Newcomer Sam Smith was one of the night’s biggest stars; he won four Grammys and performed his hit single “Stay With Me.” Courtesy of Flickr
By Nicole Horton
The 57th annual Grammy Awards were held on Feb. 8 at the Staple Center in Los Angeles, CA, hosted by LL Cool J for the fourth consecutive year. There were certainly some memorable moments, whether it was heartfelt acceptance speeches, first-time Grammy winners, superb performances and priceless audience reactions.
L.L. Cool J quickly kicked off the show by announcing a performance by AC/DC, which was an unexpected choice since the Grammys does not generally feature metal bands. Prior to the Best New artist award, L.L. Cool J. made a “Highway to Hell” joke saying, “It will only get better from here.” Not only did viewers at home probably feel uncomfortable for him, it did not elicit any audible laughter from the audience. If it makes him feel any better, his often present page boy hat seemed to inspire AC/DC’s accessorizing.
Iggy Azalea and Sam Smith were chosen by many as the frontrunners for the Best New Artist award. In the end, Smith’s impressive, heartfelt vocal styling and equally stunning live performances beat out Azalea, who has quickly become a formidable female in the hip-hop world. Smith’s Best New Artist award was the first of four wins for the British newcomer, similar to Adele’s triumph in 2012.
Two other awards presented earlier in the show were Best Pop Solo Performance and Best Pop Vocal Album. In the first category, some expected Sam Smith’s “Stay With Me” to win, but I thought that Sia’s hauntingly beautiful song “Chandelier,” which showed off her stunning vocal register, would win. Instead, voters could not get Pharrell Williams’ infectious tune “Happy” out of their heads. Even Williams seemed to be surprised as he repeatedly called his acceptance speech “awkward” and walked the wrong way off of the stage.
Not surprisingly, Smith beat out pop hit-makers Katy Perry, Miley Cyrus, Ariana Grande and Ed Sheeran to win Best Pop Vocal Album, once again proving he was a force to be reckoned with for this year’s awards. Smith made a heartfelt speech about persevering with music he believed in as he looked to achieve success in the music industry.
Another expected win was Beyoncé and Jay Z’s Best R&B Collaboration for “Drunk in Love.” In a short and sweet speech, she made a few loving remarks about her husband and “Bey Hive.”
There are certainly many riveting solo performances to discuss, whether it was artists performing popular hits or debuting new songs. Miranda Lambert’s “Little Red Wagon” epitomized country sass with a rock edge that many music fans could appreciate.
Kanye West made his return to the Grammys stage after six years, performing his touching collaboration with Paul McCartney for the first time. Similar to when he performed “Blood on the Leaves” for the MTV Video Music Awards, West sang “Only One,” a homage to his mother as he embraces fatherhood, alone on stage under a single spotlight. Although it was not visually stunning, West’s fans would appreciate his intimate performance.
Usher paid tribute to Stevie Wonder with his performance of “If It’s Magic,” which showed a softer side of Usher as he was accompanied by a pianist and harpist. Wonder surprised the audience by coming out towards the end to conclude the song on his harmonica.
Sia’s performance of “Chandelier” featured her vaulting vocals, practically identical to the recording, along with Kristen Wiig and “Dance Mom” star Maddie Ziegler’s interpretive dancing.
Following her exciting Super Bowl half-time show, Katy Perry took the stage to sing “By the Grace of God.” Prior to her performance, President Obama appeared in a recorded video to promote the “It’s On Us” campaign which aims to help domestic violence victims in the U.S. As her introduction, a domestic violence survivor gave an impassioned speech about love saying, “Authentic love does not devalue a human being.” Coupled with the powerful introduction, Perry’s strong vocals and evocative lyrics created one of the most touching moments and best performances of the night.
Another social statement was made in the closing performance. First, John Legend and Common performed the Oscar nominated track “Glory,” from Selma. Then Beyoncé, in an elegant white dress, showed off her vocal range in an emotional rendition of “Take My Hand, Precious Lord,” a gospel song favorite of Martin Luther King Jr. However, I thought that having these two performances following presenting Record of the Year, posthumous dedications and a message against free online streaming and illegal downloads, was poor planning because many viewers probably assumed the show was over.
