Grammys don't sound too good

Back - Index - Submissions - - What is RSS? Date: Jan 13, 2000 Source: The Malaysian Star Newspaper, Jan 12 2000 Submitted By: Sol a.k.a. ^KaOs^ By Brian Cheong THERE is definitely something amiss about the Grammy Awards when bubble-gum pop fare from the likes of Backstreet Boys and Lou Bega clinch nominations in top categories. The Grammys, after all, are regarded as America's most prestigious music awards ceremony. Those teeny-bopping lads from Backstreet Boys alone came away with five noms (five!) including Record of the Year (Grammys' most sought-after prize), Song of the Year and Album of the Year. Like, can somebody tell me if the members of the Recording Industry Association of America, RIAA, (those fogies who made the final selections) been drugged or knocked too hard on the head? Or perhaps RIAA is trying hard (too hard maybe) to "hip" up its dated image, thus the highly-skewed teen flavour in this year's nomination list? By the looks of this year's list, as this dubious trend has regressively been with the Grammys in the past few years: Those who sell the most records are pronounced music messiahs. But one can easily argue that this bunch is nothing more than instruments of shrewd marketing. (Perhaps Fortune magazine should have a music awards of its own and come up with categories like Best Marketing Tool, Most Manipulative Diva, and so on.) The year 1999 has seen a huge wave of teen pop. Teen sensations Christina Aguilera and Britney Spears are among the most nominated singers, even slugging it head-on for Best New Artist and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. While Aguilera has been described by some industry insiders as being the next Barbra Streisand--though one cannot really tell judging from the material on her self-titled debut--Spears can hardly be called a decent singer. The best Spears can do is sound nasal, look cute and make dazzling music videos. If that warrants a Grammy nomination, then where does that leave a whole lot of other talented young singers? And what hogwash is this about Backstreet Boys' I Want it that Way being nominated for Song and Record of the Year? Granted, the song is a great party number, an excellent pop ditty to bop to, but for heaven's sake is it that groundbreaking a tune? Or even the Best Song of the Year? Not by a million light years. Looking at the nominees for Record of the Year, one might assume that Billboard had a hand in making the selection since all of them are No.1 smashes, with Cher's Believe coming out tops in the year's playlist and sales departments. Living La Vida Loca by Ricky Martin, Smooth by Santana (featuring Rob Thomas) and No Scrubs by TLC round up the category. If the Grammys wanted to stick to popular hits, how about poignant pieces like I Will Remember You (Sarah MacLachlan) or a delightful pop yarn like Every Morning (Sugar Ray)? Or for that matter Madonna's brilliant fusion of psychedelic 60s and progressive 90s pop Beautiful Stranger? Three of the Record nominees are also Song of the Year nominees. The others are Unpretty (TLC) and You've Got A Way (Shania Twain). Twain's love theme from Notting Hill may be a difficult song to sing to but its overflowing sentimentality has to make it a most dubious choice for Song of the Year. And has RIAA ever heard of Hands (Jewel), Tender (Blur), Millennium (Robbie Williams), Get a Job (Offspring), Hey Leonardo (Blessid Union of Souls) or Save Tonight (Eagle-Eye Cherry)? The album which contains I Want it that Way, Millennium, is an Album of the Year nominee. Sure, it is last year's biggest-selling album but is it the best? And what's your verdict on flighty country-pop Fly by Dixie Chicks and the largely unheard When I Look in Your Eyes by Diana Krall? Certainly, for prominence and credibility's sake, Robbie Williams' The Ego Has Landed, Jewel's Spirit, Red Hot Chilli Peppers' Californication and Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers' Echo would have been better qualified. And why is the creditable Sarah McLachlan's Mirrorball only nominated for Best Pop Album when it certainly deserves more? At the end of the day, Santana's Supernatural and TLC's Fanmail are the only worthy nominees in the Album of the Year category. If you think Backstreet Boys' multiple nominations are outrageous, how about the idea of Lou Bega walking away with the prize of Best Male Pop Vocalist? And you thought Sylvester Stallone in drag is a horror ... Equally unimpressive are Ricky Martin (a better entertainer than singer) and Marc Anthony while Andrea Bocelli just looks completely out of place here. Perhaps only Sting (nominated for his Brand New Day album) can claim any sort of credibility but even then one suspects he is thrown in as a token. One last gripe: As baffling as this sounds, Sheryl Crow did nudge in a nomination for Best Female Rock Vocalist for her mutilated remake of Guns 'N Roses' Sweet Child o' Mine. Axl Rose and colleagues ought to go on stage on Grammy night and crow for her blood! And the winners aren't ... SINCE the Grannys ... oops ... Grammys this year is such a downer, we thought we'd have fun with our own little awards and nominations: Most Annoying Song: Steal My Sunshine (Len), You Get What You Give (New Radicals), anything by Vengaboys, Dr Bombay, Cartoons and Lou Bega Sexiest Music Video: Living La Vida Loca (Ricky Martin), Mi Chico Latino (Geri Halliwell), Man, I Feel Like a Woman (Shania Twain) Most Ingenious Video: Coffee and TV (Blur), Right Here Right Now (Fatboy Slim), All Star (Smash Mouth) Butt-Friendly Video: If You Had My Love (Jennifer Lopez), Beautiful Stranger (Madonna), Shake Your Bon-Bon (Ricky Martin) Most Ingratiating Vocal Performance (male, female and others): Mariah Carey, Dr Bombay, Mel C, Lolly Most Diva-ish Song: I Will Go With You (Con Te Partiro) by Donna Summer Hottest Vocal Performance: Rob Thomas on Smooth (feat. Santana!) Best Comeback: Cher, Santana, Eurythmics Sexiest Song: Smooth (Santana feat. Rob Thomas), I Need to Know (Marc Anthony) Soppiest Song: Almost every Westlife song, 98«'s The Hardest Thing and I Do (Cherish You), Savage Garden's I Knew I Loved You The Titanic Award (solo performance that sank): Baby Spice Emma Bunton (remake of Edie Brickell's What I Want), Gary Barlow (Stronger), Joey McIntyre (Stay the Same) The On-and-On Award (unfortunately still around): Modern Talking, Michael Learns to Rock, Code Red, Michael Learns to Rock, Michael Bolton, Michael Learns to Rock, Mariah Carey, Michael Learns to Rock, Richard Marx, Michael Learns to Rock (you get the picture) Guilty Pleasures: Westlife, Backstreet Boys, Britney Spears, 70s love songs CD compilation, Chris Gaines aka Garth Brooks Solo Surprise: Geri Halliwell Chicken Soup for the Soul Award: Everyone's Free to Wear Sunscreen by Baz Luhrmann Compiled by BRIAN CHEONG, S.S. YOGA and BEVERLEY HON Comment on this item. Next Item: Gene Simmons On Teen Pop Prev Item: The Backstreet Boys Bombarded with Trash!