Living For Love & Skimming Through Grammys
Monday, February 9, 2015 at 1:00PM 
Annie takes us to church, then puts a spell on usWith Taylor Swift's cheekily titled "1989" the music world's best-seller of 2014, and a least half of all movie franchises with their roots firmly embedded in the "me" decade is pop culture forever frozen in 80s amber? We hardly needed another reminder that the 1980s are still roaring but what were the chances that the two best performances of the Grammy's would come from Annie Lennox and Madonna?
I don't ask this as someone with significant ties to loving the 1980s (though I am someone like that) but from genuine surprise. It's not that there aren't great performers that are very now but they all seemed conspicuously absent last night or visibly subdued within the long procession of funureal ballads the Grammys showcased. Hell, even Pharell's boppy "Happy" which memorably gave us Streep shimmying and Nyong'o jumping to her feet at the Oscars last year, was performed with 'everything is not awesome' minor key ominousness.
After the jump movie & Oscar related Grammy stuff and big wins. But first a few words on Madonna and the delicious deep red new video from the undeposed Queen of Pop.
Madonna still reigns. More importantly she refuses to given even an inch to the ageist cries of millions that she's too old for this. Imagine having the steel it would take to still come on this strong -- and still visibly enjoy yourself! -- over 30 years into your reign. Now imagine having that steel for the entire 30+ years since people have been asking you to go away and suggesting you were "over" for roughly all of those 30 years. I ain't exaggerating.
Dear Tweens: This is @madonna. She invented everyone you like except she's smarter than they are. Have a great night. pic.twitter.com/Mt7C7FwZGM
— billy eichner (@billyeichner) February 9, 2015
Devote TFE fan Hayden W (who you know from the comments) sings praises Madonna's more elegantly over at /bent and asks that you don't ever tell her to stop.
Grammy's Big Four
Song of the Year "Stay With Me" - Sam Smith
Record of the Year "Stay With Me" - Sam Smith
New Artist - Sam Smith
Album of the Year "Morning Phase" - Beck
Other Top Album Wins
Traditional Pop Vocal Album "Cheek to Cheek" - Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga
Pop Vocal Album "In a Lonely Hour" - Sam Smith
Rock Album "Morning Phase" - Beck
Country Album "Platinum" - Miranda Lambert
R&B Album "Love, Marriage & Divorce" - Toni Braxton & Babyface
Urban Contemporary Album "Girl" - Pharrell Williams
Rap Album "The Marshall Mathers LP2" - Eminem
Dance/Electronic Album "Syro" - Aphex Twin
- There are literally over 30 more "best album" Categories. Can you believe it? It would be like the Oscars having "Best Picture" statues for Every Genre & SubGenre "Best Thriller / Psychological Picture," "Best Horror / Slasher Picture," "Best Traditional Horror Picture," "Best Oscar Bait Picture," "Best Urban Contemporary Comedy Picture," "Best True Life Story, Period Drama Picture," "Best Fantasy, SciFi Picture" (they'd still have to share), "Best Women Who Lie To Themselves™ Picture" and on and on and on
Winners from Grammy's Film/TV/Stage Related and Actor Heavy Categories
• Best Pop Solo "Happy (Live)" - Pharrell Williams
Is this for his Oscars version with Streep & Nyong'o. That means he could also win an Emmy for that for live performance.
• Best Spoken Word Album "Diary of a Mad Diva" - Joan Rivers
A posthumous win (*sniffle*). She beat John Waters "Carsick" and James Franco's "Actors Anonymous" among others here
• Best Comedy Album "Mandatory Fun" - Weird Al Yankovic
He beat lots of actor/comedians: Louis CK, Sarah Silverman, Jim Gaggifan, and Patton Oswalt
• Best Musical Theater Album "Beautiful: The Carole King Musical"
So Jesse Mueller in one years has won half an EGOT. The Tony & The Grammy portion. If she moves to the small or big screen who knows? Jesse beat fellow Tony winners A Gentleman's Guide, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Aladdin and the San Francisco Symphony's West Side Story with Cheyenne Jackson
• Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media "Frozen"
The Disney behemoth beat American Hustle, Get On Up, Guardians of the Galaxy and The Wolf of Wall Street
• Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media "Grand Budapest Hotel"
So in a single day Alexandre Desplat won both the Grammy and the BAFTA is Oscar (finally) next for the oft-nominated composer? A complicating factor. None of Grand Budapest's fellow Grammy nominees are up for the Oscar and some are from last year.
