By Paul Goldfinger, Editor. Blogfinger.net 2/2/25
Roan Chappell: best new young performer. All photos taken from the TV screen by Paul Goldfinger, Blogfinger.net
Roan Chappell headlined an extravagant performance with amazing colorful costumes and a wild supporting cast, and the excitement brought the audience to its feet. How could you not like it, but is this really what music has become? I liked it, but what do you call this ?
Lady GaGa and Bruno Mars won for their new duet album.
This duet singing “California Dreaming” was easily understood by me because it carried us back to the ’60’s with the Mamas and the Papas. There was very little nostalgia at the Grammys.
And here they are singing “Die With a Smile”. Don’t ask; just listen. This I get.
This is Raye whose wonderful set with an actual orchestra and choral background featured her marvelous voice, but this classic sort of presentation was the only one like that tonight. It was terrific, but I am coming to this from another music era.
Billie Eilish’s song was sweet, and I am a fan. And she and Lady Gaga were the only females in attendance who were not displaying a buoyant bosom.
Taylor Swift was a presenter tonight.
However aside from the youthful enthusiasm and exuberant performances, and I watched 90 minutes, I missed certain categories: instrumental, classic, jazz, great American songbook,, fifties retro, rock, choral,Latin and more. There was nothing resembling the Count Basie orchestra or Billie Holiday. I did not hear a saxophone or piano solo. Thank goodness there were few rap entries.
It was often hard to figure out which genres were being presented. I have to assume that what I saw tonight represented a narrow swath of today’s music.
I was irritated by the huge number of commercials, many of which were for pharmaceuticals. And the show was actually a fund raiser for the LA disaster, but that seemed misplaced with all the acts punctuated by pleas for contributions. It was not advertised as a fund raiser.
On the other hand, this show might win an award for the most varied cleavage displays in the history of music.
Here is Billie Eilish ‘s latest hit “Birds of a Feather.” Sometimes it’s hard to understand her whispering style of lyrics, but the song was , I think, a love song, so that I can appreciate.