This year?s Grammy nominees graduated and went straight to rehab.
The 50th Annual Grammy Awards will air on Sunday night, and the stakes are high for contemporary music personalities Kanye West and Amy Winehouse. West is nominated in eight different categories and Winehouse in six.
The Grammy Awards are music?s most prestigious honors, given to the artists who have shown outstanding artistic acheivement in the recording industry each year. Their mission is ?to positively impact the lives of musicians, industry members and our society at large.? Well, I guess a lot has changed in 50 years.
The Grammys are, for the most part, rather predictable. The Recording Academy is notorious for nominating the same few artists in every category so those same artists win again and again. Think Norah Jones in 2003; she won five Grammys in one night, but where is she now? But this year?s powerhouses are Winehouse and West. There may be a few surprises along the way, but expect each performer to take home more than a handful of those shiny, gold gramophones.
Record of the Year nominates an outstanding single. Rihanna?s ?Umbrella? will undoubtedly win in this category. The song has become a cultural phenomenon in the past year; it was covered and remixed by more than 25 different artists all over the world. ?Umbrella? was also named one of the top 10 most successful songs of the past decade ? Rihanna?s already won with this one.
This year?s nominees for Best New Artist ? Feist, Paramore, Ledisi, Taylor Swift and Amy Winehouse ? bring some much needed girl power to the ceremony. They also display the award show?s musical diversity, ranging from R&B to country to rock to indie pop. However, this category is always frustrating, as most of the nominees have actually been recording and performing for several years. Taylor Swift, one of country?s princesses, is the only artist who could really be labeled as ?new.? Breakout singer-songwriter Feist deserves to win, as she has garnered attention from critics and fans for the quality of her music rather than out-of-control drug use or panty-less escapades, but, in the unfortunate shut-out that is often the Grammys, Amy Winehouse will take the award.
That is not to say, however, that Winehouse is undeserving. The singer is extremely talented, and her work has changed contemporary pop music. Because of her, kids everywhere are now listening to Motown-inspired tracks. There was some doubt as to whether the beehived Brit would be hopping across the pond to attend the ceremony ? but just a few weeks ago, she came to her senses and checked into rehab, hopefully bettering her health in order to offer audiences an unforgettable performance. Unfortunately, Amy Winehouse won?t be present on Sunday due to the rejection of her visa application. Instead, according to reports from Hollywood Insider and PerezHilton.com, the waif-like Brit plans to perform for Grammy-watchers via satellite.
However, it?s safe to say that whenever Winehouse battles West ? in the arena of Album of the Year, for example ? Graduation is ?Stronger? than Back to Black. Kanye just keeps getting better ? and does anyone even remember that Graduation dropped on the same day as 50 Cent?s album? That ?epic battle? fizzled quickly. West?s creativity, innovation, endless collaborations and ability to appeal to a wide audience have not, making Graduation the obvious Album of the Year.
If you are wondering why In Rainbows wasn?t nominated, it?s because the eligibility year for the 2008 nominations ended on Sept. 30, 2007. And don?t worry ? Britney?s Oct. 27 release will probably win Best Vocal By a Fallen Pop Icon next year. Her recording engineers at least deserve something for their hard work on Blackout.
As much as I hate to admit it, though, The Boss will probably beat the Foo Fighters for the title of Best Rock Album, but I?m still keeping my fingers crossed. After all, Springsteen has already won 15 Grammys; isn?t that enough? Hopefullly the Foo Fighters, one of the hardest-working rock bands in the industry, will at least keep Nickelback from winning Best Rock Performance. The White Stripes will almost certainly take home the Best Alternative Music Album award for Icky Thump.
One thing?s for sure, though ? no matter what happens, Timbaland will take home at least one Grammy. Not only is he nominated for Producer of the Year, he?s also nominated in several other categories for his collaborations with, well, everyone.
Even if your favorites don?t win, Music?s Biggest Night promises to be a booty-shaking, head-banging good time, with Beyonce, Carrie Underwood and the Foo Fighters scheduled to perform. Fergie and John Legend are also set to perform a duet, and several different artists will honor Aretha Franklin. Performances were still being announced this week.
The 50th Annual Grammy Awards will air this Sunday at 8/7c on CBS.
