January 31st, 2010
Original Article from The Insider
Taylor Swift, Beyonce, Kings of Leon and Green Day earned top honors at the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles Sunday night, but it was the performances that truly earned the crowd’s respect and admiration on music’s biggest night. CLICK HERE for the list of tonight’s winners. Taylor Swift’s Fearless was named Album of the Year over tough competition in Beyonce, Black Eyed Peas, Lady Gaga and the Dave Matthews Band. The exuberant 20-year-old told the crowd, “Our families are freaking out in their living rooms. … This is the story we’re going to be telling over and over again.” Fearless also picked up Best Country Album, and the young performer said, “I just feel like I’m standing here accepting an impossible dream.” Of the other major awards handed out, Beyonce picked up Song of the Year for “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)” and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for “Halo,” both from her I Am… Sasha Fierce album. Kings of Leon’s “Use Somebody” locked in Record of the Year, and Green Day picked up the Best Rock Album statuette for 21st Century Breakdown. Best Rap Song Collaboration went to “Run This Town” by Jay-Z featuring Rihanna and Kanye West, Zac Brown Band picked up the award for Best New Artist, and Stephen Colbert picked up Best Comedy Album for A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All!. Lady Gaga kicked off the show performances with an all-out “Poker Face” spectacle, being thrown into a fiery chute and emerging moments later smudged with ash with Elton John at opposite ends of a piano for a duet of “Speechless” with his classic “Your Song.” Green Day performed “21 Guns” with the cast of their upcoming musical, American Idiot. Beyonce took the stage to perform “If I Were a Boy” — with a taste of Alanis Morissette’s “You Oughta Know” — surrounded by a small army of S.W.A.T.-themed dancers. Pink soared over the crowd in a high-flying, water-soaked rendition of the hopeful “Glitter in the Air.” The Black Eyed Peas rocked the house with “Imma Be” and “I Gotta Feeling” accompanied by a line of breakdancing silver-speaker transformers. Lady Antebellum crooned “Need You Now.” Jamie Foxx brought the crowd to its feet with his lively “Blame It” with T-Pain and Slash. Leon Russell jammed with the Zac Brown Band, while Taylor Swift performed her sweet “Today Was a Fairytale,” segueing into Fleetwood Mac’s “Rhiannon” and her own “You Belong with Me” with the one and only Stevie Nicks. Bon Jovi rocked out with “We Weren’t Born to Follow” and “Who Says You Can’t Go Home,” plus the Internet-voted favorite “Livin’ On a Prayer.” Mary J. Blige and Andrea Bocelli covered Simon & Garfunkel’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” with proceeds from the song on iTunes.com/Target to benefit the earthquake victims in Haiti. The Dave Matthews Band delivered a lively “You and Me,” Maxwell spread his “Pretty Wings” with Roberta Flack’s “Where Is the Love,” and Jeff Beck paid tribute to the late Les Paul with singer Imelda May on the rockabilly tune “How High the Moon.” Drake, Eminem and Lil’ Wayne also rapped with Blink 182’s Travis Barker on drums. In a touching tribute, Celine Dion, Usher, Jennifer Hudson, Carrie Underwood and Smokey Robinson united to perform Michael Jackson’s emotional “Earth Song” — in 3D — with a vocal track by the late King of Pop. Following the performance, Michael’s children Prince and Paris came out to receive their father’s Lifetime Achievement Award. “Our father was always concerned about the planet and humanity,” said Prince. “Through all his songs, his message was simple — love. We will continue to spread his message and help the world.” Star presenters of the show include Miley Cyrus, Jonas Brothers, Jennifer Lopez, Wyclef Jean, Lionel Richie, Ringo Starr, Carlos Santana, John Legend, Jeff Bridges, Alice Cooper, Ricky Martin, Norah Jones, Sheryl Crow, Seal, Quentin Tarantino, Josh Duhamel, Chris O’Donnell, LL Cool J, Simon Baker and Robert Downey Jr. Watch “The Insider” for more Grammy excitement!
Read more articles from The Insider
