60th Grammys Recap: Bruno Mars Snipes Album of the Year

Biggest Moments of the 60th Grammys:

Kendrick Lamar's Opening Performance
Kendrick Lamar is a hip-hop shark who continues to press a political agenda forward through his music. This opening performance on the Grammys continually demonstrates his ability to plot out live performances with unique elements and diverse visual elements. Lamar brought Bono out for "XXX" and inserted Dave Chappelle commentary twice without drawing too much attention away from Lamar's musical elements.  

U2 Performing on the Hudson
U2, much like Lamar, made a career out of social issues commentary and an outspoken liberal mindset. Though U2 is decades into their career and losing steam, and epic performance on the Hudson River reinforced a lovable quality of U2. You might not buy their album or tour tickets, but U2 continues to fight for equality inside and outside of the studio. 

​"1-800-273-8255" by Logic, Khalid, and Alessia Cara
"WHO CAN RELATE?! WHOOOO!" That phrase became a major pop culture asset in 2017, driving the positive influence of "1-800-273-8255," a song named after the National Suicide Prevention Hotline. Logic, Alessia Cara, and Khalid teamed up to perform their hit: a mellow, smooth pop/hip-hop crossover that drives home the point without holding a depressing sound. The young stars represent the future of pop and hip-hop. Alessia Cara took home Best New Artist at the Grammys last night, while Khalid was also nominated in that category. 
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Kesha & the "Me Too" Movement
​Kesha could very well take credit for sparking the discussion of sexism and sexual assault in the music industry. After legally facing up against Dr. Luke, a former Sony executive and pop hitmaker, Kesha's lawsuit loss sent shockwaves throughout the industry. Huge artists like Lady Gaga, Demi Lovato, and Taylor Swift all donated or made statement regarding Kesha's situation. That was years ago. In 2017, Kesha resurfaced with her raw, country-influenced 'Rainbow.' 'Rainbow' also includes many pop hits, as well, in addition to a series of battle-cry ballads that argue for her strength and revival of her music career. Kesha's performance of "Praying" was rough - shaky and not always on pitch. However, that in itself was the point. Surrounded by other female musicians supporting her, Kesha sang her battle cry on music's biggest stage. Lawsuit and finances aside, Dr. Luke was sitting in a hotel alone watching while Kesha took back her career, and in turn, her life. 

Childish Gambino &  J.D. McCrary
​Slow and sensual. Childish Gambino, or Donald Glover for those who know his acting career, sang "Terrified" last night in a bluesy, laidback performance. His band members seemed as cool and collected as he was. However, nothing beats the impressive performance by J.D. McCrary. McCrary stars in 'The Lion King' alongside Childish Gambino, and his addition to the performance wowed audience members. McCrary's vocal talents are flawless. The pair created one of the most impressive yet minimal performances of the night. 

Biggest Letdowns

Bruno Mars Sweeping Record of the Year, Song of the Year & Album of the Year
Mars stole the show from Lamar, and not in a good way. Was '24 Magic' fun? Did it rock the radio? Is Mars one of this generation's ultimate live performers? Yes to all of the above. However, Lamar continues to execute some of the most rich and razor-sharp raps available for hip-hop fans. But that's just it: Lamar's talent is lost on the mainstream audience. Mars can make your head bop to "Condo in Manhattan," while Lamar's commentary on FOX News isn't going to fly with every listener. 

"Des... paaaaaaaa...." Oh, no.  
It's not that the song isn't a hit. It's not that the Spanish song isn't super important for a country that is quickly growing a large Spanish-speaking population. However, the performance screamed Spanish stereotypes, and it did little to show the depth of Latin music on music's biggest stage. Yes, "Despacito" gets everyone on their feet. However, the performance needed to be a little less Vegas residency and a little more Grammy stage. 

Sam Smith Is His Own Worst Enemy
Sam Smith made us fall asleep last night. His high vocal range is immense, and his talent is indisputable. However, the white overcoat and choir made Sam Smith the same he was last year and the year before that and the year before that: dull.
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We highlighted the most popular category nominees during our Grammys nominations post. Below are the updated winner results from last night's Grammy Awards:

Record Of The Year:
“Redbone” — Childish Gambino
“Despacito” — Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee Featuring Justin Bieber
“The Story Of O.J.” — Jay-Z
“HUMBLE.” — Kendrick Lamar
“24K Magic” — Bruno Mars

Album Of The Year:
“Awaken, My Love!” — Childish Gambino
4:44 — Jay-Z
DAMN. — Kendrick Lamar
Melodrama — Lorde
24K Magic — Bruno Mars

