GRAMMYS 2021: A New Type of Awards Show?

 One major thing happened at the 2021 Grammy Awards. I know what you're thinking.  No, it's not just the first time Trevor Noah  dressed in more than a hoodie and left his house in months. No, it's not the random appearance by a very tired-looking and grammy-less Beyonce and Jay-Z. 

I'll tell you what happened: Music was actually celebrated on music's biggest night!

via GIPHY

 Yes, most music award shows these days are glorified over-the-top performances that look like they belong at halftime of the big game. With a small, intimate audience outside the STAPLES center in a still locked-down Los Angeles, artists could have been left scrambling. Some of them haven't performed in the last year and now they're relegated to a closed indoor set without the limited show audience to cheer them on. What's a musician to do? 

They had to perform for (brace yourself) each other.  Performances and interview videos of the most nominated artists of the year went in a  round-robin style, 2 to 3 in a row. Artists sat near their performance spaces after, often with drinks in their hands, making eye contact with their fellow nominees, making me believe that is is just an honor to be nominated. Gone are the days of Taylor sitting front row and dancing with her model BFF's like they're at the club.  Gone are the days of  people wiping tears from their eyes while they pretend to be moved by an Adele song. And I'd like to think that with this new feeling of inclusion, there will be less camera catching Chrissy Tiegan falling asleep during the Oscars.  Here was a night of actual human connection, and about 4-5 televised awards. We may still be in the middle of the pandemic, but this was more of a real celebration than any other awards show I've seen.  

Grammy Performances- Grading the 'Wow' Factor?

     People will always differ in their opinion of what makes a great award show performance. Is it something that brings them to tears, or does it encompass a surprise guest star? Is it a tearjerker, or a breakaway pop hit with tons of dancers? Sometimes there is a drum line marching down the aisle, and sometimes there are multiple Eminems storming the stage. At last night's 69th Annual Grammy Awards, all is fair in love and award show performances. I've ranked all of the performances by grade.

Adele- Hello: B; Fast Love: A
     This song has been played so many times, it no longer resonates with me.  I apologize to people that still are on the Adele train, but it was a slow opener. Yes, I recognize that she won multiple awards for her album, but it's full of heavy songs, and Hello is the heaviest. It's just not a crowd opener.
     With all else being said, I strongly love Adele's personality. She is my kind of performer and she says what she thinks. Things more interesting during Adele's late in the show tribute to George Michael. In the middle of the song, she cursed, cut off the music, and asked the conductor of the orchestra to start the song again. It was reported she felt the song had gone off-key. She began the whole thing again, which takes a lot of guts.

(c)PipPepPop- Keith Urban Live

Keith Urban and Carrie Underwood- The Fighter: A
     I'm a big fan of duets. After Urban's amazing duet with Miranda Lambert a couple of years ago (We Were Us), I thought nothing could top it. I was wrong. The legendary pairing of Urban and Underwood will be one for the country books. The song has a disco-influenced pulsing beat and an uplifting and effortless message about being there for your 'Bae. The paid effortlessly passed lines of devotion back and forth as Urban wailed away on his guitar. The simple set was full of lights and geometric designs.


Beyonce- Love Drought and Sandcastles: A+
     I'm not 100% sure I understood Beyonce's performance, but it was an immersing experience. It was the Lemonade album of award shows. There was confetti, epic dinner tables, rocking chairs, tons of dancers, and the set of her recent pregnancy photo shoot. Queen B literally dressed like a Queen complete with a gold halo, speaking about mothers and children, life and rebirth, and glory. She ended with a simple voice-over: "Let it be Glorious." Just watch the video here because I can't do it justice.

The Weeknd (Featuring Daft Punk)- Starboy/ I Feel It Coming: C
     I was not impressed with the performance. All I can contribute to the conversation is that I kept hoping Daft Punk would finally pull off their helmets so I could prove they are genius robot producers and not real humans.

