Considering the subject matter of this blog (music industry public relations), I thought it would be appropriate to include a post featuring the top performances from this year's 55th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles. According to Nielson data, audiences greater than 28 million people were attentively watching yesterday's Grammy Awards, making it the award show's second-largest audience since 1993. Although there were many stunning performances throughout the star-studded evening, these particular performances stood-out-of-the-crowd for me.
1. Carrie Underwood, "Blown Away" and "Two Black Cadillacs"
Please excuse the poor video quality; surprisingly, YouTube's morning-after video coverage of the Grammys was quite limited. This video actually begins with a Grammy performance from country artist, Hunter Hayes. Rest assured though, Underwood's stunning performance begins exactly one minute and 10 seconds into the video.
Despite Underwood's rather distracting psychedelic ball-gown, her precise vocals on this compilation performance of her two top ten hits, "Blown Away" and "Two Black Cadillacs," make this Grammy performance absolutely stunning nonetheless. Underwood's vulnerable, stripped-down delivery of "Blown Away" is a true accolade to her unlimited vocal capacity, even amid intimidating performance atmospheres such as the Grammys. A true testament to her vocal ability and success as an artist, Underwood racked up two separate Grammy awards at this year's Grammys alone. Based on her success with the single "Blown Away," Underwood received awards for "Best Country Song" and "Best Country Solo Performance."
2. Kelly Clarkson, "Tennessee Waltz" and "Natural Woman"
As a tribute to the two "Lifetime Achievement Award" honorees, Patti Page and Carole King, Clarkson performed their most popular songs, "Tennessee Waltz" and "Natural Woman" respectively. With an impeccable vocal and evident sense of security with the musical era, Clarkson delivered a memorable performance that even Carole King and the late Patti Page would appreciate.
3. Kelly Clarkson, "Catch My Breath"
Clarkson's performance of her top 20 hit, "Catch My Breath," demonstrates her versatility as an artist, transitioning from a previous inspiring delivery of "The Tennessee Waltz" to the infectious, pop-quality dance anthem that is featured within this video clip. Clarkson has demonstrated through her diverse musical accomplishments that she is not just a "pop" or "country" artist; she is a highly successful crossover artist or, better yet, a musical chameleon. During the Grammy Awards last night, Clarkson also received an award for "Best Pop Vocal Album" based on the success of her fifth studio album, "Stronger."
4. Miranda Lambert, "Over You"
Lambert's tender delivery of her hit, "Over You," garnered her much attention during last night's 55th Annual Grammy Awards. Co-written by Lambert and her equally famous, country-singer husband, Blake Shelton, "Over You" was written as a memorial to Shelton's older brother, who was killed in a car accident when Shelton was just a teenager. Concerned about his deep emotional connection to the song, Shelton felt that the song would be better suited for his talented wife, Miranda.
Lambert and Shelton have already picked up a previous award for "Song of the Year" during last year's CMA Awards. "Over You" has also enjoyed considerable success under the direction of Shelton's vocal protégé, Cassidy Pope. Pope was the 2012 winner of NBC's
hit talent competition, "The Voice," where Shelton is also a
returning celebrity coach.
Other noteworthy awards went out to Little Big Town for "Best Country Duo/Group Performance" on their number-one hit, "Pontoon." The Zac Brown Band also took home a Grammy for "Best Country Album," based on the success of their third major-label studio album, "Uncaged."
I believe that about wraps up my review of the 55th Annual Grammy Awards; look for future award reviews in the months to come, as we count down to the ACM Awards in April. Random humor of the night: It wasn't until I was composing the final paragraph of this post that I realized that all of the featured performers were female. I must be more biased than I previously gave myself credit for. I hope you enjoyed this debut edition of an award show reflection and review. Leave me a comment with your favorite performances of the night!
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