Song of the Year

The Song of the Year award goes to the songwriter, and the songwriter alone.

Nominated this year are “Rolling in the Deep” (Adele), “Holocene” (Bon Iver), “Grenade” (Bruno Mars), “The Cave” (Mumford and Sons) and “All of the Lights” (Kanye West). Adele, who has spent 19 weeks atop the album charts, seems like she will dominate these awards. “Rolling in the Deep” was everywhere this year, and the songwriting is solid and catchy. I suppose Bruno Mars could be a spoiler here, but Adele is unstoppable.

Favorite: “Rolling in the Deep”
Spoiler: “Grenade”
Should have been nominated: “Countdown” by Beyoncé

Record of the Year

Nominated this year are “Rolling in the Deep” (Adele), “Holocene” (Bon Iver), “Grenade” (Bruno Mars), “Firework” (Katy Perry) and “The Cave” (Mumford and Sons).

Though this list is almost identical to the one above, the Record of the Year award actually goes to the producers and the artist. Once again, “Rolling in the Deep” looks like it was too big of a hit to ignore. The production is subtle, if unspectacular. If “Rolling in the Deep” somehow loses, “Firework” was a pretty big hit, and Katy Perry just got a divorce. Sympathy vote? The biggest surprise is a complete snub of the impeccable production of Kanye’s song.

Favorite: “Rolling in the Deep”
Spoiler: “Firework”
Should have been nominated: “All of the Lights” by Kanye West

Best New Artist

Nominated this year are The Band Perry, Bon Iver, J. Cole, Nicki Minaj and Skrillex. As per usual, the general public knew almost every single one of these artists before the Grammys recognized them as “new.” It seems like either Bon Iver or Nicki Minaj (who has industry support and powerful allies) should win. But last year, the Grammys threw conventional wisdom to the wind and chose unknown Esperanza Spalding over Justin Bieber and Florence + the Machine, each of whom deserved the award for different reasons. So, who knows? Maybe Skrillex will win.

Favorite: Tossup between Bon Iver and Nicki Minaj
Spoiler: The Band Perry
Should have been nominated: The Weeknd

Album of the Year

Nominated are “21” (Adele), “Doo-Wops & Hooligans” (Bruno Mars), “Wasting Light” (Foo Fighters), “Born This Way” (Lady Gaga) and “Loud” (Rihanna). Yet again, Adele looks to triumph. “21” sold the most copies (and consistently still tops the charts, almost a year after its release). In addition, critics respected it. “Born This Way” had a stellar debut but fizzled out, and it hasn’t received nearly as much radio play as Lady Gaga’s previous efforts. The most curious nomination is Rihanna, who is more known for her singles than for her actual album. And who even knew Foo Fighters put out another album?

There are several albums that deserved nominations more than most of this category, such as Beyoncé’s “4” and Kanye’s “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy”—both daring and career-best efforts from two of America’s best modern artists. However, it is a pleasant surprise that Taylor Swift’s “Speak Now” was not nominated.

Favorite: “21” by Adele
Spoiler: “Born This Way” by Lady Gaga
Should have been nominated: “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy” by Kanye West

Rap Album

Nominated are “Watch the Throne” (Jay-Z & Kanye West), “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy” (Kanye West), “Tha Carter IV” (Lil Wayne), “Lasers” (Lupe Fiasco) and “Pink Friday” (Nicki Minaj). It’s Kanye-on-Kanye action, and I hope it doesn’t lead to him being snubbed for both his career-best work on “MBDTF” and one of the greatest rap collaboration albums of all time (“Watch the Throne”). Kanye’s nomination for Song of the Year for “All of the Lights” points to a little more support for that effort, so it is the de facto “favorite” in another tossup.

Favorite: Kanye
Spoiler: Anyone who isn’t Kanye.
Should have been nominated: If there was a way for all 5 slots to belong to Kanye, he would deserve all of them.

Country Album

Nominated are “Red River Blue” (Blake Shelton), “Here for a Good Time” (George Strait), “My Kinda Party” (Jason Aldean), “Own the Night” (Lady Antebellum) and “Speak Now” (Taylor Swift). Taylor Swift is always unstoppable at the Grammys. She’s like Meryl Streep if Meryl Streep won for every nomination. And if Meryl Streep acted extremely surprised when she won. And if Meryl Streep was awful. Basically, Taylor Swift for the win in this category. Nothing else could happen. Lady Antebellum won a lot of Grammys for “Need You Now,” though, so maybe they can pull off an upset.

Favorite: “Speak Now” by Taylor Swift
Spoiler: “Own the Night” by Lady Antebellum
Should have been nominated: Is “Not Taylor Swift” an option?

Best Summer Movies

1. “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2”: The last Harry Potter movie absolutely belongs at the top of this list. Daniel Radcliffe’s much-
improved acting, Voldemort’s ridiculous Avada Kedavra yell and that tear-jerking dive into Snape’s memories make this film bloody brilliant.

2. “X-Men: First Class”: This was a surprisingly good superhero back story movie, charting the relationship between Charles Xavier (the fantastic James McAvoy) and Erik Lensherr (rising star Michael Fassbender), who will become two major players in the X-Men universe. Their bromance is engaging and adds depth to what could’ve been a special-effects-ridden popcorn flick.

3. “Bridesmaids”: Hooray for putting women-driven comedies on the map! Kristen Wiig leads a cast of talented female comics that, coupled with some clever writing, allows room for both expected rom-com gags and truly original humor.

Best New TV Shows

1. “Once Upon a Time”: Created by “Lost” writers Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz, “Once Upon a Time” is filling an important role in the TV lineup. It offers two narratively complex universes and a wonderful cast of characters, as well as “Lost”-style flashbacks to Storybrooke in each episode. It’s just fantastical to watch.

2. “Suburgatory”: Though new comedy “Suburgatory” has no idea what a tri-state suburban town is actually like, it portrays life in the suburbs hilariously. It centers on Tessa, a NYC-raised teen whose dad moved her out to a suburban New York town after finding condoms in her drawer. The people she meets are incredibly inane, but that’s why it’s so fun to watch them.

3. “Boss”: Imagining Frasier Crane as a politician is a fun hypothetical, but Kelsey Grammer does a great job playing the mayor of Chicago on Starz’s “Boss.” He gets diagnosed with a neurological disorder but works to keep it a secret, and the drama that follows is scintillating.

Best Returning TV Shows

1. “Modern Family”: This hilarious comedy follows one of the funniest families known to mankind. The combination of witty writing and fantastic acting makes us wish we lived near one of the Pritchett families.

2. “Glee”: Finn, Rachel, Kurt and Mike are graduating, the glee club is going through dramatic changes, Rachel’s biological mom is in charge of a rival show choir at McKinley, Blaine transferred to McKinley, Sue is going all the way to end the arts, and that’s what you missed on Glee! This season has certainly improved on the last.

3. “Breaking Bad”: In this show’s fourth season, which premiered over the summer, Walter finished his transition from decent to bad. Next season will probably be the last, so it’s good this one went out on a bang.

Best Singles

1. “Rolling in the Deep” by Adele: No one can deny the brilliant singing ability of Adele, which is reflected in the immense popularity of her first single from “21.” Since its release at the end of 2010, “Rolling in the Deep” has gone Platinum five times over and achieved an impressive seven weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100.

2. “Party Rock Anthem” by LMFAO: Whether you’re a hardcore party rocker or not, LMFAO’s “Party Rock Anthem” has a definite appeal at any party scene thanks to its intense techno beat and infectious dance-ability.

3. “Born This Way” by Lady Gaga: Although initially met with some criticism for its different style and implications of Madonna plagiarism, “Born This Way” has become a defining song of 2011. Reaching number one in 19 countries and giving Lady gaga her third number one song on the Billboard Hot 100, the song has been a source of inspiration and motivation for her Little Monsters.

Best Books

1. “Bossypants,” Tina Fey: Tina Fey, arguably the most down-to-earth and genuinely funny celebrity of modern times, again proves how awesome she is with this fantastic memoir. Fey reveals all with witty, thoughtful sarcasm, taking readers from her childhood under the roof of fearsome Don Fey to her complicated, busy lifestyle as a working mother (It’s hard to play Sarah Palin on “SNL,” get Oprah on your primetime sitcom, and prepare for your daughter’s Peter Pan party all at the same time.)

2. “The Marriage Plot,” Jeffrey Eugenides: In this earnest, clever exploration of what it means to be on the brink of adulthood, Eugenides captures the lives of three graduating students at Brown University in the 1980s. English major Madeleine’s senior thesis on Jane Austen, coupled with her involvement in a complicated love triangle, spurs questions of love and what it all means.

3. “11/22/63,” Steven King: In his latest novel, Steven King ponders what would happen if someone went back in time to stop the assassination of JFK. The novel follows Jake Epping, an English teacher, who finds a portal back to 1958 to spend five years changing the present and future. The book is a drastic departure from King’s usual works, but all the critics love it.

