Big wins for Swift and Lamar at 2016 Grammys
By Alexis Ancel // News Editor
Award shows are equivalent to the best concert you could ever hope to witness. All the best artists of the year come together to perform their most popular songs to a star-studded audience, all in the midst of being recognized and praised for the hard work they put into their music. The Grammys in particular are widely recognized as one of the most iconic award shows of the year and in 2016, they were no different.
The show opened with Taylor Swift’s brilliant performance of her latest single “Out of the Woods,” making Swift the only person who can make a black sparkly bodysuit look effortless and versatile. Unfortunately, the soul-awakening experience of hearing this song live can’t quite be replicated on a TV screen, but while it isn’t exactly a dance jam, its powerful sound and energetic beat certainly set the tone for the rest of the night.
Of the 83 awards presented in total, only four are announced live at the Staples Center during the show. Best New Artist was presented to Meghan Trainor, who delivered an acceptance speech so sweet and gracious that it almost made you forget that she technically isn’t a new artist anymore and probably shouldn’t have even been nominated. But of course, no one could possibly begrudge the darling Ed Sheeran’s win for Song of the Year with “Thinking Out Loud,” and Mark Ronson’s anthem of 2015 “Uptown Funk” was a given from the onset of the show for Record of the Year.
Over the years, the Grammys have evolved into more of a glorified concert than an award show, as evidenced by the presentation of the only four awards anyone actually cares about. Performers of all genres took the stage, including Carrie Underwood, Sam Hunt, Tori Kelly, Demi Lovato, John Legend, Stevie Wonder and Justin Bieber, who was probably the most surprisingly pleasant performer of the night. Before bringing home five awards that night, Kendrick Lamar delivered what was likely the most talked about performance of the show. Complete with cages, chains and pyrotechnics, Lamar’s expressive and passionate performance brought attention to racism in today’s culture through a combination of his songs “Blacker the Berry” and “Alright.” Though he was passed over for Album of the Year for “To Pimp a Butterfly,” his performance made a statement and a lasting impression on the millions of people watching around the world.
Another notable performance was Lady Gaga’s tribute to David Bowie, who passed away at the beginning of this year. Gaga’s career trajectory parallels Bowie’s in many ways, both marked by their hard work and ability to innovate and reinvent new sounds without sacrificing their personal styles, making Gaga the perfect choice for this theatrical and touching tribute. One of the more disappointing performances was shockingly delivered by Adele, the reigning queen of music. Between sound issues and rather unflattering lighting, everyone’s high expectations for her grand return to the Grammy stage were overall, not met. But fret not, as always Adele’s reputation is saved by the public’s notion that she can do no wrong. And in this notion, they might be right.
The night finished as it always does with the presentation of Album of the Year. This year, the Grammys most prestigious title was awarded to none other than ten-time Grammy winner Taylor Swift for “1989.” This is the second time Swift has won this award following her win in 2010 for “Fearless,” making her the youngest artist ever to win it and the only woman to have won it twice. But recognition and record setting aside, her acceptance speech was without a doubt the best part. Not only did Swift stand up for herself and her accomplishments against Kanye West’s misogynistic claim that he made her famous, but she accomplished this in the classiest way possible; she took the opportunity to stand up for the hard work and achievements of women everywhere. In one beautifully eloquent speech, Swift managed to close the Kanye debacle and the “1989 era,” additionally making it the perfect way to close the 2016 Grammys.