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