The Grammys: Music Wins!

by · February 13, 2012

Here are some of my random thoughts and observations from last night’s award show:

Adele has restored my faith that the music business might still be about music. If you didn’t watch the show, at least watch her performance. Sandwiched in the show between Katy Perry’s pyro-crazed set and Nicki Minaj’s … whatever it was she did … Adele. Was. Awesome.
So, speaking of Katy Perry. She used her time slot to vent about her personal life. She debuted a new song that I thought sounded a little (lot) spiteful, and some online searching this morning confirmed it.
Nicki Minaj‘s performance was … weird. I’m sure there will be some official backlash from religious organizations, but honestly, I don’t think it’s worth the energy. It seemed weird just for the sake of weirdness. If she was trying to make a point in the bizarre performance, I missed it. There’s really not much more to say, but there’s stuff to read (and I’m glad to know it wasn’t just me).
The night was full of tributes, as always. But the unexpected death of Whitney Houston this past weekend impacted the entire show. Jennifer Hudson was obviously emotional, which made her performance of Whitney’s signature song a true tribute.
I have to admit I was bothered by Chris Brown‘s presence … and winning … after the 2009 pre-Grammy’s incident. But I guess there’s a lesson in forgiveness there for all of us … although I’m not sure I’d dig too deep into his life as an example for students.
Electronic music had its moment last night … dare I say EDM has finally gone mainstream?
Taylor Swift‘s song “Mean” won her two awards, and her performance won her a standing ovation. @jonacuff tweeted something I think youth leaders echo: “Dear @taylorswift13, thanks for making music that lets little girls still be little girls. (A dad of two)”