Best Celebrity Celebrations

1. The Royal Wedding: Prince William married longtime girlfriend Kate Middleton at Westminster Abbey on Apr. 29, 2011, as the whole world watched.

2. The wedding—then divorce—of Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries: Kim’s lavish, over-the-top, fairytale wedding, broadcasted by E! Entertainment Television may have been in vain, as Kim filed for divorce from Kris after only 72 days of marriage.

3. Melissa McCarthy’s Emmy win: After starring in the box office hit “Bridesmaids,” McCarthy capped off her superb year with an Emmy win for Best Actress in a Comedy Series for her work on “Mike and Molly.”

Best New Artists

1. Foster the People: Foster the People debuted its first studio album, “Torches,” in May, and the band has been hanging steadily around the iTunes top album charts ever since. The band’s first single, “Pumped Up Kicks”—a catchy and irresistible retro-tinged pop tune—received lots of buzz and radio play. The rest of Foster the People’s first album contains much of the same laid-back appeal, making it clear that the band will not just be a one-hit wonder this year.

2. Mumford & Sons: Admittedly, Mumford & Sons released their debut studio album, “Sigh No More,” in 2010, but it was only after their Grammy appearance in November 2010 that this band gained real visibility in the United States. The album has sold more than a million copies this year, and “Little Lion Man” is now a classic go-to sing-a-long song.

3. Jessie J: With the February release of her debut studio album “Who You Are,” UK-based artist Jessie J has grown exponentially here in the states. From her catchy, popular single “Price Tag” to her fantastic “Saturday Night Live” performance in March, it’s clear that although Jessie J may be a breakout star for 2011, the only way to go from here is up.

Best Albums

1. “The Smile Sessions” by The Beach Boys: This is a wonderful album, and despite the unfinished, skeletal nature of many of the songs, it’s not just a collection of unreleased studio sessions. “The Smile Sessions” is a fully realized album. The progression of “Look (Song for Children)” into “Child Is Father of the Man” into “Surf’s Up” is so good that it makes the 45 years between recording and release irrelevant. It stands beside every other new release this year to really be an album of 2011.

2. “Parallax” by Atlas Sound: “Parallax” is among the most consistent albums of the year, relying on swirling synth lines and ambience to balance out the usual rock noise of Deerhunter. This is the first Atlas Sound solo album that rejects being designated a mere Deerhunter offshoot, and Atlas Sound instead forms its own autonomous sound.

3. “Slave Ambient” by The War on Drugs: “Slave Ambient” not only throws a sparkling new coat of paint on many of the tracks off 2010’s “Future Weather EP,” but it also introduces a number of killer tracks, most notably the opener, “Best Night.”

Best Celebrity Scandals

1. Lindsay Lohan, in general: In jail one day, out a few hours later; a missed court appearance; on house arrest: This is the sad but true story of Lohan’s year.

2. Charlie Sheen’s meltdown: As much as he may want us to believe it was, Sheen’s meltdown, which led to him being fired from “Two and a Half Men,” was definitely not #winning.

3. Anthony Weiner’s sexual no-nos: Eventually admitting to posting inappropriate photos of himself on Twitter, Weiner resigned from his position as a New York congressman, providing plenty of material for late night comedians in the process.

Best Fads

1. Non-prescription hipster glasses: To the dismay of hipsters everywhere, it seems they’ve finally started something mainstream. Everyone from Jay-Z to kids shopping at Claire’s tried to pull off these thick-rimmed plastic specs at least once this year, and most of the time they served no purpose other than to make them look smarter and more edgy.

2. “Words with Friends”: Zynga released its version of Scrabble in 2009 for the iPhone, but in 2011 the company made the game available to Android users. This summer Zynga also created “Hanging with Friends,” an interactive version of Hangman in which players try to keep their own characters safely floating above a volcano with the help of a handful of balloons. Hooray for even more ways to waste time.

3. Rebecca Black’s “Friday”: In mid-March, “Friday” took America by storm. Rebecca Black literally became a star overnight. Even after Ark Music Factory pulled the original video from YouTube, the song is still famous. One critic even attributed its success to the fact that it’s basically a parody of itself.

Emily Shur | MTV

The cast of the second season of “Jersey Shore” poses.

5. The cast of “Jersey Shore”

It’s too late in the year to appropriately get a fake tan (if it’s ever appropriate, anyway), and we don’t want you spending a ton of money on enough makeup to turn your body carrot-colored. Stay away from the guido look until summer.

4. Rachel Berry from “Glee”

You think it will be easy to dress as Rachel, as you’ll just need to find a headband and some ugly sweater and tights. We think you should save both your dignity and the sweater for the ubiquitous Christmas sweater party.

