A week and a half has passed since the Grammys were awarded. It is hard for me to respect the Grammys because I can’t stand, don’t listen to, or frankly don’t care about the majority of artists, bands, or albums that have received accolades in recent years. The vast majority of popular music just doesn’t cut it in my book. I can’t say I understand how or why Taylor Swift or Lady Gaga received awards along with several others. At the same time, I am baffled that rock/metal legends AC/DC and Judas Priest barely won their first Grammy. Dare I say, WTF?
A few days after the Grammys, someone posted a simple question on a group in LinkedIn I’m a member of:
Since the posting of this question, a harsh debate followed about the awards show. It is a show first and foremost after all, isn’t it? The purpose for the awards seem a distant second, but I digress. There is a underlying issue about the debate and the Grammys, which I think folks involved in the debate glanced over. Are the Grammys more about rewarding artists or entertainers? Should Taylor Swift have won “Best Album of the Year”? What matters to me is that the Taylor Swift clearly can’t sing for shit, and the Grammys think it is OK to reward poor performance skills. Ultimately, isn’t that what music is all about – performance?
In the current musical age of autotune, musicians that have the ability to perform on stage are dramatically lacking. The Grammys clearly are not about rewarding substance the majority of the time. Instead, the Grammys are about awarding well-marketed people, often times lacking real talent. Do I have to bring up Milli Vanilli? (So much for Best New Artist, if memory serves me correct…)
I’ll be the first to admit, I don’t like Lady Gaga; she just doesn’t do it for me. However, I have to give credit where credit is due. The “Gaga” composes and performs her own music, for better or worse. I don’t have to like it, but I do respect the fact she does it on her own. OK, so Taylor Swift writes and performs her own music, but clearly she needs vocal coaching. And can someone please explain to me why the hell Steve Nicks was singing back up vocals to Swift? Seriously?? In the grand scheme of things, Gaga should’ve won over Swift for best album.
I remember coming across this video featuring pre-Lady Gaga. Talk about a contrast…
Getting back to the subject, one response did catch my attention above others:
In reality, it would appear that the Grammys have always been stuck in a void of bland music. As long as the almighty dollar reigns supreme, then all others can remain stuck in a ravine. Once again, the key message is entertainment over substance. Furthermore, it doesn’t matter if different musical genres have equal representation. I mean, come on, do five albums in Heavy Metal successfully represent the genre? What about all the sub-genres like Black, Progressive, Symphonic, Thrash, and so many others? The same is true for a number of other musical genres.
The real question should evolve to: What should the Grammys become to better represent the industry? Have ideas? Comments open…