Song Of The Year:
“Despacito” — Ramón Ayala, Justin Bieber, Jason “Poo Bear” Boyd, Erika Ender, Luis Fonsi & Marty James Garton, songwriters (Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee Featuring Justin Bieber)
“4:44” — Shawn Carter & Dion Wilson, songwriters (Jay-Z)
“Issues” — Benny Blanco, Mikkel Storleer Eriksen, Tor Erik Hermansen, Julia Michaels & Justin Drew Tranter, songwriters (Julia Michaels)
“1-800-273-8255” — Alessia Caracciolo, Sir Robert Bryson Hall II, Arjun Ivatury & Khalid Robinson, songwriters (Logic Featuring Alessia Cara & Khalid)
“That’s What I Like” — Christopher Brody Brown, James Fauntleroy, Philip Lawrence, Bruno Mars, Ray Charles McCullough II, Jeremy Reeves, Ray Romulus & Jonathan Yip, songwriters (Bruno Mars)

Best New Artist:
Alessia Cara
Khalid
Lil Uzi Vert
Julia Michaels
SZA

POP
Best Pop Solo Performance:
“Love So Soft” — Kelly Clarkson
“Praying” — Kesha
“Million Reasons” — Lady Gaga
“What About Us” — P!nk
“Shape Of You” — Ed Sheeran

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance:
“Something Just Like This” — The Chainsmokers & Coldplay
“Despacito” — Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee Featuring Justin Bieber
“Thunder” — Imagine Dragons
“Feel It Still” — Portugal. The Man
“Stay” — Zedd & Alessia Cara

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album:
Nobody But Me (Deluxe Version) — Michael Bublé
Triplicate — Bob Dylan
In Full Swing — Seth MacFarlane
Wonderland — Sarah McLachlan
Tony Bennett Celebrates 90 — (Various Artists) Dae Bennett, Producer

Best Pop Vocal Album:
Kaleidoscope EP — Coldplay
Lust For Life — Lana Del Rey
Evolve — Imagine Dragons
Rainbow — Kesha
Joanne -- Lady Gaga
÷ (Divide) — Ed Sheeran

DANCE/ELECTRONIC
Best Dance Recording:
“Bambro Koyo Ganda” — Bonobo Featuring Innov Gnawa
“Cola” — Camelphat & Elderbrook
“Andromeda” — Gorillaz Featuring DRAM
“Tonite” — LCD Soundsystem
“Line Of Sight” — Odesza Featuring WYNNE & Mansionair

Best Dance/Electronic Album:
Migration — Bonobo
3-D The Catalogue — Kraftwerk
Mura Masa — Mura Masa
A Moment Apart — Odesza
What Now — Sylvan Esso

ROCK
Best Rock Performance:
“You Want It Darker” — Leonard Cohen
“The Promise” — Chris Cornell
“Run” — Foo Fighters
“No Good” — Kaleo
“Go To War” — Nothing More

Best Metal Performance:
“Invisible Enemy” — August Burns Red
“Black Hoodie” — Body Count
“Forever” — Code Orange
“Sultan’s Curse” — Mastodon
“Clockworks” — Meshuggah

Best Rock Song:
“Atlas, Rise!” — James Hetfield & Lars Ulrich, songwriters (Metallica)
“Blood In The Cut” — JT Daly & Kristine Flaherty, songwriters (K.Flay)
“Go To War” — Ben Anderson, Jonny Hawkins, Will Hoffman, Daniel Oliver, David Pramik & Mark Vollelunga, songwriters (Nothing More)
“Run” — Foo Fighters, songwriters (Foo Fighters)
“The Stage” — Zachary Baker, Brian Haner, Matthew Sanders, Jonathan Seward & Brooks Wackerman, songwriters (Avenged Sevenfold)

Best Rock Album:
Emperor Of Sand — Mastodon
Hardwired…To Self-Destruct — Metallica
The Stories We Tell Ourselves — Nothing More
Villains — Queens Of The Stone Age
A Deeper Understanding — The War On Drugs

ALTERNATIVE
Best Alternative Music Album:
Everything Now — Arcade Fire
Humanz — Gorillaz
American Dream — LCD Soundsystem
Pure Comedy — Father John Misty
Sleep Well Beast — The National

R&B
Best R&B Performance:
“Get You” — Daniel Caesar Featuring Kali Uchis
“Distraction” — Kehlani
“High” — Ledisi
“That’s What I Like” — Bruno Mars
“The Weekend” — SZA