3. Any “Harry Potter” character

The last book came out in 2007, and the final movie has been out of theaters for a few weeks now. The “Harry Potter” craze, for the time being, should be over. It’s too early for nostalgia, and it’s not like Pottermore is even available for those without beta access.

2. Lady Gaga

With the amount of candy being given out on Halloween, there’s enough gross food out there to drive any kid crazy. Some things that won’t help the problem: a dress made out of meat or some kid walking around in an egg. Don’t turn to Gaga for inspiration.

1. Edward and the rest of the Cullen vampires

There’s one prop we all agreed we really, really don’t want to see this Halloween, and it is body glitter! First of all, vampires are supposed to die in sunlight. They wouldn’t be able to sparkle. Second, it’s dark when you trick or treat, anyway, so the point should be moot. If you going for the vampire look, either attempt the classic Dracula outfit or stick with other pop culture demons.

Courtesy of Interscope Records

Unlike most “artists,” who use music videos as promotional devices, Gaga uses music videos to tell a story and share an ultimate message. The “Born This Way” video has a strange beginning, but when one stops to actually absorb the story, Gaga sings on important issues like good and evil, acceptance and unity. So who cares if she births a baby to symbolize the existence of opposites or uses a machine gun to explain the importance of control and balance in life? The video is bare and purely an expression of a desire for acceptance.

Gaga has since released music videos for “Judas,” “The Edge of Glory,” and “Yoü and I.” All of these are extremely unconventional, but still completely distinct. The “Judas” video, for example, inspired a lot of controversy from the religious sector. Singing a song about a religious leader and going even farther by sexualizing the leader is extremely risky, but Gaga only uses religion to identify with the struggle between purity and temptation. Most viewers get too hung up on the religious aspects and thus miss the real message, which actually has very little to do with religion. As for “The Edge of Glory,” it is pure awesomeness.

“Yoü and I” is one of my favorite videos. The music video shows a bare and exposed Gaga, which makes her seem vulnerable and more relatable. This video is one of Gaga’s more blatant, portraying a personal story of love, loss, and acceptance. She opens herself up to the world and that is one of the bravest things anyone can ever do.

Yes, her music videos are unconventional. Yes, her music videos are highly sexualized. And yes, Lady Gaga can be over the top. But isn’t that the point? Whatever happened to creative liberties and not being afraid to express yourself? The point is, Lady Gaga is an artist, and her music videos are her canvases. They are sure to catch the eye and in the end make one think and possibly have a revelation, as good music (and music videos) can often do.

Kate Oberg | Student Life

Wait a second.

Let’s get a few things straight. The Grammy Awards don’t really matter. The broadcast itself shows, perhaps, 20 or 25 award presentations of the over 100 awards given out. If anything, the performances matter more. Mumford & Sons, two-time Grammy losers as of Sunday, had a tremendous increase in sales for their year-old album after performing with Bob Dylan—even more than Arcade Fire did for winning Album of the Year. And as much as I dislike Mumford and his (unrelated) boys, I can admit that they performed pretty well Sunday night (not as well as the Avett Brothers, I’ll add, but that’s for another article).

Additionally, the Album of the Year award is one that doesn’t always provide for much longevity. Yeah, Outkast’s “Speakerboxx/The Love Below” was pretty good and gave us a few tracks that stand the test of time. Paul Simon’s “Graceland” is a true classic. But how many of us still listen to Toto’s “Toto IV,” the album that gave us “Africa,” a song most famous today as an a cappella standard? That won Album of the Year for 1982. Or the classic “MTV Unplugged”—no, not Nirvana’s ’94 release, but Tony Bennett’s, which won for 1995. For all the confused Twitter users who wonder “Who the heck is ‘The Suburbs’?”—don’t worry your little Gaga-loving heads. This sure as heck doesn’t mean the Lady Gaga is going anywhere.

I have to admit that it’s pretty cool to see a band I’ve liked since high school get some recognition from the Man. But if I’m supposed to claim that “The Suburbs” is their best album (or the best album of the year), simply because it has the approval of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, I’m defecting.

Regardless of how I feel about the album, though, the fact that it won this award hardly matters. Sure, for Arcade Fire, it’s a great way to reach a new audience, and it’s a tremendous accomplishment for their label, the independent Merge. But in terms of American popular music, it doesn’t mean jack. The Album of the Year doesn’t do much to represent new trends in the industry, and it sure as heck doesn’t portend anything for next year.

