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Contains disappointing Grammy spoilers!
The 60th Grammy Awards took place in Madison Square Garden in New York on January 28th. As the most influential music award event on the planet, it is very difficult to avoid controversy. Brooklyn based rapper Jay-Z led all nominees with 8 nominations, with Compton rapper Kendrick Lamar following with 7. This proves that hip-hop is taking over mainstream music. Sadly, the 21 time Grammy winner did not add a single one to his list in 2018. Kendrick Lamar was an apparent winner, as he dominated the rap categories and won 5 awards over Jay-Z. However, Hip-hop continued to be shunned in the major categories. Artist and songwriter Bruno Mars was unarguably the biggest winner of this year, as he took home best album, record of the year, and song of the year.
Some of these awards are justified, but some are very controversial. For example, Kendrick Lamar thoroughly deserved his rap awards, but I don’t think Bruno Mars should’ve won those three major awards. Maybe one, at most two, yet he robbed Lamar and Logic. In a poll on Google, Mars’ That’s What I Like ranked 3rd out of all nominees for song of the year. In my opinion, 1-800-273-8255 by Logic, Alessia Cara, and Khalid should’ve won because of its impact on American society, plus the song is produced well. In addition, why ignore the presence of Despacito? The song gained 4 billion views on YouTube, still counting. For record of the year, 24k Magic beat Kendrick Lamar’s Humble, and Despacito again. Bruno Mars’ Album of the Year win was his most underserved in mine and other experts’ opinions. Lorde’s widely acclaimed album Melodrama and Kendrick Lamar’s stellar work DAMN were expected to battle for the award. For the best new artist, Alessia Cara beat SZA, Lil Uzi Vert, and Khalid for an unexpected win. Strictly speaking, Cara isn’t a new artist as her first album was released in 2015. Her single Here gained worldwide attention back then, yet she did not shine as much as the other nominees. I think that Lil Uzi Vert or Khalid deserved the award more. Lil Uzi Vert’s XO Tour Llif3 was a sensation, and his album Luv is Rage 2 has some quality songs. Khalid’s American Teen was my personal favorite album of the year; it’s pleasurable and relaxing to listen to. Worth noting, me and a lot of other fans are surprised by Ed Sheeran’s lack of nominations. Shape of You is easily one of the most popular songs of 2017, gaining multiple billion views on YouTube. Divide is also a great album, containing a lot of hit songs. Though Sheeran won awards in the pop category, he should’ve had more recognition in the main categories.
I was fairly impressed by the live performances this year. Kendrick Lamar’s 6 minute opening with U2 and Dave Chappelle was refreshing. Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee set the mood with Despacito, followed by a terrific performance by Childish Gambino. Later on, Bruno Mars and Cardi B set the stage on fire with their new collaboration of Finesse. Kesha delivered an emotional performance with other female artists, calling for victims of sexual abuse to stand up for themselves. Logic performed 1-800-273-8255 with Alessia Cara and Khalid to end the performances. After the song, he delivered a censored speech, drawing attention to racism and sexism. Those were the best performances in my opinion. Lady Gaga, Sam Smith, Little Big Town, DJ Khaled, Rihanna, Bryson Tiller, P!nk, SZA were other notable performers during the event.
In conclusion, the awards were a disappointment to most fans, but the performances were generally successful, wrapping up another productive year for the music industry.
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