The Academy’s mission statement states that their goal is to “recognize excellence in the recording arts and sciences,” yet they don’t define what “excellence” is. Is it commercial success or critical acclaim?
On Oct. 27, 2014, Taylor Swift released her fifth studio album. Shedding her country roots, Swift emerged into the pure pop world with “1989.” Sending her straight to the top of the charts, the album won Swift her second Album of the Year at the 58th Grammy Awards, as well as Best Pop Vocal Album.
The most significant thing was who wasn’t in the room: Deborah Dugan.
Don’t know anything about the Grammys this year? Feeling left out? Check out our roundup of some of the most contested nominations!
Did Bruno Mars really deserve more recognition than Kendrick Lamar? “24K Magic” over “DAMN.”?
Like all award shows, the Grammys are a constant source of frustration. The Recording Academy’s voters frequently make decisions that seem to be at odds with the organization’s stated goal to “honor excellence in the recording arts and sciences…not sales or chart positions.” But the Grammys are important, because they make us talk about what makes music “great” and let some very talented people perform on national television. These are my predictions for the four major categories.
Sunday night’s Grammy Awards show was one for the books, although this can’t really be credited to the show’s performances. Although the three-hour bonanza was jam-packed with over 20 performances, few stood out. Most artists opted for their slower tracks, preferring vocal prowess and emotional showmanship to crafting any real excitement or energy. However, that doesn’t mean that there weren’t some standout performances or awards among the snooze-inducing stretches. Here are our staff’s top three most remembered moments from the 57th Grammy Awards.
Sharing stories of angry security guards and cracking jokes about ex-girlfriends, Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Mary Lambert hosted WU-SLam’s Grand Slam on Friday in a Graham Chapel filled to capacity. Lambert, a former slam-poet herself, performed several of her songs in conjunction with her own poetry before the start of the competition.
The 56th Annual Grammy Awards air this weekend on CBS, and Cadenza will definitely be watching. Hosted by LL Cool J and featuring performances by Beyonce and Jay Z, Daft Punk, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, Taylor Swift, Katy Perry, and many more, the show is sure to be one of the biggest musical events of the year. Tune in to CBS at 7 p.m.
Six years ago, Sasha Frere-Jones of The New Yorker presented the much-discussed argument that rock had lost its sense of groove. Since then, rock has become decidedly more rhythmic, with indie stalwarts such as TV on the Radio, Radiohead and Sufjan Stevens releasing dance-friendly albums.
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