• Best Song Written for Visual Media "Let It Go"
Last year's Oscar winner beat two of this year's Best Original Song nominees "I'm Not Gonna Miss You" from Glenn Campbell, I'll Be Me and "Everything is Awesome" from The LEGO Movie
• Best Music Film 20 Feet From Stardom
Last year's documentary Oscar winner also wins its Grammys besting that Beyoncé & Jay Z "on the Run" thing, Coldplay's "Ghost Stories" a P¡nk tour, and another Metallica film
• Best Music Video "Happy"
Seems crazy that this beat Sia's "Chandelier"... which incidentally featured Kristen Wiig dancing in the Grammy performance? Is there anything Wiig can't (or won't) do?
• Best Country Song "I'm Not Gonna Miss You"
Glenn Campbell's current Oscar nominated song beat Miranda Lambert's "Automatic" among others. In a weaker Best Song year I'd say he'd have a great chance to win but doesn't "Glory" from Selma seem unstoppable?
More Grammy Reads
TV Line has a good overview of the highlights and lowlights of The Grammys.
Vox best Dance moments from the Grammys
Towleroad Sam Smith thanks his ex-boyfriend for his Grammy wins
E! Some memes from the big night
Grammy.com full list of winners. They have over a a hundred categories so it's tough to find full lists online unless you go to the source
Reader Comments (23)
I remember halfway through the telecast thinking OMG Annie Lenox is the baddest bitch out there! LOVED Madonna too. I hope to God she is still kicking that much ass 20 years from now too. Goes to show Grammy can invite as many shiny new toys to the show as they want, but it's the Classics that always impress the most!
Thanks for the link! I'm living for this Living for Love moment, and not just because I'm a Taurus.
I mean, Madonna is Madonna, she has earned her place, I respect her and I'm glad that she is still going strong after all these years, but it still baffles me when people say she is the best or she has been the best of any given show when she lip syncs her songs (like last night). I don't understand how anyone can say Madonna last night was better than Beyonce, Sia, Annie Lennox or Sam Smith, all of which sang perfectly live. You can say she put on a great show, whatever, the best? I refuse to think so.
The Grammys have never been Madonna's bag (except for maybe the Ray of Light year). In fact, her Grammy performances have stood out as some of her weakest. And there's little return-on-investment because with so many performers, they all cancel each other out UNLESS you're a vocal powerhouse who unanimously wins the night. Everyone tries to be memorable but in the end it's a complete wash.
That turns it into a very small stage, despite the size and importance of the show.
Madonna: YES. Her new music: NO, it's terrible. Sorry.
"Madonna: YES. Her new music: NO, it's terrible. Sorry."
This.
THAT? No. "Living For Love" is her best single in years. The new album (what's been released so far) is sounding like her best work since "Confessions on a Dance Floor"
Madonna just gave her best Grammy performance yet, and arguably the best performance of the night.
People may disagree, but this is the Grammys for god's sake, and it's not enough to just get up there and sing a song. Put on a show and remind us why you belong. So many of the talented performers who I admire underwhelmed, and with the exception of Sam Smith, Annie Lennox, Sia, and Beyonce/Common/John Legend, the performances were lackluster. Yes, a lot of them sang well, but I can go into any bar in NYC and hear this.
You may not like Madonna. You may not like her new music because it is contemporary. You may not like the fact that she isn't the best singer or even the best dancer. But is there anyone else in pop music who can put on a show like her? Is there anyone else that can generate this much excitement/outrage/discussion? No.
The reason why Madonna matters, and why her performance matters, is because no one else in the music industry can do what she just did. Other performers can sing well and play instruments and write nice songs, but no one can do what Madonna did.
One of the greatest artists of the 80s, Rosanne Cash took home three Grammys last night. I saw her again in concert this last winter, and she just owned that stage. An indelible, timeless artist.
