The entertainment awards season is in full swing, not just in film and television, but in music as well. The 2015 Grammy Awards took place last Sunday night and once again proved to be the world’s most ambitious concert rather than an awards show. This is not a bad thing, as some of the year’s top performers took the stage to sing, dance and present awards to the winners who will go down in music history.
The biggest surprise win of the night went to Beck for his new album, “Morning Phase,” a folk/indie-feeling record that diverts from the musician’s earlier works in big ways.
Taking in some of the biggest awards of the night was Sam Smith who received awards for Best New Artist, Song of the Year, Record of the Year and Best Pop Album. Smith undeniably had the most inspired speech of the evening, bringing up the mold he thought he needed to strive for in order to fit industry standards. This included changing his musical style, weight and looks. He strove to just be himself and create the sounds that felt right to him. Sticking to his integrity obviously worked in his favor.
What should have been a big moment for Beck was a moment of fear — fear that he was about to face the same fate Taylor Swift did when she won this award in 2009 and Kanye West got up from his seat to make a personal shout-out of his own about Beyonce’s album that, in his opinion, should have won. While Kanye never actually said a word on stage at this moment, he showed up, which made things uncomfortable for Beck and everyone watching at home.
Fans of Beyonce can rest easy knowing that “Queen B” did not go home empty handed. She took home the award for Best R&B Performance thanks to the track “Drunk in Love.”
From a performance standpoint, the ceremony was on point all the way through with a mix of meaningful pieces to leave viewers moved and fun segments that reminded everyone what an exceptional year of music it has been.
The most noteworthy performances of the night included Katy Perry in a white gown, belting out “By Grace of God” from her “Prism” album. The song was introduced by President Obama himself to address the issue of domestic violence in our country, which was then followed by an emotional spoken-word piece by Brooke Axtell, an abuse activist.
Pharrell Williams also took to the stage with an updated version of his hit “Happy” as a tribute to Ferguson. The addition of a spoken section in which the words “hands up, don’t shoot” were felt around the auditorium.
Keeping the theme of racial injustice, the night ended with a performance from Common and John Legend as they sang their Oscar-nominated tune “Glory” from the newly released film “Selma.” Expect to see this pair perform the song again later this month at the Academy Awards.
The night was a recipe for what pop culture award show tends to always show us. Filled with some surprises and some predictable moments, the Grammys proved to be a night filled with art deserving to be celebrated. Let’s just hope Kanye doesn’t get invited back next year.