Perhaps the handing of this award to Arcade Fire truly represents the merging of mainstream and indie cultures; perhaps it’s just an attention-grabbing move from a notoriously out-of-touch organization. Tell me in 50 years if I’m wrong, but I don’t see this as the watershed moment people are saying it is. We’re pretty ingrained in our ways, and I doubt a little bump in the road will change all that. But that’s also assuming that the Grammys are important. Albums, or Songs, of the Year can’t be determined right away. We listen, we judge and we keep on listening. Time will tell if an album holds up better than any award can. The best music, anyway, is a subjective thing to each of us—in the end, it comes down to our preferences and tastes, no matter what an organization tells us is the best album of the year.

Lady Gaga has the rare talent of always being able to live up to her own hype. She built up anticipation to the release of her single “Born This Way” by releasing snippets of lyrics to her Twitter fans and performing lines from the song on awards shows. These past two weeks, she released the full lyrics and the album cover to reward her fans, whom she affectionately calls “little monsters,” for being so active on Twitter. And finally, on Friday morning, she released the song. It rocketed to the top of every country’s iTunes charts, becoming number one in three hours—an unparalleled feat.

The best part is that the song is actually amazing. The lyrics, which sound cheesy in print, are incredibly good over the ’80s-style dance track. Its message of tolerance and living your life the way you want resonates much better than it does in songs like “We R Who We R” and “Firework.” Lady Gaga genuinely supports her gay fans; she doesn’t just support them for sales. The production is close to flawless. Some critics have said the song sounds too close to Madonna’s “Express Yourself.” I say they don’t know what the words “inspiration” and “homage” mean. It’s probably Gaga’s catchiest song to date and definitely her danciest. Expect the song to get tons of radio play and to hear it at every club. Her 17-track album will be released on May 23.

On “The Fame Monster,” Lady Gaga uses her original formula (dance beat underneath catchy lyrics) but branches out into many new territories at the same time. The album’s first two singles, “Bad Romance” and “Telephone,” are by far the most recognizably “Gaga” songs. The songs are modern dance-pop filled with synthesizers and catchy lyrics galore. The former song, though it may be the first single, is probably the weakest song on the album. Of all of the songs, it took the longest amount of time to like. On “Bad Romance,” some of her singing is a little cacophonous and can therefore turn people off. That said, after a few listens, its catchiness is irresistible.

“Telephone,” on the other hand, is definitely one of the best on the album. It is high energy, club ready and, of course, catchy. Beyoncé features on this song as the only guest on the EP. The self-proclaimed diva leaves her runs and high notes at home, as she assumes her “Sasha Fierce” personality and swaggers across the song. She fits perfectly well in between Gaga’s verses, and the combination of two of today’s most popular superstars is hard to resist.

As on her first album, Gaga doesn’t only produce dance-centric tracks on “The Fame Monster,” but she also adds two slower songs that further diversify the album. The first, “Speechless,” sounds like a rock ‘n’ roll power ballad with its heavy piano chords and spare instrumentation. It is on this song that the eccentric singer really shows off her skills. She has a real voice, and she isn’t afraid to use it on this song, contrary to what many say about her. “So Happy I Could Die” is less of a ballad and more of a slow, peaceful, ethereal pop song. It is calm, collected and shows a different side of the energetic Gaga.

Elsewhere on the album, Lady Gaga changes up her style and takes us back to the 1980s with “Dance in the Dark” and “Monster.” These synth-heavy throwbacks manage to mix the modern dance beats with the ’80s sounds. “Monster” is not as danceable as some of her previous hits but is still high energy enough to get people moving. As usual, the song’s lyrics are catchy, if not extremely confusing, as Gaga sings about a guy who “is a monster:” “He ate my heart, and then he ate my brain.”

By far the strangest song, though, is “Teeth.” This song is reminiscent of a southern saloon song with its heavy, continual bass drum and sleigh bells. Throughout the song, Gaga demands that her guy show her his teeth. While the song’s meaning isn’t clear, there is no doubt that Gaga is heavily referencing vampires throughout the song (“Help, need a man now, show me your fangs”). While “Teeth” is definitely a strange, out-of-this-world song, Gaga pulls it off like only she can.

After a slew of club-ready hits produced by RedOne, Lady Gaga released “The Fame Monster” EP, which shows just how versatile she really is. While she has certainly become an icon, she is more than just that or a one-trick pony. She can sing ballads just as well as she can sing catchy dance-pop. She is undeniably creative, she can make whatever music she feels like, and she can do it better than most.

Rating: 4.5/5
For fans of: Britney Spears, Madonna, Ke$ha, Cascada
Tracks to download: ‘Telephone’, ‘So Happy I Could Die’, ‘Monster’