POSTED: Monday, February 14, 2011, 4:00 PM
Filed Under: Critical Mass |
TV
For this year's
Grammys, many newbies stepped it up a notch musically, with a few icons making ho-hum appearances. The night opened with an
Aretha Franklin tribute. I'm not sure what's so special about Aretha this year — and if it's because she's ill, shouldn't we wait until she's gone? For the tribute,
Christina Aguilera, Yolanda Adams, Martina McBride, Florence Welch, and
Jennifer Hudson predictably sang classic Aretha, with Christina topping them all and Yolanda Adams a close second with that "Sisters" finish. Aguilera has an incredible voice; can she put out a good album sometime soon?
Train won the much-deserved
Best Pop Duo or Group. "Soul Sister" never gets old, even though it got so much play.
Ricky Martin looked so fine introducing
Lady GaGa. She looked gorgeous, and her voice was on point, but she's certainly done better than hatching from an egg. "Born This Way" is more appealing for its lyrics than anything else. Make our souls groove, Lady G, instead of eerily reminding us of "Express Yourself."
Best Rock Album went to
Muse, who I like so much that I didn't vomit when
Matthew Bellamy referred to his beautiful girlfriend,
Kate Hudson.
Lady GaGa got her dues (I hate to be all Kanye, but Taylor Swift totally stole her awards last year), winning
Best Pop Album for
Fame Monster. She seemed unusually grateful considering how fantastic that album is, and thanked
Whitney Houston of all people, but I guess it's cool to stay down to earth.
When I heard
Bob Dylan was performing, I thought, "Holy shit!" But his voice was hoarse and I didn't really get anything from the lyrics.
Mumford and Sons and
The Avett Brothers were surprisingly good, when I expected head-numbing guitar riffs. Bringing back the icons isn't always a good idea. Bully for
Julie Andrews and
Dolly Parton for winning
Life Achievement awards.
Lady Antebellum was a peach with their performance of "Need You Now," which won
Best Country Album.
Cee Lo's rendition of "Fuck/Fuhget You" was adorable. Finally, someone brought some fun and energy to this show. He was decked out in armor, bejeweled skull cap, and toucan feathers. The
Muppets and
Gwyneth Paltrow were amazing — up to that point, the best performance of the night.
Katy Perry was colorful and cute as always with "Teenage Dream."
Rihanna and
Eminem brought the house down. The new lyrics by both were rich, Rihanna was incredible, and Eminem showed he's at the top of his game again.
Dr. Dre wasn't bad, and it was cute that he was dressed like
Run DMC.
Skylar Grey, who co-wrote "Love The Way You Lie," was a pleasant surprise as an accompaniment, and should be making waves soon.
Esperanza Spalding won
Best New Artist even though she hasn't had that much exposure, and her acceptance speech was the most polished of anyone's that night. Her Wikipedia page has unfortunately been attacked by the
Bieber army for beating him, but hey, they are all in middle school.
Rihanna and
Drake didn't pull any stops, RiRi gyrating in a tight outfit with bonfire blazing in the background. Drake danced with her for a few seconds, and then went away...for some reason.
John Mayer, Norah Jones, and Keith Urban did a soulful and folksy tribute to
Dolly Parton.
Barbara Streisand was as great as you'd expect, a voice of an angel complete with orchestra. You'd have to be a fan to get excited about it, though.
Mick Jagger brought a smile to my face with his enthusiasm, "I'm so glad to be here tonight, so glad to be in your wonderful citaay." If you're a fan, you loved it. If you're not, you weren't bored. Musical commune
Arcade Fire performed "Ready To Start" right after winning
Album of the Year, and the crowd was going wild. It was very Beatles-esque, and I loved the close-up of their Grammy on the stage. There's something pure about their love for music and choir-like numbers.
