2012 Grammys: The Simply Inspiring and the Plain Hot Mess

For the first time in a long time, I chose to tune into the Grammys. I was curious to know how they would handle the sudden and untimely passing of the pop icon, Whitney Houston. I also was looking forward to hearing Adele sing live again and was wanted to see how many awards the Brit would walk away with. The night started off with a few glitches. LL Cool J appeared uncomfortable and did not fit into the mode of a poised Grammy host. It appeared that he was completely dependent on the teleprompter as his guide. I have a strong feeling that if the teleprompter would have malfunctioned, Mr. James Todd Smith would have been in shambles. I assumed he tried his best though.

There were plenty of performances throughout the night. Some were wonderful, while others were ridiculous. Bruno Mars’ performance of “Runaway Baby” was an ode to the 1950s music genre. Chris Brown sang and danced his bootay off during a compilation of his recent songs. Adele with her big hair and even bigger voice gave a truly soulful rendition of her hit “Rolling In the Deep.” I love how she does not need the 27 background dancers, the random fireworks and extravagant orchestra band to back her. She is enough on her own. She can stand on her own. Now, Ms. Nicki Minaj is a completely different story. She attempted to cause controversy before even performing onstage. The rapper walked the red carpet in a dramatic Versace red caped outfit and red satin gloves. She was also accompanied by a Pope lookalike. Once Minaj took the stage, she basically partook in an onstage exorcism. It was not only shocking but in simple poor taste. I do not think Minaj is a bad artist in total. I actually think she is a clever rapper but last night’s performance was gimmicky and offensive. Get a grip, girl!

In my opinion, there were two highlights of the night. One was Adele winning six Grammys for the night (tying with Beyonce for the most Grammys won by a female artist in a single night.) The British born star seemed really surprised and humble by the academy’s recognition of her talents. For me, the second highlight was Jennifer Hudson’s tribute to Whitney Houston. The Academy Award winning singer sang her heart out in her rendition of Houston’s “I Will Always Love You.” Hudson’s performance was impeccable and heartfelt. She even shed a couple of tears. I believe she made Houston proud. Overall, this year’s Grammys were interesting in both a positive and negative way. I'll Be tuning in next year.