitted people for free to see just one number?

[MyAimIsTrue]

Most Broadway shows are dark on Mondays so the cast assembled for a live performance of the intro number only.  I'm not sure if tickets were sold or given away or what.

[Quof]

"Stephen Colbert introduced the performance that was piped in via satellite from the stage of the Richard Rodgers Theatre on Broadway where the cast performed for an invited audience of friends, family and Broadway industry members."

 

According to Playbill.com

[Kromm]

Kendrick's album had PLENTY of melodies and hooks because that album had Jazz, Funk, Soul and R&B influences all over it. But again that's symbolic of how many view Rap, i.e. it's just lyrics and saying words. The fact of the matter is, in my opinion, Rap music still makes a lot of people uncomfortable, which is why to this day it'll get invited to the party but never be at the head of the table. And Kendrick, so raw and intense in his music really makes some people uncomfortable.

I won't pretend to understand everything about Kendrick, but I have to appreciate anyone who seems to make the world forget about Kanye West.

At least conceptually I do think that Rap and Jazz is a natural hybrid. And from the times I've seen him perform, I'd say that he of course also brings a lot of performance art into the mix too. Even if people aren't exactly humming along with him they way they probably are to Hamilton (a natural comparison), at least the man has something to say, and that's rarely a bad thing in art.

YMMV, but I think she has a very pretty face/eyes, and an AWESOME voice. Her Nantucket accent might grate for some, but I like it. :)

At times I've thought she was putting on an accent too, but I do think a lot of people would agree she's attractive. As for her actual singing voice? I don't think she was at her tip-top on the Grammy show, but I've seen plenty of live stuff with her where she totally kills (oddly enough, the Country guy did the best job on the Lionel tribute, which was definitely odd to see).

[Kromm]

If I ever went to one of these things, that would be me.  Should I know who Tori Kelly is?

I bet someone was just capturing her out of context to make a joke about Swiftie. Tori Kelly has shared a stage with her--she's not REALLY going to be making faces at her.

In terms of who she is? She's awesome. Killer voice, great musical skill. Decent writer, but I think she's still got some development to do there. VERY experienced live singer (she was on American Idol at age 15 and I think got tossed before the Live shows, but said that happening was the best thing that ever happened to her--because it forced her to go on the road and do hundreds and hundreds of live club gigs and actually LEARN how to play in front of an audience). YouTube grew her audience too, but she wasn't just some goofball singing to her camera--as I said she also packed in 4 or 5 solid years of gigging between Idol and when she actually started to hit it big--the YouTube stuff was just on top of that.

[Kromm]

Swift needs to sit the eff down. I did like her opening jumpsuit. Not her, just the outfit. :-) However, if she threw shade at Kanye, SUPER PROPS!

I was pretty annoyed at her--it's like it didn't even OCCUR to her (like it never does when she hypes her big famous connections as her "girl squad") that it might come off as camera-hogging/presumptuous to get up and shove herself into a hug with Ed right then and there. Congratulate him after!

To be fair though she apparently genuinely is friends with him (there are more than enough photos taken casually of them at dinner together all of the time to prove it). And I suspect she's been the recipient of conversations about how disappointing it is to constantly lose out on Grammys (some of which SHE'S taken off of him). So whatever else is wrong or annoying about her, I suspect she was genuinely happy/overjoyed for him.

And yes, in a contest between her and Kanye West I'm glad to see Kanye get dissed, as he well deserves. That said, that doesn't mean the next time I hear something about her girl squad, or her making sure she gets to befriend EVERY famous person out there, I won't roll my eyes. Both things can be true at the same time--that Kanye is insufferable and Swiftie is only a LITTLE less insufferable. I think with Kanye it's just pure ego. With Taylor Swift there's some other factor in there I haven't ever quite fingered. It's never been totally clear to me why she likes collecting famous people like trading cards.

BTW: On another topic, I wanted to hear more from Alabama Shakes and hate they got played off the stage. They were totally new to me, and I found myself fascinated by the bit we saw. I love Roots Rock.

Edited February 17, 2016 by Kromm

[ari333]

I was pretty annoyed at her--it's like it didn't even OCCUR to her (like it never does when she hypes her big famous connections as her "girl squad") that it might come off as camera-hogging/presumptuous to get up and shove herself into a hug with Ed right then and there. Congratulate him after!

To be fair though she apparently genuinely is friends with him (there are more than enough photos taken casually of them at dinner together all of the time to prove it). And I suspect she's been the recipient of conversations about how disappointing it is to constantly lose out on Grammys (some of which SHE'S taken off of him). So whatever else is wrong or annoying about her, I suspect she was genuinely happy/overjoyed for him.

 

It's great that Swift was overjoyed for Ed. However, she shouldn't have been leaping around out of her seat and taking attention away from his moment (imo)