(c) PipPepPop - Ed Sheeran Live

Ed Sheeran- Shape of You: A+
     Sheeran is a no-fills type of performer. I saw him in early 2013 for his first album, +. He came onstage at Radio City with a guitar and  a loop pedal. He made all of his own background music with his voice and guitar. He orchestrated each piece as needed, looping it in on his sound system, and it was breathtaking. His new song is a bit more clubby than his earlier stuff, but every bit as raw and real in this guitar and voice-only version. This performance showed Sheeran's true musicianship.

Kelsea Ballerini and Lukas Graham- Peter Pan/7 Years: B+
     I am the first person who will admit, I thought Lukas Graham was a person and not a band until quite recently. I'm not a big fan of their song 7 Years, because it's very repetitive, and for my taste its too whiny, or maybe just too European.  I'm a county music fan, and I like Ballerini's Peter Pan, although it's not her most ear-wormy hit. Both songs are slow and wistful, but when they were mixed together, both became much stronger and had a poppier driving force.

Bruno Mars- That's What I Like: B / Let's Go Crazy: A+
     At first, I was underwhelmed and unimpressed by this Bruno Mars performance. Some of his recent hits have included full brass lines and choreographed dance moves. But I know that not every song can be Uptown Funk. This slow, sensual song led Mars and two of his background singers sweet-talk the ladies in a Motown-style "sway and sing."  They took to a stage in the audience toward the end of the song to break it down. I thought he  would pull Jennifer Lopez up on stage at the end, because she was standing front and center swaying along. I'm seeing some chemistry here and that's why  this performance will be memorable.
     I read that Bruno Mars used to impersonate Elvis as a child, singing with his dad's band. I imagine seeing that would be similar to seeing him knock the closing Prince tribute out of the Staples Center. Mars came on stage for Let's Go Crazy, which has become one of the most posthumously-played Prince songs played since the artist's death. Here, we found what was missing from his earlier performance, the "Mars Effect", as I'm calling it. This time, he was singing and dancing in a purple suit, ruffly shirt and swinging a white guitar. It brought back the spirit of the great purple artist.

(c) PipPepPop - Katy Perry Live

Katy Perry- Chained to the Rhythm: B
     From a house in the sky to a mirrored broken fence, Katy Perry's sets fell away faster than a house traveling to the land of Oz. At one point, I thought the spinning stage was forming a disco ball, so I'll go with that.  The new song is pretty simple where the lyrics are concerned: "Turn it up, it's my favorite song. Dance dance dance to the distortion."* Perry also looked unusually plain: a white suit, blonde hair, and rose-colored glasses, which were flung off during a song lyric. Truthfully, I thought this was not as impressive as some of the performances on her Prism Tour (there was an animatronic camel). Nonetheless, it was a solid and understated effort (except the out of place reggae feature) and not how Perry typically does things. Then came the dramatic end: the words of the constitution projected on Perry and the set. This was Perry's moment. As Nick Jonas said, "I try to break the chains, but the chains are gonna break me."

*I swear this lyric sounds like:
 "dance to the discotron."

Maren Morris and Alicia Keys - Once: A-
     Duets involving Alicia Keys is always a crowd pleaser. I will never forget the first time it happened. I was at a John Mayer concert in 2007 and Keys strode onstage and began harmonizing on "Gravity."  I still get chills thinking about it. Keys has also sung the Rolling Stones classic with Adam Levine of Maroon 5, and it's a tearjerker. This is the first time I remember Keys singing with another equally talented female artist, and the result was epic. This was Morris's first appearance at the Grammys and she took home a trophy! She began alone on the sweet, blusey tune, and Keys walked on, taking a verse and bringing the house down with their harmony.

Lady Gaga and Metallica - Moth Into Flame: D
     This was a true rock star moment. Gaga, dressed like she came out of a strip club in 1994 (denim and flannel) carried much of the song since Metallica front-man James Hetfield's mic was not working. The performance was the weakest of the night. It was loud, firey, and encompassed everything I hate about grunge and metal- loud chaos and noise. Hetfield went across the stage to share the mic with Gaga, going all "Axel Rose," knocking over his mic and  tossing his guitar offstage at the end. I'll give Gaga a slight pass on this, considering her epic performance the week earlier at the big game, but there is no excuse for Metallica.

