“Okay, so first is who should win, and then second is who you think is going to win,” is a common phrase I utter whenever I am watching the Grammys with someone. My distaste for the Grammys is not a secret, having written an article about why we should not watch the Grammys last year, but somehow, every year, I find myself watching the damned thing.
Compared to last year’s event, Grammys 2014 had higher highs and lower lows. First off, boo-yah to Daft Punk for walking away with the two biggest awards of the night (album of the year and record of the year). Definitely the highlight of the ceremony and the best decision the committee made that night. Lorde’s ‘Royal’ for song of the year was also a victory. It is not the best song, but it would be horrendous if ‘Locked Out of Heaven’ by Bruno Mars or ‘Roar’ by Katy Perry won that award.
On the other hand, there were definitely some upsets that need to be addressed. First off, it is ludicrous that none of the awards that deal with rap (with the exception of the rap/sung category) are televised while the awards for country are. I do not understand why the Grammy committee is under the impression that country is more appealing and popular than rap is in 2014. It is more than clear that the Grammys are under some sick, misguided impression that rap music is not considered an important art form.
In addition to that, Macklemore swept the rap category, winning best rap song, best rap performance, and best rap album. Yeah, that is right, apparently ‘Thrift Shop’ is the best rap song released in the past year and “The Heist” is better than Drake’s “Nothing Was the Same,” Kanye’s “Yeezus,” and Kendrick Lamar’s “Good Kid M.A.A.D. City.” I am curious just how old the white people on the Grammy committee are to make decisions like that.
Getting past that, there were some ace performances tonight, the best of which was Imagine Dragons and Kendrick Lamar teaming up for a medley of ‘M.A.A.D. City’ and ‘Radioactive.’ Despite being two polar opposite songs they collided into a musical landscape of straight adrenaline and emotion. Daft Punk also performed on television for the first time since the 2008 Grammy’s, this time with Pharell and Stevie Wonder for an electrifying performance ‘Get Lucky.’
Anyway, I am going to spend the rest of the night listening to “Random Access Memory” and basking in Daft Punk’s wins, regardless of that, I hopelessly wish that the Grammys wise up next year when it comes to rap and the nominees in general.
Photo via Wikimedia Commons
bruno mars is the best oh my god how do they even let you rite for this paper soooooo much better that macklemore