R U Crazy? (Or Kanye being... well, Kanye)

Last night The Grammy's were held, and oh boy, what a feast. For the most part, there were ballads everywhere, some good, some bad. As an irony, the most energetic presentations were from two old school fronts: AC/DC, who started the joint, and Madonna, which I'm still trying to process (and I'm not talking about her outfit at the red carpet). And the best, for me, was Annie Lenox (sublime, absolutely sublime) and Sia, assisted by a very wide-eyed Kristen Wiig. Absolutely marvelous.

Via

As predicted yesterday, I was right about the winners. It was Sam Smith's night, of course. The so-called male Adele took three Grammys to his home and one of the best lines of the night: "I want to thank the man who this record is about, who I fell in love with last year. Thank you so much for breaking my heart because you got me four Grammys". That is called a comeback like any other.

For the complete list of winners, please go here.

And of course, the fashion. The unaltered fashion. I'm going to let the images speak for themselves.

Via

- Madonna as a sexy maiden, showing that at 56 she still got it. Also, that any women at any age looks ridiculous on that outfit.

- Kim Kardashian, who apparently got out of the bathroom in her expensive bathrobe and didn't have time to change. Convenience, after all.

- Taylor Swift, looking so regal in this, One of my favorite colors. Love it.

- Gwen Stefani: never mind the jumpsuit, she looks like 25. How she does it?

- Katy Perry, bland, yes, but what a great performance, with all of its flaws. Amazing.

Via

- Beyonce, so toned down, but looking #Flawless, as usual. Minus points for a good presentation, not really suited for her.
- Lady Gaga, surprisingly poised, but she's looking more and more like this lady.
- Rihanna, with a dreamy dress, but she looks more like a quinceañera. You should really see all the memes about that.
- Kim, again.
- Nicki Minaj, showing her assets, as usual. She look gorgeous, by the way.

Via

God bless Sia. She's the new Bjork. Amazing, unpredictable and avant-garde. Although I hate to say this, but shouldn't this girl be at home sleeping at that time? Just saying.

But none of that can compare with THE MOMENT. Yes, the one they are all talking about. That awkward moment when you are awarded one of the major categories - Album of The Year -, unexpectedly, not even you see it coming. The award is presented and handed by no other than Prince, Prince! You get up the stage, all humbled and thankful, and then... This happens:

Seriously. Someone call the doctor, we have a crazy, narcissistic individual in the house.

And this sums up all about the Grammys: finally they recognize someone talented enough to actually deserve an award, and the stupid gimmicks almost ruined the moment.

And congratulations to my dear Christina, which along with A Great Big World, won the Grammy for Best Pop Duo/Group performance.  She's not even active and she's winning things. That's a LEGEND.

What do you think of the performances and the awards? Let me know in the comments!

Tonight's The Night (The 57th Grammy Awards!)

Evidently, the big night of all things related to music is TODAY. The Grammy Awards, whether we like it or not, are the epitome of the music industry and a long aspiration for anyone working on music, whether they want to admit it or no. So basically, Tonight's The Night.

And as a now long tradition, Grammy's are going to be full of performances. Some odd, some very awaited (looking at you, Madonna and Katy Perry), and frankly, I can't wait to watch what the night is going to become. Something to remember or something to forget?

In all honesty, 2014 was a year to forget. Bland acts and bland music (commercially speaking) were the norm and not the exception, so the few examples of great music are rightly nominated for awards tonight. There were no big surprises on the nominations, so we only have to expect who the winners are going to be, meanwhile we sit during the three and a half hours (!) that the show normally lasts.

So,without further ado, I'll give you my predictions on who should and who will win. Care to join me?


RECORD OF THE YEAR

Who should win: Sia had a great year, and her song was surprisingly ubiquitous, so that is my bet for tonight.
Who will win: Sam Smith is the media darling right now, so it is a no brainer that he will be the king of tonight. But so is Taylor Swift, although her absence will definitely play a part in her not receiving an award tonight (but hey, wait for Grammy's 2016).
To consider: 3 out of the 5 nominees are foreigner: 2 Australian and one from the UK. Big year for foreign music on the US.


ALBUM OF THE YEAR

Who should win: Either Pharrell or Ed made great and commercial albums, not boring or repetitive, so they should win for that feat.

Who will win: Let's face it, this is Sam's night, so this one is for him also. Good album, but for half of it you just want to sleep or cry or both.

To consider: Beyoncé is the only woman nominated for this. It is a shame that her album ruled the last month of 2013, as she has no chance to win for the behemoths that Sam or Pharrell are. Also: 1000 Forms of Fear should be nominated.

SONG OF THE YEAR

Who should win: It is obvious that my love for Sia knows no boundaries or objectivity, so I will hand it to her, hands down.
Who will win: Based on popularity, it is either Taylor's or Sam's, but we know exactly how is this going to play out, right?
To consider: In a certainly dreadful year, these are actually the best songs out there and I´m glad they all are nominated.



BEST NEW ARTIST

Iggy Azalea
Bastille
Sam Smith
Haim
Brandy Clark

Who should win: Sam Smith. For me, it is the only award that he truly deserves.
Who will win: Sam Smith. It's his night, remember.
To consider: Again, foreign act dominating the nominations. For me, that is interesting, because it is obvious that the US now is more open to another acts, not the typical American stuff.



