*I have been working with this UT publication, Orange Magazine, for the past few weeks and I would like to present my second official article dealing with the Grammys to my followers and readers. I would also like to announce that the magazine offered me the opportunity to do a weekly music blog/column so I am pretty excited. Taking over the world, one publication at a time! :)
Photo by Sheri Alzeerah
Nominations were announced in November, but as the 54th Annual Grammy Awards quickly approach, artists will be nervously awaiting the chance to jump up on the coveted stage Feb. 12.
The 2012 Grammys will be the first since the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences cut the number of categories from 109 to 78. Some categories were discontinued while others were merged into one. For example, male and female pop artists will now not only compete against their own sex, but each other, making a nomination slim and a win more difficult.
This year’s nominations saw the same amount of surprises, shocks and snubs in the main four categories: Album of the Year, Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Best New Artist. Once the nominees were read some may have wondered if the Grammys are recognizing artists based on popularity or the actual work featured on an album.
Andrew Uzendoski, Rhetoric of Music Blogs assistant instructor and true indie music junkie, shares his thoughts on the nominations and who should and will walk away with the coveted gold trophies:
“The Grammys are a weird mixture of popularity, work and career,” Uzendoski says. “When Herbie Hancock won the Grammy for Album of the Year, it was the biggest joke of the past ten years.”
So who is the professor betting on to walk away with the most important award of the night which puts Adele, Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars, The Foo Fighters and Rihanna against each other?
“I will give it to Lady Gaga,” Uzendoski says. “[‘Born This Way’] is diverse. It represents pop and the time. It screams 2011 and where the music industry is heading. But more importantly, where was Kanye West’s nomination in this category?”
Record of the Year, an award given to the artist and producers that collaborated on a particular song, is the one Uzendoski appears most excited about.
“First off it’s a joke that Gaga received no nomination in this category,” Uzendoski says. “But I’m going for Bon Iver’s ‘Holocene.’ The song morphs constantly. It is produced so well, I can’t see it being one second better. ‘Rolling In The Deep’ is not the best song off Adele’s album. ‘Holocene’ is the best of Bon Iver’s.”
This year is not the first where indie acts see Grammy voter love. Last year, rock band Arcade Fire shocked everyone by winning Album of the Year, beating out popular mainstream acts including Eminem, Katy Perry, and Lady Gaga.
“When Arcade Fire won, it was a moment for indie-rock. It represented ten years of the genre becoming popular. But even after the win, the band did not lose its indie credibility,” Uzendoski says.
Even though Bon Iver did not receive an Album of the Year nomination this year, Uzendoski can see a trend with the band receiving recognition in the other three main categories.
“With Bon Iver being nominated, it had all the indie kids talking,” Uzendoski says.
Uzendoski feels that in the category Song of the Year, a worthy song should be able to stand on its own. The award does in fact go to the songwriters on the track, not necessarily the artist.
“I am going to have to go with Adele here,” Uzendoski says. “But I’d like to see ‘The Cave’ walk away with it.”
The Best New Artist category had people scratching their head since most of the nominees would not normally be considered “new.” Even though the professor would have liked to see his favorites, A$AP Rocky or Lana Del Rey in the running, he had something to say about each nominee.
“With Skrillex, I don’t listen to him much, although I hear his name a lot,” Uzendoski says. “Nothing against him, but he is part of a very specific sub-culture group. Bon Iver was three years ago. I didn’t get into J.Cole until this year and Nicki Minaj would have been a for sure if she was nominated last year, but I’m still rooting for her.”
In a year dominated by soul/pop singer, Adele, Uzendoski will be rooting for the unexpected underdog this time around.
“I will be cheering for Gaga,” Uzendoski says. “If Adele sweeps all the awards that is fine. Both Gaga and Adele’s songs will be remembered for a long time.”
- Visit Orange Magazine to see the article, and the rest of the amazing pieces done by the rest of the team, and follow us on Twitter. On top of my weekly music column, the next will be a Kelly Clarkson concert review, I will be writing a serious piece as well. Just glad to be getting my stuff published. :)
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