Sturgill Simpson and The Dap Kings brass line - All Around You: A
     Simpson has the voice and presence of a seasoned country star, even though not many people know who he is. You have to learn more about him! His electrifying voice and guitar playing remind me of a younger Vince Gill. It was a perfect all-around performance.

(c)PipPepPop- Demi Lovato and Little Big Town live. 

Demi Lovato, Little Big Town, Tori Kelly, Andra Day -The Bee Gees Tribute: A

     Let me get this off my chest, this was not The Barry Gibb Talk Show, a SNL/Tonight Show skit that I absolutely adore. Secondly, I think it is a complete shame that they waited 40 years to honor the brothers Gibb at the Grammys, as only one brother is still alive. Where was the 20th or 30th anniversary of Saturday Night Fever tribute? Enough about tragedy, I'll focus on the flawless tributes and the excitement on Gibb's face. In true Grammy glory, each artist brought their A-game like the Bee Gees did in their epic "One Night Only" concert (in 1998).
     Demi Lovato has been called many things and has been subjected to a lot of criticism since her Disney Channel days. Despite that, I saw her live his summer with the Boston Pops, and I was impressed. She was also nominated this year for best pop vocal album. Lovato led the tribute with You Should Be Dancing and it was a solid entry! As one of last year's new Grammy performers, Tori Kelly shined in the disco classic Tragedy.  No Bee Gees tribute would be complete without a sweet 70's love ballad. That honor went to the delightful vocal styling of country mega band Little Big Town. I also got to see this 2-time best country duo/group performance winners with the Boston Pops this summer and their harmonies were the sweetest lullaby of Bean Town. Andra Day, famous for singing with Stevie Wonder in a holiday commercial, wowed with Night Fever. The whole group came together for what has been called a "killer" rendition of  Staying Alive, and I loved every minute of it. 

A Tribe Called Quest w/ Busta Rhymes and Anderson .Paak
     "Movin' Forward/We the People : B
     I was getting a little sleepy by the time this came about (in the later 10:30-11:00 P.M. block), so I was losing focus on the whole show. The show started slowly and innocently enough with the tribe dedicating the song to their deceased member, Phife Dawg. Suddenly  "A Tribe" woke me up with with a politically-charged rant against President Trump, referring to him as to as "Agent Orange." They led up people representing many groups that have been persecuted and spoken against by the president, filling the stage with women in Hijabs and Latinos etc.. By the end of the show, Tribesman Q-Tip chanted "Resist" over and over again and WE GOT THE MESSAGE.

Pentatonix- ABC: B
     This gang has been everywhere lately- parades, award shows and  everything in between. Their short a capella tribute to the Jackson 5 was oddly placed, but well performed. I had a lot of flashbacks to high school a capella choir during this time and was still trying to process how Pentatonix won an award for best country duo or group performance.

The Time (B) followed by Bruno Mars (see above, A+), - Prince Tribute
"Jungle Love/The Bird"      "Let's Go Crazy"      
     I didn't know the first two songs from the tribute too well. I love and respect The Time and their intense years of collaborating and performing with Prince, but I felt totally lost during their set. I was yelling at the TV: "Don't Appleonia me like that!" Then the performance abruptly ended and I felt empty. When I thought it was over, I was delighted  by the appearance of  Bruno Mars. See full report above.

Chance the Rapper -How Great/ All We Got: B+
     I only know Chance the Rapper from his Kit Kat commerical, but I was happy to see his humbling Grammy speech. He won a little (3 awards) Grammy bling and seems like he has a good head on his shoulders. Over a sweeping choir, he rapped with little effort and full heart. I read after the fact that Chance's album was released only though streaming and he was offered a lot of money this week to sign a real record deal, which he turned down. Bonus points to Chance for using a choir!


James Corden and Friends Carpool Karaoke- Sweet Caroline: B+

(c) PipPepPop - Tim McGraw Live

     This was very cheesy, but I still found it adorable. Corden adapted his late night skit for prime time with a car cutout and some very musical friend. Guests roped into the scene included the originator Neil Diamond, J-Lo, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Ryan Tedder, John Legend, Chrissy Tegan, Keith Urban and a guy with a coat perched on the edge of his shoulders that reminded me of a young Puff Daddy (or whatever he will answer to today). By the end, the entire audience was supplementing the BUM BUM BUMs in the background and Blu Ivy Carter was dancing in front of the camera.This is truly one of those moments that only happens in Hollywood.

