So the two mainstream music award shows for the UK and US have come and gone. The Grammys and the BRIT Awards. I didn't watch the Grammys because 4am and I watched the BRITS from the first award. So what did I think of them?
Let's start with the Grammys...
The Awards. The nominations on the face were pretty expected. Adele vs Beyoncé was the story. Will they go safe or give Beyoncé the plaudits that she deserves for the outstanding Lemonade? Of course, they went safe and gave it all to Adele. Which is fine! Please understand that I do not mind Adele. This article will admittedly look like I'm hating on Adele but I'm more on the side of wanting to give other people recognition. Adele's legacy is solidified. She doesn't need awards.
Album, song and record of the Year, all to Adele. But don't worry everyone! Beyoncé got Urban contemporary Album (?????) For real though. What is even "Urban contemporary". I could paint it with a broad brush but I'll leave it to your interpretation. Big up Chance the Rapper, that's something the Grammys really took a win on. But then they go taking L's and give Drake nearly the entire rap/Hip-Hop category. Because. Reasons.
Overall the Grammys still hold up as the worst gauge of what great music is. Answer me this. What album will you remember more in 10 years? Adele's 25 or Beyoncé's Lemonade? Exactly. It's no shot at Adele, but even she knows that Lemonade was culturally significant and captures a moment in history. The Grammys failed on that front.
They also tried to be slick and give David Bowie all the Grammys he was nominated for, acting as if they never gave him one before a couple of weeks ago. What kind of message is that? "You have to be dead for us to recognise you". That's tragic.
Honestly, at this stage there's no saving the Grammys, they're just a committee full of unknown faces, claiming they give merit to true art but when you get down to the nitty-gritty, they go for the mainstream option. And it's not just the Hip-Hop/pop categories. Ask the metal and rock communities, they'll say the same thing. The Grammys are a bigged up MTV awards hiding behind a "prestigious history".
And now for the BRIT Awards! Oh man what a struggle to watch. Most of the performances were muted by me. The 1975 were trying to be funny with those subliminal messages. I wish it was someone hacking ITV, when I realised it was legitimate, I just saw four pretentious boys self deprecating. You don't get points for that. And as for their speech as they got "British Group". Who is really going to take life advice from a kid who looks like he watched Brat Pack movies at 12 and thought an 80's haircut would be a good decision? I beg you to take your award and leave.
I feel sorry for Skepta. Getting muted on live television while Jonathan Ross can swear and it's all good. That's hypocritical and wrong on several levels. Ed Sheeran and Stormzy, boss performance. Couldn't go wrong.
Chris Martin confirmed with his George Michael tribute that he has the most depressing voice. He could sing Pharrell's 'Happy' and I'd still feel sad. He just screams "I eat Kale, you should too."
Robbie Williams. You got some NERVE! I didn't care about the performance itself because I was constantly rewinding, not believing that he called us "Children of cultural abandon". What the hell does that mean? And then he goes on putting himself on the same level of the greats we've lost recently?! Basically saying "A lot of legends may have gone recently, BUT DON'T WORRY! I AM STILL HERE TO BLESS YOU FOR DECADES TO COME!". Robbie, can I call you Robbie? Robbie, when you're main audience are mothers who still listen to Take That Greatest Hits, I can't really take you seriously. You are NOT on the level of Prince, Bowie, Michael. You are not God's gift to British music. Take a seat you total narcissist.
Now. The awards. In one word. Disappointing. They couldn't possibly screw up "British solo female". Emeli Sande was a lock. But after that it went downhill. I said in my expectations article that they'll most likely do the "Posthumous Push" and give Bowie everything. La di da, they did. Similar to Adele, I don't hate Bowie, I get why they gave it to him. But what is different in this case is that they seem to refuse to give it to black artists and just hided behind Bowie so they didn't have to see a black man win it.
But what gets on my nerves is that you didn't do it for Leonard Cohen. When you give International Male to Drake over one of the best songwriters in music, you're telling me that you're just begging Drake to mention you in a Tweet or an Instagram post if you're lucky. Shame.
And I don't know why. But I genuinely thought they wouldn't mention Adele all night. But oh was I wrong! They only created an award for her! I reiterate. I like Adele, may not look like it, but I respect her immensely.
The BAME artists? Nothing. Except for Queen Emeli. Overall it's a shame, not sure why I was expecting different. Honestly we just have to take notice that the BRITS took 15 years to even nominate grime & BAME artists as a whole. There's still a wide notion that grime is trash and should "Stay in the underground where it belongs". Well, like it or not. Grime is slowly seeping into the mainstream and like the Grammys once 90's Hip-Hop topped the charts, they will recognise grime soon enough and give them the silverware they deserve. Hopefully when that time comes they fully accept it and not create a "Best Grime act" like the Grammys have done.
I say all of this, only to finish with this. In the grand scheme of things. Who really gives a s***?
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