Best Traditional R&B Performance:
“Laugh And Move On” — The Baylor Project
“Redbone” — Childish Gambino
“What I’m Feelin'” — Anthony Hamilton Featuring The Hamiltones|
“All The Way” — Ledisi
“Still” — Mali Music

Best R&B Song:
“First Began” — PJ Morton, songwriter (PJ Morton)
“Location” — Alfredo Gonzalez, Olatunji Ige, Samuel David Jiminez, Christopher McClenney, Khalid Robinson & Joshua Scruggs, songwriters (Khalid)
“Redbone” — Donald Glover & Ludwig Goransson, songwriters (Childish Gambino)
“Supermodel” — Tyran Donaldson, Terrence Henderson, Greg Landfair Jr., Solana Rowe & Pharrell Williams, songwriters (SZA)
“That’s What I Like” — Christopher Brody Brown, James Fauntleroy, Philip Lawrence, Bruno Mars, Ray Charles McCullough II, Jeremy Reeves, Ray Romulus & Jonathan Yip, songwriters (Bruno Mars)

Best Urban Contemporary Album:
Free 6LACK — 6LACK
“Awaken, My Love!” — Childish Gambino
American Teen — Khalid
Ctrl — SZA
Starboy — The Weeknd

Best R&B Album:
Freudian — Daniel Caesar
Let Love Rule — Ledisi
24K Magic — Bruno Mars
Gumbo — PJ Morton
Feel The Real –Musiq Soulchild

RAP/HIP-HOP
Best Rap Performance:
“Bounce Back” — Big Sean
“Bodak Yellow” — Cardi B
“4:44” — Jay-Z
“HUMBLE.” — Kendrick Lamar
“Bad And Boujee” — Migos Featuring Lil Uzi Vert

Best Rap/Sung Performance:
“PRBLMS” — 6LACK
“Crew” — Goldlink Featuring Brent Faiyaz & Shy Glizzy
“Family Feud” — Jay-Z Featuring Beyoncé
“LOYALTY.” — Kendrick Lamar Featuring Rihanna
“Love Galore” — SZA Featuring Travis Scott

Best Rap Song:
“Bodak Yellow” — Dieuson Octave, Klenord Raphael, Shaftizm, Jordan Thorpe, Washpoppin & J White, songwriters (Cardi B)
“Chase Me” — Judah Bauer, Brian Burton, Hector Delgado, Jaime Meline, Antwan Patton, Michael Render, Russell Simins & Jon Spencer,
songwriters (Danger Mouse Featuring Run The Jewels & Big Boi)
“HUMBLE.” — Duckworth, Asheton Hogan & M. Williams II, songwriters (Kendrick Lamar)
“Sassy” — Gabouer & M. Evans, songwriters (Rapsody)
“The Story Of O.J.” — Shawn Carter & Dion Wilson, songwriters (Jay-Z)

Best Rap Album:
4:44 — Jay-Z
DAMN. — Kendrick Lamar
Culture — Migos
Laila’s Wisdom — Rapsody
Flower Boy — Tyler, The Creator

COUNTRY
Best Country Solo Performance:
“Body Like A Back Road” — Sam Hunt
“Losing You: –Alison Krauss
“Tin Man” — Miranda Lambert
“I Could Use A Love Song” — Maren Morris
“Either Way” — Chris Stapleton

Best Country Duo/Group Performance:
“It Ain’t My Fault” — Brothers Osborne
“My Old Man” — Zac Brown Band
“You Look Good” — Lady Antebellum
“Better Man” — Little Big Town
“Drinkin’ Problem” — Midland

Best Country Song:
“Better Man” — Taylor Swift, songwriter (Little Big Town)
“Body Like A Back Road” — Zach Crowell, Sam Hunt, Shane McAnally & Josh Osborne, songwriters (Sam Hunt)
“Broken Halos” — Mike Henderson & Chris Stapleton, songwriters (Chris Stapleton)
“Drinkin’ Problem” — Jess Carson, Cameron Duddy, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne & Mark Wystrach, songwriters (Midland)
“Tin Man” — Jack Ingram, Miranda Lambert & Jon Randall, songwriters (Miranda Lambert)

Best Country Album:
Cosmic Hallelujah — Kenny Chesney
Heart Break — Lady Antebellum
The Breaker — Little Big Town
Life Changes — Thomas Rhett
From A Room: Volume 1 — Chris Stapleton

MUSIC VIDEO/FILM
Best Music Video:
“Up All Night” — Beck
“Makeba” — Jain
“The Story Of O.J.” — Jay-Z
“Humble.” — Kendrick Lamar
“1-800-273-8255” — Logic Featuring Alessia Cara & Khalid
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Written by Jenna