Not that I play any piano or sing, but still, it would have been nice to perform something like that myself.
The concept was simple, yet its execution was flamboyant. Lady Gaga is churned out by a big “Fame Factory,” which spits her out wearing a green, sparkly outfit that everyone on the forum I was on immediately dubbed ‘Gaga-Tinkerbell’ outfit. After performing “Pokerface,” she gets dumped into a giant ‘Rejected’ bin, only to emerge behind her piano and accompanied by none other than Elton John for an amazing duet of “Speechless” and “Your Song.”
I've always loved Elton John, and it comes as no surprise that he performed with Lady Gaga. Honestly, we could say that he finally performed with Lady Gaga. As for her, however odd she might seem, there are two things about her that I find strangely compelling. The first is her confidence. She does what she wants, however extravagant it might be. And the second is her singing, especially when she accompanies herself on the piano.
It could be argued that the choice of song wasn’t the best, but it must also be pointed out that, in an era of young starlets wanting to live the dream of performing on stage without having the talent to do so well, Lady Gaga is actually one of the artists who has a voice and can use it well. It’s sad that people are so focused on her outfits that they rarely comment on that.
But perhaps that’s exactly what Lady Gaga is aiming for. What a social commentary that would be.
Pink: "Have You Ever" and "Glitter in the Air"
Pink is another artist I have always liked, and that I continue to like throughout the years. Perhaps it has to do with the fact that she can sing; perhaps it has to do with the fact that she came out of the bubble-gum pop mould she was initially cast in to become her own person. It probably has something to do with the fact that her lyrics are heartfelt and go beyond the stereotypical mushy-type lyrics.
One thing is certain: her performance at last night’s Grammy’s has raised the bar like nothing else has in a long time. In a number fit for a Cirque du Soleil act, Pink sang "Glitter in the Air" while hanging from white silk material. Her relatively simple attire – if you can call a flesh-coloured bodysuit that – as well as the lack of special effects put the spotlight where it deserved to be: on the high-flying, graceful aerial act graced with a perfectly sung tune, even during the longest spin sequence in which Pink’s voice didn’t falter once.
Article comments
1 - Jordan Richardson
I LOVED the inclusion of the Alanis bit into the Beyonce number. Totally fit the "screw you, dude" vibe of the song and amped up her "woman scorned" imagery all the more.
2 - El Bicho
"Using a tribute to do advertising? Not classy."
Are you serious? Everything about the Grammys is advertising.
3 - Sahar
Jordan Richardson: I agree that the lyrics fit perfectly, but the song really didn't do anything for Beyoncé's voice imo.
El Bicho: yes, everything about the Grammys is advertising, but it doesn't mean it should be, especially when the performance is meant to be a tribute. That's my point ;)
4 - Brian aka Guppusmaximus
I appreciate the attempt of cynicism but just like the Grammys, I only made it through a portion of your article.
Seriously, there is sooo much other music in this world to be heard that bothering to analyze such a travesty does a disservice to plenty of hard working musicians all over. When people start turning this sh!t off and the ratings are lost then we will see a change. BUT, I doubt that will ever happen.
It's not whether Beyonce, Pink or any other artist on that show can sing,it is the actual music in their respective repertoire that is formulaic & predictive at best They resort to a greater entertainment value because the CDs that these people release don't have a foot to stand on...
You just heard from an apathetic cynic.
5 - Sahar
Good point Brian regarding the fact that there is so much good music out there. We do waste a lot of time on drivel, don't we? It kind of makes the whole argument invalid.
My question, as someone who would love to find these awesome artists, is: where? I'm no music expert (as the use of layman's terms in this article and many others I have written about music clearly demonstrates), and I really don't know where to start. It's sometimes easier to just turn on the radio and listen to something rather than to sit in silence :)
6 - Brian aka Guppusmaximus
I can't reveal all of my sources but I recommend you start with googling the genre of music you like,for example, one of my favs is Prog Rock / Metal. I found ProgArchives.com to be a great resource. Next, you can always visit the record label websites for the bands that you currently dig, for example, I love Death Metal as well. One of my favs is Gorod which happens to be on Willowtip. I visited their site and found Neuraxis and so on. If you visit the myspace page of a band you like then you might find some new bands in their "friends" section.
Google can be your best friend but you gotta love music and be willing to spend some time researching.
7 - El Bicho
"yes, everything about the Grammys is advertising, but it doesn't mean it should be"
Then you miss the whole point of the show. It's like complaining there's gambling in a casino
8 - Jordan Richardson
Sahar, it's not the artist that is "awesome." It's your approach to the artist that decides whether something's valid (or "good") or not. Everyone's approach to music or film or literature is different and these awards shows are just self-congratulatory advertisements.
You can find good music if you want to because there's no shortage of artists in all sorts of different genres. While many might find Beyonce "formulaic," I happen to find her fascinating and she's one of my favourite artists.
The point I'm trying to make is that it's not necessarily always what the artists (or the art) brings to you, but it really can be what you bring to the artist that makes all the difference in the world.
9 - Brian aka Guppusmaximus
"The point I'm trying to make is that it's not necessarily always what the artists (or the art) brings to you, but it really can be what you bring to the artist that makes all the difference in the world."
HUH?! That doesn't even make any sense...
It's good and all that people will like what they like (Hell, I like me some PepperJack with Triscuits)BUT, Award shows present these "artists" as the best of the best which is just uninformed. They should have to display a disclaimer at the beginning that says something to the effect that these artists sell the most records and that this show wants to award the best at selling records.
Honestly, just because McDonalds is the top selling restaurant doesn't mean they offer the best hamburger!
10 - Sahar
Brian: thanks, but unfortunately, that's my problem - I don't have that much time (yet). Soon, hopefully :)
El Bicho: If you read a little about what the Grammys are supposed to be about rather than what they have become, you might agree with me. The People's Choice, however, is definitely about selling ;)
Jordan: I don't quite understand what you are trying to say...
Brian: Excellent analogy! I think perhaps that's what bothers me the most: that the Grammy Awards are supposedly about the best music, whereas they have become about the best selling music. I love me some Beyoncé, Lady Gaga and even the occasional Britney Spears song, but I know that's not the best music out there.
Perhaps what bothers me the most is this: that music has become about entertainment only; it sometimes feels that not many people sing as a way of enhancing understanding and evoking emotions that cannot be put into words.