The memorial segment was well done, though long by other awards-show standards. OTOH that is what would happen when you have a whole stage production number for Tina Turner, a complete Tony Bennett/Stevie Wonder duet song and Annie Lennox doing Nothing Compares 2 U.
The segment with U2 performing at the Sphere reminded me something I already knew: when your onetime faves are doing a Vegas residence, you know you are getting old and so are they.
In between acts and awards the program does seem to bog down and Trevor going table by table just did not really click with me.
Midnights, eh? Should not be surprised. Guts is so much better of an album. But, eh, it’s the Grammys. Don’t take them too seriously. I mean, Christ, Metallica won another Grammy this year.
True, but Laurie Anderson also got a lifetime award this year, so that’s great.
Yeah, Taylor is clearly got a lot of fans in the voting members. And I understand why Taylor wanted Lana Del Rey on the stage with her, but it’s a little weird to drag her up there given that she just defeated her.
Speaking just for my household/daughter/nieces/Taylor Swift buzz - there was a lot of speculation that she’d announce Reputation (Taylor’s Version) at the Grammys, so when she announced a different album, we were completely thrown off. It’s possible that the audience was having the same reaction. I agree that Taylor Swift herself seemed awkward and uncomfortable during the announcement.
I tuned in late, on account of I keep forgetting I’m in PST now. I’m not passionate about it like I was when I was younger, but music and pretty clothes are fun.
I didn’t recognize Beyonce (when I first tuned in and thought "nice hat; how many peoples’ view are you blocking?) until JayZ got his award. Any idea what he was talking about? I mean, I got the gist, but it sounded like there was some undertone with “some people are in the wrong category”.
I thought the banter between Meryl Streep and Mark Ronson was fun and a good way to explain the different categories.
The In Memorium was a little too “busy”.
Agree that Taylors announcement was a misstep. I don’t usually perceive her as obtuse, but it came off as inappropriate for the occasion and I cringed a little.
Joni is formidable, as always.
Good to see Celine Dion there. While not a big fan, I feel for her in light of her medical situation. The audience’s reception and the close-ups of some people with real love on their face was very touching.
Did it seem like the producers of the show were trying harder than usual to appeal to a wider age range?
Oh, and @Maserschmidt 's quote made me chuckle. That’s exactly how I feel about Olivia Rodrigo.
One thing about music awards shows, they give you the opportunity to / make you endure new music, depending on your pov.
Oh, so this is how she just usually does these things? Honest question, no snark.
In any case, by “misstep” I didn’t mean damage to herself in any way. It just struck an off chord for me.
She announced Midnights at the VMAS. She didn’t do an initial announcement (that was at her tour), but did publicize the release date of 1989 (Taylor’s Version) last Grammys.
I dunno. There was a Dolly Parton tribute a few years ago where this Duck Dynasty lookin’ dude covered “9 to 5,” and that seemed pretty freakin’ off-center to me.
I just don’t get that at all. What part of the song can’t be universal and why is it about race? It’s about escaping poverty and wishing for a better life. Tracy Chapman doesn’t have a problem with it. It certainly touched Luke Combs at a young age which is why he covered it when he was able to.
To me it was the only good part of a dumpster fire of a night. My wife doesn’t usually want to watch those things but she wanted to this year.
I guess it shouldn’t surprise me that there isn’t much uproar over Molly Tuttle winning her category. So - how much time did they give her on the broadcast?
I don’t mean to speak for @Exapno_Mapcase but I share their feeling. To me, the story it tells and the voice that tells it are very specific, not just to Tracy Chapman herself, but to a very specific life situation. TC is obviously ok with it as you say (and that is puzzling to me) so it’s essentially none of my beeswax, but I tend to change the channel when his version comes on.
I have no problem with Fast Car being covered by a white guy, but I do feel that Combs doesn’t really seem to bring anything to the song with his cover. He sings it nicely, but it doesn’t make me feel anything, which certainly isn’t the case when Tracy sings it.
I agree, with the caveat that a couple of lines are gender- leaning.
In particular, working as a “checkout girl”.
Also late in the song when the singer notes the partner spends more time with friends than with the kids.
But then I knew a couple that that was true, or true enough. He was more likely to be watching the kids/ changing the diapers than her. She had impulse control issues, and the kids actually ended up living with grandma.
Being broke, dropping out of school to take care of a sick(ish) parent, having trouble finding a good job, wanting to escape, and finding a sense of belonging in the arms of someone you love all seem very relatable.
I find that amusing, since the duet felt more to me like Tracy Chapman phoning it in while Luke Combs was clearly invested.
Even the radio version, I can feel Luke’s emotion and connection to the song, which is why the lines I mentioned above don’t bother me much when he sings them.
I will also say that Fast Car is one of those songs I kinda tuned out, but Luke’s cover made me reassess the song. Credit to Tracy Chapman, and a new respect.
I think we’ve just reached the century mark, or may be a little more, of white people using the music of black artists to their own advantage. What’s encouraging is the extent to which people talk about that now… Even 20 or 30 years ago, I think this was only a small part of the conversation, and very little of it from white folks. And that’s what I first thought of when I heard about that cover.
But. That’s the legend herself on the stage. And unless she’s under duress, or mentally incapacitated, it takes a lot of agency to decide to get up on that stage… and if she’s fine with it, but somehow I’m strenuously arguing it’s wrong, I feel like I’m just doing the same thing people have been doing for a century, but in a different format. It’s her call
