While I’ve never been a “dedicated follower of fashion,” as The Kinks sang, especially when it involved Top 40, mainstream pop, I somehow managed to cling to some sense of who the kinds of people were that garnered Grammys. Until this year.
The unbearable whiteness that’s Taylor Swift. (Photo: Robert Hanashiro/USA Today)
I guess that officially pushes me up and over the threshold of relevance, right? Actually, I do know who Taylor Swift is, so maybe I get a reprieve from getting shoved into the trash bin. Possibly that admission probably means that I need to check my white privilege.
My penchant has been for music that went against the grain, or wasn’t trying too hard to be fashionable. In high school it was The Dead Kennedys. I coped with my post-fundamentalist years stranded in Indiana, surrounded with a soundtrack that was weighted towards punk and industrial music; Black Flag and Ministry come to mind. Hit singles never really captured my fancy.
I gave last night’s Grammys about 25 minutes, which was quite generous, I think. I didn’t see anything that made me sit up and take notice like in prior years. But, like I indicated, I’m not someone you should be looking for as your pop culture bellwether.
Someone named Ed Sheeran (who apparently was a friend and occasional collaborator with the white girl, Swift) had an album with the title “X.” This kept him in the running for the Grammy categories for best record, album, and song, but he never managed to push past his friend. Aren’t these categories somewhat redundant?
I’ll share with you the kind of music by an X that I’m into. They sang about “The Decline of Western Civilization.” Which come to think of it, we’re living through—as evidenced by this year’s Grammys.
Happy Tuesday!
I watched for awhile til I fell asleep. Stevie Wonder performed in a tribute to Earth, Wind and Fire and there was a tribute to Lionel Ritchie and I recognized all the people except for one You must know who Adele is? She struggled through a beautiful song. No idea what happened there but it happens.
I also watched Lady GaGa this morning on YouTube with her tribute to David Bowie. Thought she did an awesome job.
And that is all I can remember from last nite.
What I saw seemed decent. I am not a music offiicionado and am pretty mainstream with what I listen to and only do so in the car. Never at home. Usually have the tv on.
My take is that it is simply an awards show, a way to showcase “popular” music to some and a chance for musicians/musical artists (some) to perform and make more money.
I suppose there has to be a venue for that….I probably should have watched, “Biggest Loser.”
I watched four minutes of the Grammy Who’s. I don’t listen to much “pop” music. I really don’t know who Taylor Swift is. Did her career begin on “The Voice” or “America’s Got Talent?” I’m sure she is a perfectly lovely person. Wikipedia says she is a “philanthopist.”
Sheeran is very young. He wrote a song called “17” and I wondered how a young man could write a song of such depth. I also read he was taking a break from social media. I hope that’s working out for him. I’m sure he’s a perfectly lovely person too.
We live in a youth-obsessed culture. Why is it then, that the current leading presidential candidates are all old enough to be Swift & Sheeran’s grandparents?