Meanwhile, following a Halloween-worthy red carpet outfit, Madonna performed “Living for More” from her new album Rebel Heart. Despite the fun dance rhythm and the fact that Madonna levitates from the platform (albeit on strings), the song is best described as a cliche empowerment song about maintaining originality; it is reminiscent of her hit “Express Yourself.”
Another solo performance that fell flat was Pharrell Williams’ performance of “Happy.” Toward the end of his performance, he and his back-up dancers wore black hoodies (in connection to what Trayvon Martin was wearing when he was shot by a neighborhood watchman) and threw up their hands in a “Hands Up, Don’t Shoot” protest gesture, which was a refrain heard in the protests over the death of Michael Brown. Although some may call the performance dramatic or socially relevant, I thought that the interpretation strayed from the bouncy, feel good tempo and lyrics of the song. On a lighter note, Williams switched from last year’s much-buzzed about Canadian Mounty hat to a bellhop outfit — complete with the hat and a button-down black ensemble.
As far as duets go, there were plenty of exciting new pairings and old friends coming together in a way that exemplifies how the Grammys celebrates artistry. Of course, there were some that were more entertaining than others.
Ed Sheeran brought on John Mayer for a rendition of his new single “Thinking Out Loud.” Sheeran’s rich vocals in conjunction with Mayer’s backup vocals and impressive guitar skills made for an enjoyable duet. This collaboration definitely made sense stylistically.
A second ideal collaboration was “The Voice” coaches Adam Levine and Gwen Stefani, who took on the Maroon 5 song “My Heart is Open.” The two have collaborated in the past, which may have contributed to the success of this emotional ballad.
Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett teamed up yet again for “Cheek to Cheek,” bringing an enjoyable jazz classic to the show. The two even adorably danced cheek to cheek during a dance break. Mary J. Blige joined Sam Smith for a memorable, soulful version of his hit single “Stay With Me.” Another highlight was Andrew Hozier-Bryne’s hit “Take Me to Church” paired with Annie Lennox’s commanding rendition of “I Put a Spell on You.”
Of course, there were several collaborations that did not mesh well together. Jessie J. and Tom Jones were a mismatched duo when they took on the classic song “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling.” Jessie J. is known for having a strong voice, which overpowered the aging Tom Jones, who seemed to be “speak singing” at times.
Paul McCartney, Kanye West and Rihanna debuted their collaboration “FortyFiveSeconds.” Rihanna’s vocals stood out, but the physical presentation and chemistry was off as she and West were more mobile and McCartney remained in the corner at a standup microphone while playing guitar. In addition, at one point there was a technical issue that affected McCartney’s microphone. Although some viewers enjoyed the performance, I do not think this song highlighted each artist’s strengths.
Since many of the night’s biggest awards were given out at the end of the show, the best drama was yet to come. Sam Smith would go on to win Song of the Year and Record of the Year for “Stay With Me.” In a humorous moment, he dedicated the hit to the man he loved, “Thank you so much for breaking my heart because you got me four Grammys.”
Both music critics and fans thought that Beyoncé’s self-titled surprise release album would receive the distinction of Album of the Year. Instead, Beck’s Morning Phase beat out Beyoncé, setting both her “Bey Hive” and ultimate defender Kanye West into a frenzy. As Beck nervously gathered his thoughts, West went onto the stage before quickly turning around and going back to his seat.
Some wondered if West was merely poking fun at his past Grammys controversy since he seemed to be in good spirits throughout the night, but afterward he said, “The Grammys, if they want real artists to keep coming back, they need to stop playing with us,” he told his sister-in-law Khloe Kardashian during an E! News after-show interview. “We aren’t going to play with them no more.”
Although it is important to note that he did not ruin Beck’s moment like he did Taylor Swift’s in 2009, artists like Beyoncé and West have garnered countless accolades over the course of their careers. It is difficult for West to argue that their endeavors are not being supported.
Beyoncé has always handled both her wins and losses with grace, and Beck humbly admitted that he thought she deserved the award and praised West’s achievements. Beck’s album received critical acclaim and he has not won a Grammy in 15 years (he won three prior to this year), and his win is a classic example of how everyone can predict and analyze the categories, but there will always be Grammy surprises and upsets.
