Grammy Awards Pt. 1
Today's post is taking a bit of an interesting turn because today is all about the music and recognition. As most of you know, the Grammy's were this past Sunday. And as all proper award shows go, there were live performances, bad jokes, an interesting host, and plenty of snubs. Now before we really get into things, I want to warn you all now that this post is going to be a bit of a rant, an expression of my dissatisfaction.
So the Grammy's. Probably the biggest music award ceremony of each and every year. We see so many artists and musicians come together to celebrate music and the beauty of bringing people together. The Recording Academy created the Grammy's to be a "celebration of excellence, the music community's highest honor." But if we take a look at the winners of the Grammy awards the past few years, and if we take a look at the artists who have (and haven't) performed, we see a stark difference between what The Recording Academy practices and preaches.
It seems to me that more and more, the Grammy's have become a highly glorified and bedazzled popularity contest. No longer do artists and songs of substance carry any real meaning. Sure, every once in a while we are thrown a bone, where deserving artists are given the golden gramophone. But overall, the Grammy's have completely lost sight of what they stood for. There is a stiff conservatism which is bleeding its way through the Grammy's, and each year we see more of that traditionalism spill out. The Grammy's have gotten very good, deceivingly good, at passive aggressive consideration. Nowadays, there are many artists who have left incredible impressions and colossal impacts on the music industry. And more often than not, these artists are unconventional. They thrive off being unique and different. They live for producing words and sounds that challenge the status quo and raise uncomfortable subjects. But these are the reasons why they leave such influential footprints. And these are also the reasons why these artists find it difficult to grab that Grammy gold. Because The Recording Academy has mastered the art of acknowledging an artist's disruptive contribution, without snubbing popular and "acceptable" artists.
Let's take, for example, someone like Cardi B. Her song "Bodak Yellow" was one of the biggest chartbusters of the year. The story of a girl who came from nothing, and ended up on the Grammy stage. Seems like a Cinderella story, doesn't it? Except, Cardi B was not on stage for her own music. She was on stage as a feature for another artist- Bruno Mars. Despite the fact that Cardi B had THREE songs in The Top 10 at once, her musical prowess was left unrecognized both on stage and in the nominations. Another example lies with Chance the Rapper, a name that every rap fan knows. He was nominated and won the award for "Best New Artist" in 2017. Congratulations to him, there is no doubt about that. But, I have to also point out that Chance the Rapper was nominated for that same category in 2012 and 2013. First of all, how is 5 years later still considered "Best New Artist?" And second, why did it take 5 years for Chance the Rapper to be recognized as a winning artist?
And of course, we all remember Beyonce's snub from last year? Lemonade is one of the most hauntingly powerful and beautiful albums. It tells a story of pain and struggle, darkness and anger, fear and sadness. It is a voice and open conversation to discuss the uncomfortable topics which have plagued us throughout time and history. The topics which make us squirm and emotionally compromise us because of how much of an issue they really are. And instead, this obra maestra lost to Adele's 25, an album dedicated to the melancholy of passing time. I am not saying that Adele's album is not meaningful. It is an earnest reflection of her past self and what molded her into who she is today. But it feels incredibly centered around heartbreak. But the power and controversy behind Lemonade, makes it such an important album, especially given the political and social climate today.
This happens to be part one of my discussion of the Grammy's, but I am really curious to know what you all think. Stay tuned for the second part! And don't worry, I have some music for you to take home with you. I hope you enjoy the music and please feel free to comment!
So the Grammy's. Probably the biggest music award ceremony of each and every year. We see so many artists and musicians come together to celebrate music and the beauty of bringing people together. The Recording Academy created the Grammy's to be a "celebration of excellence, the music community's highest honor." But if we take a look at the winners of the Grammy awards the past few years, and if we take a look at the artists who have (and haven't) performed, we see a stark difference between what The Recording Academy practices and preaches.
It seems to me that more and more, the Grammy's have become a highly glorified and bedazzled popularity contest. No longer do artists and songs of substance carry any real meaning. Sure, every once in a while we are thrown a bone, where deserving artists are given the golden gramophone. But overall, the Grammy's have completely lost sight of what they stood for. There is a stiff conservatism which is bleeding its way through the Grammy's, and each year we see more of that traditionalism spill out. The Grammy's have gotten very good, deceivingly good, at passive aggressive consideration. Nowadays, there are many artists who have left incredible impressions and colossal impacts on the music industry. And more often than not, these artists are unconventional. They thrive off being unique and different. They live for producing words and sounds that challenge the status quo and raise uncomfortable subjects. But these are the reasons why they leave such influential footprints. And these are also the reasons why these artists find it difficult to grab that Grammy gold. Because The Recording Academy has mastered the art of acknowledging an artist's disruptive contribution, without snubbing popular and "acceptable" artists.
Let's take, for example, someone like Cardi B. Her song "Bodak Yellow" was one of the biggest chartbusters of the year. The story of a girl who came from nothing, and ended up on the Grammy stage. Seems like a Cinderella story, doesn't it? Except, Cardi B was not on stage for her own music. She was on stage as a feature for another artist- Bruno Mars. Despite the fact that Cardi B had THREE songs in The Top 10 at once, her musical prowess was left unrecognized both on stage and in the nominations. Another example lies with Chance the Rapper, a name that every rap fan knows. He was nominated and won the award for "Best New Artist" in 2017. Congratulations to him, there is no doubt about that. But, I have to also point out that Chance the Rapper was nominated for that same category in 2012 and 2013. First of all, how is 5 years later still considered "Best New Artist?" And second, why did it take 5 years for Chance the Rapper to be recognized as a winning artist?
And of course, we all remember Beyonce's snub from last year? Lemonade is one of the most hauntingly powerful and beautiful albums. It tells a story of pain and struggle, darkness and anger, fear and sadness. It is a voice and open conversation to discuss the uncomfortable topics which have plagued us throughout time and history. The topics which make us squirm and emotionally compromise us because of how much of an issue they really are. And instead, this obra maestra lost to Adele's 25, an album dedicated to the melancholy of passing time. I am not saying that Adele's album is not meaningful. It is an earnest reflection of her past self and what molded her into who she is today. But it feels incredibly centered around heartbreak. But the power and controversy behind Lemonade, makes it such an important album, especially given the political and social climate today.
This happens to be part one of my discussion of the Grammy's, but I am really curious to know what you all think. Stay tuned for the second part! And don't worry, I have some music for you to take home with you. I hope you enjoy the music and please feel free to comment!
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