The 2016 Grammys: hits, disses, glitches, and Gaga.
The 58th Annual Grammy Awards last night was a technologically infused tribute concert with some standout performances, a couple of misses, an over-do sweep, a Broadway moment, and relatively few trophies despite the three hours plus running time.
75 of the 83 awards were given Monday night in an effort to “jazz up this one dreary exercise,” as the NY Times out it. That they did.
Timing is everything. Taking advantage that most Broadway theaters are dark on Monday night, “the Grammy audience got to see part of the musical first hand,” noted Vox.com. “As they were transported to the Richard Rodgers Theater in New York and were treated to the show’s opening number, ‘Alexander Hamilton.'”
Tickets for the show have been impossible to get. Last night’s performance means that won’t change anytime soon.
Taking Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song among his five wins, Kendrick Lamar was vindicated from losing to Best Rap Album to Macklemore in 2014. His performance included “Alright,” an anthem for the Black Lives Matter movement.
As summed up by The Daily Beast, “he won the ceremony with a soulful and politically-charged performance that started with him rapping “The Blacker the Berry” in chains, surrounded by band members who played from behind bars.”