It's not that Bruno Mars isn't deserving of this Record of the Year win. Logic and many others onstage wear shirts inscribed with the number for a suicide prevention hotline, and at the song's end, Logic delivers a powerful speech encompassing immigration rights, women's rights and the hopeful vision of his generation. Nonetheless, rapper Logic and Best New Artist winner Alessia Cara make the most of it, pouring their hearts into a genuinely authentic moment: a song that speaks deeply to young people who hold fast to their right to express themselves, but who also doubt themselves, sometimes up to the point of crisis. It's a bad decision to follow the In Memoriam segment with a song about suicide. But, as tradition has it, the show's final notes were familiar, and tone deaf. Even in choosing to play it safe, the Academy still reflected the pulse of pop to a small degree. And Mars is squarely in the tradition of the R&B legends and major influences he paid respects to in his speech, including Babyface, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis and Teddy Riley. That said, hip-hop and R&B, together, make up Nielsen's ranking as the most-consumed genre. But in a year in which the Academy seemed dead-set on correcting its lackluster record of recognition regarding hip-hop, this feels a lot like more of the same. By the numbers, it's hard to be disappointed for Lamar, who walked away with a total of five awards, or Jay Z, who's won nearly two dozen Grammys over his career.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |