Although the Grammys began on a somber tone due to the untimely passing of Whitney Houston, spirits were buoyed by a number of gripping musical performances and multiple award winners.
British Songstress Adele performed a gripping rendition of her chart topping hit “Rolling in the Deep” just months after undergoing potentially career ending throat surgery. It soon became clear that her surgery had no effect on her vocal abilities as she belted out a near perfect live performance.
Adele now needs a bigger trophy case, after winning six Grammys. Adele won for every category in which she was nominated. “Rolling in the Deep” took home three Grammys, winning: Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Short Form Music Video. Adele’s other smash hit “Someone Like You” won Best Pop Vocal Performance, and her album “21” won Album of the Year as well as Best Pop Vocal Album. Suffice it to say the Grammys could have been renamed the “Adele’s” for at least one evening.
With the six wins, Adele tied Beyonce for a Grammys’ record for most wins by a female artist in a single night. Adele also won all three of the big awards: Record, Song, and Album of the year being the first artist to do so in quite some time. While the Grammys are sometimes seen as popularity contest, favoring esteem over talent, Adele is a deserving winner. It has been a long time since an artist with her natural talent has reached just a high level of popularity so quickly. The now, eight-time Grammy winner is only 23 years old, and her star should only continue to rise.
The night’s other big winners were the Foo Fighters, taking home five Grammys out of six nominations. While their new album “Wasting Light” lost to Adele’s “21” for Album of the Year, it did win for Best Rock Album. Best Rock Performance and Best Rock Song went to their single “Walk,” while “White Limo” took home best Hard Rock/Metal Performance. The Foo Fighters also took home the Grammy for Best Long Form Music Video, for their documentary “Back and Forth.” The 2012 Grammys were the Foo Fighters most prolific in an awards sense, as they nearly doubled their Grammy total to 11 out of 25 total nominations across their 17-year existence.
Though “Wasting Light” might not be the Foo Fighters best album, they were most definitely the best rock band of the year. The rock music scene appears to be on the decline, but the Foo Fighters are doing their best to keep the genre alive and moving. They are also an excellent group of live performers headlined by their talented front man Dave Grohl. They are rock stalwarts that continue to pump out impressive music year after year.
The Grammys are a night to honor the most talented in music for the year previous. Sometimes the voters get it wrong, but this year, they certainly got it right. Adele was the most talented musician in 2011 and deservingly received the awards to show for it. The Foo Fighters might be a bit older, Adele was just six when they began, but they continue to be at the forefront of rock music. 2011 was a banner year for the music industry, but 2012 is just beginning.
Source: Alan Duke, Adele dominates Grammys as tributes to Whitney Houston Flow, CNN.com