Commentary:
Grammys give out more performances than awards
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This past weekend was one of anticipation. The diehard sports lovers were treated to the Pro Bowl, where the top athletes in the National Football League compete against each other, and the diehard music fans were treated to the 52nd Grammy Awards or, in this year’s case, the Grammy Show.
This year the Grammys seemed to have taken a new approach. Rather than spending time actually giving out the awards like in the past, the majority, if not all of the show, consisted of nonstop performances. The only awards that were presented were the popular awards, such as Record of the Year and Album of the Year. This year the Grammys seemed more like a three-hour, 30-minute concert rather than an awards ceremony. Either way, some of the performances were ones that should not have been missed.
The Grammys opened with a surprise collaboration between Grammy nominee Lady Gaga and British icon Elton John. As if the opening performance weren’t enough of a surprise, it was immediately followed by a choral version of the hit song “21 Guns” by Green Day, whose previous Grammy-grabbing album, “American Idiot,” will be staged on Broadway. Wyclef Jean also made an appearance to honor his native country of Haiti, which was struck by a devastating earthquake Jan. 12. Other acts included a surprisingly acrobatic performance by Pink; a Michael Jackson tribute in 3D by Celine Dion, Usher, Carrie Underwood, Smokey Robinson and Jennifer Hudson, and the highly anticipated three-song set by rock icon Bon Jovi.
At one point it seemed as if everyone who was nominated performed, considering there were roughly 16 performances.
The real thrill of the Grammys was the unofficial competition between Beyonce and Taylor Swift. The two artists were nominated in multiple categories, competing against each other in several. Beyonce ended up victorious, with a record six Grammys to Swift’s four.
Although Beyonce did take home more Grammys, Swift went home with the biggest and the best of them – Album of the Year. Swift beat out Beyonce, the Black Eyed Peas, Lady Gaga and powerhouse jam band Dave
Matthews Band to win the final award of the night. Other notable wins included Kings of Leon for Record of the Year, Zac Brown Band for Best New Artist, Jay-Z for Best Rap Song and Best Rap Collaboration, and comedian Stephen Colbert for Best
Comedy Album. The Grammy Awards proved to be predictable in terms of winners but were saved somewhat by the unpredictability of collaborations and performances. Although the Grammys are a night for great performances by certain artists, organizers seemed to forget the show is also for awards, most of which will have to be looked up online because so many weren’t presented on air. The nominations and winners can be found at www.grammy.com/nominees.
Marc Luko is a senior at Hutch Tech.
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