Grammy Awards Let the Music do the Talking

Unlike the upcoming Oscars, the 2019 Grammy Awards didn’t have the tailwind of controversy behind them that would give them a ratings boost even if some people just tuned in to see how all the drama played out. Instead the 61st Annual Grammy Awards held at Staples Center in Los Angeles went off without a hitch as Alicia Keys was an eloquent host that played to rave reviews and it was the music that took center stage and was topic of conversation the next day, as it should be.

The performances were top notch as several artist had big nights. Kendrick Lamar took the title as being the top nominated artist with eight although Drake was a close 2nd with seven nominations to his credit. That in itself was a side note as an artist with 7 nominations made a statement that hip-hop was not a fading genre, moreover is still at the forefront of the music industry even heading into 2020.

Although the lion’s share of the overall nominations went to men, it seemed like the women stole the show. Brandi Carlile was nominated for six awards with Lady Gaga and Cardi B right behind her with five. You talk about girl power? How about a women winning the best rap album reward, Cardi B making a big statement. I am not trying to bury the lead but Michelle Obama’s guest appearance was a show stopper that had most media outlets giving some love.

My personal favorites had to be Gaga finally getting her due for best pop solo performance and duo or group performance, and how about Dua Lupa coming out of the blocks with best new artist? Now the big question is can she follow it up or have the sophomore slump?But at the end of the night, these ceremonies are about winners and losers so here are the results from some of the most intriguing categories.

Best pop solo performance

“Colors,” Beck

“Havana (Live),” Camila Cabello

“God Is A Woman,” Ariana Grande

“Joanne (Where Do You Think You’re Goin’?),” Lady Gaga *WINNER

“Better Now,” Post Malone

Best pop vocal album

“Camila,” Camila Cabello

“Meaning Of Life,” Kelly Clarkson

“Sweetener,” Ariana Grande *WINNER

“Shawn Mendes,” Shawn Mendes

“Beautiful Trauma,” P!nk

“Reputation,” Taylor Swift

Best new artist

Chloe X Halle

Luke Combs

Greta Van Fleet

H.E.R.

Dua Lipa *WINNER

Margo Price

Bebe Rexha

Jorja Smith

Best rap album

“Invasion Of Privacy,” Cardi B *WINNER

“Swimming,” Mac Miller

“Victory Lap,” Nipsey Hussle

“Daytona,” Pusha T

“Astroworld,” Travis Scott

Best pop duo/group performance

“Fall in Line,” Christina Aguilera featuring Demi Lovato

“Don’t Go Breaking My Heart,” Backstreet Boys

“‘S Wonderful,” Tony Bennett & Diana Krall

“Shallow,” Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper *WINNER

“Girls Like You,” Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B

“Say Something,” Justin Timberlake featuring Chris Stapleton

“The Middle,” Zedd, Maren Morris & Grey