In case you weren't aware, the Grammys were last night. As all music fans do, I have many opinions regarding "Music's Biggest Night." I have stronger feelings on some categories than others, so I decided to write what I thought about some of them. I know I'm no music critic, so bear with me if my analysis seems a little thin. They're just some thoughts. Feel free to leave a comment or two with any counterarguments.
In the order that these awards appear on the Grammy website:
Record of the Year:
Winner- Gotye Featuring Kimbra, "Somebody That I Used to Know"
Should have won: Frank Ocean "Thinkin Bout You"
The main thing that I don't understand about the Grammys is the fact that a song released in July of 2011 can be eligible for awards in 2013 (I know the date range is October 2011-September 2012, I just think it's weird), but that's a whole other issue. I'm really ok with Gotye winning this because it was pretty technical, I like this song, and it did absolutely blow up at the end of 2011-beginning of 2012, although I think that Ocean's song is far superior. Oh well. At least it wasn't that Taylor Swift song.
Album of the Year:
Winner- Mumford and Sons, Babel
Should have won: Anything besides Babel and Some Nights
Look, there wasn't a bad album here. I like Mumford and Sons and, as written earlier, fun. However, I think there were other albums that merited being nominated over these two albums. Obviously, they couldn't be counted out because each brought the respective bands a lot of success. But Babel, while good, wasn't really a new musical direction for Marcus Mumford and Company, which should have counted against them. Some Nights was good, but sounded a bit too much like a generic pop album. On my list of the top 2012 albums, Channel Orange was ranked higher than Blunderbuss, but since both Frank Ocean and Jack White are so talented at what they do, I would have been thrilled to see either win. El Camino is a fantastic album, but it falls just short of these two.
Song of the Year:
Winner- Fun., "We Are Young"
Should have won: Fun., "We Are Young"
See? I wasn't hating on Fun. earlier. I enjoy their music. That being said, the nominees in this category were just dreadful for the most part. Sure, Ed Sheeran's song was pretty good, but I don't really see the Grammy going to a quiet-ish song like that, no offense to Mr. Sheeran. The same goes for Miguel's Adorn. The song of the year has to be something big and loud and exciting. Enter "We Are Young." It filled all the requirements and it wasn't terrible, like that Kelly Clarkson song, or "Call Me Maybe." Imagine living in a world where Carly Rae Jepsen performed the song of the year. Pretty bad, right? I'll give the Grammys the benefit of the doubt on this one.
Best New Artist:
Winner- Fun.
Should have won: Alabama Shakes
This category makes me mad. Simply put, Fun. is not a new artist. They put out an album in 2009! Obviously it didn't blow up a la "Some Nights" but still, they had a presence when that album came out. People knew who they were. I think this category should be renamed "Best Breakthrough Artist" or something similar, while keeping Best New Artist for bands putting out their debut albums. But that's just me. Regardless, Alabama Shakes put out a fantastic album this year, in my opinion much better than "Some Nights." They made the festival stops this summer, which Fun. also did. I just like them better and thought they deserved the award more. Oh well. I'm far from right all the time.
Best Pop Vocal Album:
Winner: Kelly Clarkson, Stronger
Should Have Won: Florence and the Machine, Ceremonials
Seriously? Florence doesn't win this one? That was a great album. Wow. Eh, at least it wasn't Maroon 5. Don't even get me started with them.
Regarding all of the electronic albums, I don't really listen to much electronic music in terms of albums, so I won't be reviewing any of the awards because I simply haven't formed an opinion yet. Sorry to those of you hoping to see that.
Best Rock Album:
Winner: The Black Keys, El Camino
Should Have Won: Jack White, Blunderbuss
This was honestly the Grammy I was most torn about. I love both these albums. However, I have to give the nod to Jack because the album doesn't have a bad song in it. El Camino, while it may have more singles that your average rock fan would know, has a couple filler songs that don't take anything away from the album but don't really add anything. Also, the Black Keys train has been going for a while now as they have jumped more into the mainstream, so why not show a little love for the supremely talented Mr. White? Both the Keys and Jack White put on stellar performances at the Grammys and are must-sees live, by the way.
Best Alternative Album:
Winner: Gotye, Making Mirrors
Should Have Won: M83, Hurry Up, We're Dreaming
I'm sure M83 didn't win this award because their album was just too long for the average voter. But for those willing to listen, they were rewarded. This is a fantastic album, and Gotye probably won this mainly due to Somebody That I Used to Know, although M83's lead single off this album, Midnight City, certainly holds its own in a comparison of the most well-known song off each album.
And that concludes my report on the Grammys that I care about. Thanks for reading!
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