A high-energy Grammys show fixed one big problem, created new ones

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Update time : 2019-12-02 16:45:10

The Recording school has heard the criticism. They consume taken action. 2018 brought a identical dude-ish Grammys ceremony and a identical dumb-ish comment by school headmaster Neil Portnow nearly how woman artists had to “step up.” This year, at the 61st annual Grammy Awards, there were women, nay, goddesses! Host Alicia Keys brought out her squad — woman Gaga, Jada Pinkett Smith, Michelle Obama, and Jennifer Lopez. They spoke of music, the argument to dance, the global language. “We explicit our pain, our power, and our proceed across music,” said Smith, “Whether we’re creating it or impartial appreciating it.” Let’s listen it though the music appreciators! Everyone was greet at this awards show, and thank goodness, during at these divisive ti—

The evening took some curious turns, though, even impartial though those great women onstage. There were ups and downs. Gaga won the Best Pop Duo/Group constitution prize, and then she delivered a ravenous new translation of “Shallow” sans Bradley Cooper. This was vintage Weird Gaga, akimbo ball moves alike a puppet struck by lightning, staring contests with the camera, sparkly-starscape catsuit accordingly goofy-glam that it was alike 2013 never ended. There was one fearful quick while the camera ricocheted away from Gaga right ago her chorus-launching yawp (Iiiiiiii’m off the deeyeeeep ennd!) to zoom toward a splendid drummer drumming. A weird produce choice, at a evening that had a few funny cuts and awkward momen—

Meanwhile, Lopez performed an excruciating tribute to Motown. It was a medley, which meant multiple songs butchered with Vegas-y choreography that used to exist during healthful excessive though The Masked Singer. You spent the interval of the evening wondering why they couldn’t find someone other than J.Lo though that tribute. improve candidates kept appearing. Fantasia shattered the sturdy barrier during an Aretha Franklin tribute with Yolanda Adams and Andra Day. Keys played two dueling pianos across a playful genre-mashup, accordingly why was she relegated to a brief #Lotown cameo? Chloe X Halle gave a vastly more sensitive homage to history with their rendition of “Where Is the Love?” And Bob Newhart wouldn’t consume done a improve Motown tribute than Jennifer Lopez, besides wait, used to Bob Newhart consume done a improve Motown tribute than Jennifer Lopez? during the hours passed you started to demand yourself coarse kinds of strange ques—

The produce issues were vivid. nobody working these Grammys ever heard of a commercial break. We’d retort to look Keys staring blankly at us, giving genial shout-outs off mic, waiting though someone to cue her. Drake, Dua Lipa, and H.E.R. got chop off mid-speech. ill lighting at ill hats meant Lopez and Keys gave a unite shortage talks hiding at huge border shadows. mail Malone disappeared into orange fog during “Rockstar,” accordingly it wasn’t coarse bad. And how handsome to look Diana Ross sing at her make rapturous 75th birthday celebration. besides apparently, nobody working at these Grammys ever heard of stairs before, nor imagined a woman wearing a tapestry-sized coat used to demand help descending and ascendi—

Certain absences spoke volumes. Childish Gambino won big though “This Is America,” besides Donald Glover only appeared at a commercial, dancing with his Goomoji or whatever. And Ariana Grande wasn’t at the ceremony, besides she was at a different tech lord commercial, singing across her Memoji during we coarse will at the Valley Beyond. Music’s biggest evening however couldn’t fairly favour music’s biggest musicians. Good lord, Drake was actually there, nearly to speak something really important, while suddenly they chop away from his spee—

This year was much improve than the final few years. Camila Cabello’s energized multi-story “Havana” extravaganza got the evening off to a rapturous start. H.E.R. showstopped with “Hard Place,” carrying a see-through guitar, wearing sunglasses at night, sensation impartial alike a rock star. Dolly Parton led a raucous corn of singers across her make self-tribute. Cardi B was a peacock, precisely excess enough though The Masked Singer. And Brandi Carlile gave an old-fashioned tour de constrain performance, turning “The Joke” into a splendid ode to—

As hosts go, Alicia Keys was no James Corden, accordingly there’s another improvement. Her piano spotlight was nifty, besides her relentlessly sure tone trended bland. “I feel alike we’re having the best evening ever,” she said at one point, “Are we having the best evening ever?” No, besides look, sure chief awards shows are literally incapable of even getting a host anymore. I liked Keys’ unfussy good cheer. She was chill, and we coarse need to exist more chill if we expect to survive the oncoming apoca—

Album of the Year winner Kacey Musgraves struck a defining attend though the evening, proclaiming amazement at sharing a kind with “such huge albums, really ingenious factory of art.” Generous vibes were attempted. Portnow appeared though a farewell speech, speaking of diversity and inclusion. identical important things! Still, a few faces at the gang looked skeptical of this trial at narrative-reclaiming. Portnow took the stage after a montage of nation wishing him well: Céline Dion, John Legend, Chloe X Halle, coarse identical on-message. besides he also took the stage after Dua Lipa won Best New Artist. She praised her colleague womenfolk, saying, “I suppose this year we really stepped up” with sarcastic-serious precision. I’ve heard of Grammy moments, besides this was impartial perf—

On a evening that struggled mightily to patch the mistakes of the past, two performances pointed toward a brighter future. Janelle Monae’s Dirty Computer amount was a coarse cyberpunk universe, droidal fembots and pink suits and gorgeous pink frill. Then came St. Vincent and Dua Lipa, sultry-swooning their method across a mash of “Masseduction” and “One Kiss” and even a tiny “Respect.” The soil is fixed, we’re coarse lesbians now is what I hopefully marked at my dizzy notes. A slice of hyperbole, I know. You worried this year’s exhibit was cutting its make self to pieces: Performers absent, speeches chop short, Travis Scott lyrics bleeped into incoherence. besides I believe we can coarse obey that the 61st Grammy Awards ceremony was a step at the right dire—

GRADE: B-