BEST POP DUO/GROUP PERFORMANCE

"Fancy", Iggy Azalea featuring Charli XCX.
"A Sky Full of Stars", Coldplay
"Say Something", A Great Big World with Christina Aguilera
"Bang Bang", Jessie J, Ariana Grande & Nicki Minaj
"Dark Horse", Katy Perry featuring Juicy J


Who should win: If you know me, you know that my money will always be on Christina. And let's face it, it IS the best song of the bunch.
Who will win: It's either "Fancy" or "Dark Horse", the two biggest hits of the year. And you know what? It doesn't upset me. Both songs are proper bangers, and they deserve it.
To consider: Only one group (Coldplay) considered in this category. That means: more collaborations on the future from seemingly different artists (yass!)



BEST POP VOCAL ALBUM

Who should win: As far as quality, I think Sam and Ed offered really stand out albums, but I lean more towards Ed. But in reality, I will be delighted if Katy actually wins the whole thing.
Who will win: Sam, obvs. The only album nominated for Album of The Year.
To consider: Funny thing that Coldplay is now considered pop, although let's face it, they always have been. And Miley can consider her nomination a victory and a confirmation that, after all, her talent really surpassed all the gimmicky that she have been the past year.


You can check out the full list of nominees here (only if you have the time; there are 83 categories, less than previous years, but still).

Are you watching the Grammy's tonight? Who are you rooting for? Sound off in the comments!

What a difference a year can make....

Looking back, this has been a pretty good year in music. But we're still expecting that song that blow us away and make us swoon all over. But in the meantime, let's take a look back at what some of our favorite artists (and some others) were doing on July 2013, and how they are doing today. This should be fun.


ROBIN THICKE

July 2013: He was enjoying the success of "Blurred Lines", of course, song of the summer 2013, and ready to drop his then new album, also titled "Blurred Lines". He was the flavor of the month, with a beautiful wife, and things seemed pretty well for him, after years of struggling making a mark on the world of music. Only good things seemed to come in his way.

July 2014: "Blurred Lines" proved to be a one-trick pony for him, although the album was full of good tunes, but none of them made the same impression on the general public. He twerked along Miley, got accused of misoginy by his lyrics, get separated from his wife, and made an embarrasingly new album ("Paula") as a plea for forgiveness, but really, no "Blurred Lines" here. Not even "Lost Without U". Only sad, pathetic and shameful tunes. Oh, and also, got eviscerated on Twitter, but again, who doesn't?






BEYONCÉ

via

July 2013: She was in the middle of a world tour, and giving several teases of new music and a much awaited album, which fans (including me, of course) were waiting impatiently. In the meantime, she was having fun, and maybe (maybe) mocking all of us who were really growing desperate for our dosis of new Bey's music.

July 2014: Of course, it's her year. Dropping a full self-titled new album out of nowhere, with her corresponding music videos, and embarking on a new tour with her husband. Of course, nothing is perfect, and after all the hoopla about her now infamous elevator brawl between her sister, Solange, and her husband, and an implying accusation of cheating towards Jay Z, they have done nothing to harm her image and her reigning on pop. After all, she's Queen B, y'all.

IGGY AZALEA

Via

July 2013: She was still an unknown commodity on the US, but the UK was well aware of her antics. She was about to embark on an Australian tour (where she is from) as an opening act for Beyoncé, Her still untitled album was supposed to drop at the time, but the label decided to postpone it, much to her disdain. But things were about to get interesting for her, obviously.

July 2014: Well. First off, she managed to tie The Beatles as a new artist having a No. 1 and 2 with her official first single (the omnipresent "Fancy" featuring Charli XCX and Ariana Grande's "Problem" as a featured artist) on Billboard Charts. And then, being the first female rapper (yes, she IS a rapper, an australian white one) to be at the top of Billboard for 6 weeks in a row. And, obviously, being dissed by Nicki Minaj, but again, who doesn't? 

MARIAH CAREY

Via

July 2013: Mariah was on the verge of having her second big comeback, via releasing her expected album which she entitled "The Art of Letting Go", but she postponed it for some reason. The album was already well awaited after "#Beautiful", that song with Miguel which was just great. And after a much publicised gig on American Idol, along with "Frenemy" Nicki Minaj (both hated it), thing went all sour.

July 2014: Finally, she released her new album, with the astounding name "Me.I Am Mariah: The Elusive Chanteuse" (no kidding here). That title certainly didn't pick the interest of the general public, since it's the first Mariah release to not achieve 100,000 copies at the first week, making it a lowest in her career. The bad thing? The album is really good, much better than 2009's "Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel" (Oh, Mariah, you and your titles). Maybe she should go back to name her albums on a single word. They have been the most succesful.

SAM SMITH

Via

July 2013: Sam already made a No.1 hit with "La La La", a Naughty Boy track, on the UK, and it was about time to start making music on his own. He was unknown at the time on the US, but it was very clear that great things were ahead of him.

July 2014: And ideed great things came for him. He released his album, "In The Lonely Hour", which went to No. 1 on the UK and No. 2 on the US. He's now friend with Taylor Swift, with granted, made him kind of famous on the US and of course it helped to create a lot of buzz around him. But clearly, this guy is talented, and deserving of the success he is having.

So yes, a year can be a difference between success and failure. And it definitely a lot of things can happen in such a tiny frame of time. So remember: you can still find love, become rich and have a great career in music one year from now. What are you waiting for? Go get it! But remember: hard work is always part of the ecuation. Simple as that. Cheers!

Looking over my shoulder
I was so much younger then
I can't believe what happened
A year ago today

Delta Goodrem, "A Year Ago Today".