I love Glen Campbell. As a kid, his greatest hits was the first album my dad ever gave me, and I listened to it over and over. Those Jimmy Webb songs--wow. This is going to be one of the best Best Song contests we've had at the Oscars in a while.
Sam Smith really scored big last night. Congrats!
Damn, that Beyonce song Drunk In Love sucks.
As a show, it was terrible. High on production, low on value.
There were a lot of acts I like, but I fast forwarded through most of them because the sound was so bad. If they can produce Les Miz at the O2 with very good sound quality, why can't a music awards program do the same at an indoor arena? It sounded like they were in a high school gym.
I appreciate the idea behind all the categories, but it has become a bit like grade school where every child gets a certificate and Grammy winner no longer has the cache it once did.
Loved all the shots of Jane Fonda. Nice to know seniors are still important to the music industry.
Agree that "Living for Love" is one of her best singles in years...crossing my fingers it is a big radio hit. As for her vocals, I believe she was singing live, but with a back-up track. Her dancing was a little stiff though...I think it was the shoes. The horned dancers were exceptional and gorgeous.
A huge credibility problem (as if they needed another one) the Grammys now have is with the rule change that removed the gender separation in the vocal categories. Having Bruno Mars compete against Adele makes no sense. Stupid. And I don't know why, but CBS always has sound issues with any concerts they televise. So the Grammys is even worse in quality.
Annie Lenox SLAYED! Easily the best of the night.
Why was the show so somber and old-skewing? I guess AC/DC opening should've tipped us off. Since we're talking about it: Madonna was serviceable and is still putting out good work, but she hasn't had a great performance in years. The Grammys have never been indicative of actual quality, but Beck for Best Album? Really?
Madonna's definitely smarter than a lot of the pop stars right now. But there's no denying that she's struggling to deliver something relevant to right now. Even releasing the video through Snapchat was like "what? ok". The song's pretty fun but all I kept thinking last night during her kind of lackluster performance was what a really powerhouse singer could do with the song.
"THAT? No. "Living For Love" is her best single in years. The new album (what's been released so far) is sounding like her best work since "Confessions on a Dance Floor"
Yes but, on both counts, there isn't much to compete with. I love Madonna as much as the next person, but this album is doing nothing for me.
"I don't understand how anyone can say Madonna last night was better than Beyonce, Sia, Annie Lennox or Sam Smith, all of which sang perfectly live."
Except Madonna was singing along to a recorded backing track. You can hear both. Sia was doing the same. You can tell when Sia adlibs yet the backing track continues as it does on the recorded version.
Wishing the minor techno breakdown that occured in the live version of "Living for Love" was in the album version. It's a great lil addition to an already great song.
I just realised we'd have missed the Steep Schimmy if she hadn't been nommed for AOC,so there is comisseration for Emmas snub.
From what I have heard it lacks cohesion,just like MDNA,she needs one producer to reigh all her ieas together chohesively,that's why i quite liked HC,at least it had rythm and cohesion.
No Pharrell can't win an Emmy for his Oscars performance of "Happy." The Emmys did away with that Individual Performance in a Variety Program category. The best the hosts can do is be nodded along with the producers in the program's nomination (like how Neil Patrick Harris has all of those Emmys hosting the Tonys). *the more you know*
I didn't watch it and thank goodness. I'm still angry over the diss NIN and Queens of the Stone Age got from last year. It made me never wanting to see it again.
I will agree but with one caveat. I thought Beyonce was brilliant, and I'm not normally a big fan of hers. Nothing against her whatsoever, just not into her music that much. But her performance was amazing.
Annie Lennox killed it, I thought.
You know, the funny thing about having SO many genre Album categories is that they ALWAYS only present Pop Album during the ceremony. Or just Pop/Rock awards in general. You think with all that time, they'd at least have the decency to get around to presenting Rap or Dance/Electronic Album on air every once in a while. Hell, do they even do R&B all that often?
As for the awards, the Grammys suck and we all know this but Beyonce and Sia were robbed and should've been properly awarded for their stellar work. In Sia's case, it would've been a nice cherry on top of the banner year she had.
"Madonna: YES. Her new music: NO, it's terrible. Sorry."
If "The Devil Pray", "Ghosttown" and "Joan Of Arc" are terrible for you, than I can only be sorry for your lack of taste.