The Grammy Aftermath

Well this years show wasn't awful but wasn't great either and that is mostly because its not about the awards and creative artists. It's about fashion, quick soundbites and big production performances. Let's be honest I don't know if that's ever not what its been about over its history. The awards are supposed to cover all countries and music but it rarely compliments anything outside of the USA. The biggest news before the show wasn't about music it was about Lady Gaga and what she would be wearing then it moved to what she would pull off performance wise.

Once she performed her Maddona ripoff with the alien pointed shoulders and forehead replacing the pop queen's pointed bra from years before I was highly impressed with her actual singing of her new single. She pulled off the music part excellently. Not all the spectacle could cover up the inability to sing for some of the other performers. Two of the biggest selling stars of the year in Bieber and Usher performed together with Will Smith's kid Jaden who looked completely fake and out of place on such a big stage. He does not have the presence his dad has and his proud dad's shots during the performance were more captivating and interesting than anything that was happening on the stage.

Bieber was as usual flat and off key many times and Usher who can't sing at all in a live setting was horrid. Probably the worst performance section of the show by a long distance. Neither of these artists are worth the hoopla that is given to them it just proves how pop singers haven't got the chops most of the time live. The opening tribute of the show was decent with the four ladies singing a tribute to Aretha Franklin. Jennifer Hudson and Christina Aguilera ripped on their vocals, Yolanda and Martina McBride were good but both couldn't blow anywhere near X-Tina or Hudson. The inclusion of Florence from Florence & The Machine was nice but she was out of place and didn't really do much vocally. Her stylistic sound doesn't lend itself to Mowtown at all and she looked like she new that each time the camera was upon her. The show missed the boat by not bringing Annie Lennox in to sing considering "Sisters Are Doin' For Themselves" is her song too.

This show was anti climax overall even with the comedic performance by Cee-Lo Green and Gwyneth Paltrow. They looked like they were having a great time on stage even though there were major flaws vocally by them both. I was completely disgusted when the show ended and Nicki Minaj hadn’t so much as come out and did a cameo with someone. She was completely snubbed from the awards show performances. How does a female artist who has made history with her debut album not get to perform at the Gramys, but you have a performance by a 100-year-old man? Speaking of the 100-year-old man, boy did he sound horrible or what! But that's what the awards spectacle has always done with anything considered rock music. They don't honour those artists until they are ancient and long past their expiry date.

The previous two performances Mumford & Sons along with the Avett Brothers were standouts because that was "real" musicians not studio created pop performers. The Muse another of the rare rock music on the show and really the only actual rock music because the previously mentioned trio of artists are more alternative country/folk rock artists were brilliant. By far the best of the entire show and nobody was even in their league. Although the Canadian group Arcade Fire was excellent performance wise they were buried by the Muse. The nights performance that saw Rhianna, Eminem and Dre was an awkward mess. Eminem just looked like he had a 2x4 stuck up his has and the slivers were really pissing him off. Rhianna's inability to stay in tune was ever present and even though I enjoy her pop singles now and again I've yet to hear her sing live well. Dre rapped like most rappers with a flat tone lacking much presence but the brilliant background singing of Skylar Grey stole the spotlight during that performance and thank goodness she was there to save that mess.

One of the worlds most beautiful females was the best pop performer, yes even better than Gaga. She sang wonderfully, she looked amazing and she's got every single part of the package in the right place. There is no doubting Katy's talent and she is always the highlight when she performs on any show. Bruno Mars, B.o.B and the talented Janelle Monae who performed together were another of the shows highlights. B.o.B has completely won me over and I being not a huge fan of rap music really enjoy his flow and ability to be understated but still up front and resonate. His killer duet with Jessie J on her current single is one of the years best single releases so far this year. Bruno Mars and Janelle Monae right now look to be the future stars of the R&B charts and hopefully they will influence the next crews coming up because what they do is so much better that what the Usher's of the R&B world are doing.

Lastly the actual awards which were wrong more than right and you can see that when complete garbage like Lady Antebellum are given song of the year over a song that is so far it's superior in "The House That Built Me" by Miranda Lambert. The winning album of the year was stupid but hey at least it wasn't Usher or Bieber and it was a fellow Canadian even though it was a group from Quebec. Also why wasn't Ke$ha nominated for her massive album of 2010 and also where was her performance slot? The winner of best new artist was a whatever moment and lets be honest Ke$ha, Bruo Mars, B.o.B & Florence & The Machine should have been the winner of the award. Overall the show was decent but not great and the complete lack of real rock music hurts the show no matter how much the pop folk will disagree.