Feminist Thoughts About the Grammys

First of all, who suggested Pitbull close out the show with Taxi? Is this the American Music Awards or the club or something less honorable than music's biggest night? Second, do you think he uses the same group of dancers for every award show and dresses them as sexy cowboys, sexy taxis etc...? And what is Sofia Vergara doing there dancing in a taxi costume? In conclusion, this sound sounds like it heavily samples from Shaggy's Murder She Wrote and looks like the inspiration for my next big hit, Magic Mike 3: Taxi Time (trademark on the title pending, but I'm seeing big things from a marketing angle).

Has anyone thought about including a female host at the Grammys? And no, I'm not talking about Chrissy Teigen's "hosting" duties with LL on Lip Sync Battle (pouring drinks and passing out the winning belt).  I find LL Cool J to be like an episode of many of CBS's procedural dramas, completely likable, but not very memorable.

I never thought I would hate vampires... but the Hollywood Vampires performance made me rethink that. Alice Cooper is too old to be wearing blood and makeup, someone might think something is really wrong with him. This goes double for Joe Perry because these guys have all been on death's door at some point.  Furthermore, Johnny Depp looks like Captain Jack Sparrow playing a guitar. I cannot take him seriously.

I think Taylor Swift might have been wearing a bathing suit in her Grammy acceptance outfit, but her bob looked flawless. She had a lot of positive things to say and she won several awards despite Kanye West's negative onslaught thrown her way. Fortunately Mr. West was nowhere near the podium and could not jump out and interrupt her speech. Furthermore, she spoke about not letting the naysayers get to you, and I think  it showed in her show-opening performance, where she stood alone, sans dancers and squads, and sang about triumph. She literally came Out of the Woods. #SquadGoals

Meghan Trainor is trying to steal the looks of Adele and Florence Welch (Florence and the Machine). Also Ms. Adele was unfortunately flat (or so we thought) during parts of her performance. It turned out to be a mic that fell into the piano and distorted the sound. It just proves that even Adele can have a bit of a rough time. Start,s they are just like us.

Meghan Trainor, Adele and Florence Welch- triplets?

I realized I want to be Bonnie Raitt when I grow up. It's now official. First of all, she gets called Ms. Bonnie Raitt. Second of all, the plays a kick-ass guitar. Third, she looks amazing for 66 years young and rocks the white streak in her hair.  I love her motorcycle zip jacket, too! Plus, she gave a stirring blues tribute to the late Mr. B.B. King. 

To sum it up, she can make you bawl with I Can't Make You Love Me  and make you feel sassy with Something to Talk About, one of my favorite karaoke songs.

Lady Gaga treated us to a tribute (full video) to David Bowie, and in true Gaga fashion, it was a literal tribute. LG appeared in short, bright red hair, a ton of glam makeup, and a sequined jumpsuit. She fired off a list of hits including :
Major Tom
Let's Dance
Rebel, Rebel
Suffragette City
 (Ch ch ch) Changes and more....

Queen Bey, 2016

Destiny's Child, 2001

Beyonce appeared unscheduled ans almost out of the mist, like Prince, to give out the last award of the evening. Is Queen Bey too cool for us now with all of her Big Game performances to give a head's up she's coming to the grammys and giving out the biggest award? It seems like just yesterday (or about 15 years ago, but who's counting),  Queen B in an an Austin Powers movie and dominating the red carpet with Kelly Rowland and Michele Williams (and possibly LaTavia and LeToya but there's more to that story and their Grammy win), wearing clothes designed by her mom, Tina.

A Love Note: Dear Luke Bryan

 

Dear Luke,

You are the best country music man out there!  Enough said. I am a total fan girl.

Love, PPP

In closing and in defense, he is the one in the baseball cap and leather jacket. !In true country boy style, he has a loving wife and two adorable sons, and he sings like an angel. Sigh! Plus, check out the second video from the Grammy nomination concert where he shows some moves like Jagger.