The Grammys: The Good, the Bad and the WTF?

Last Sunday's 53rd annual Grammys was a night full of surprises!

The Good:

Aretha Franklin Tribute: The show started with well-put-together tribute to the "Queen of Soul". Christina Aguilera, Jennifer Hudson, Yoland Adams, Martina McBride and Florence and the Machine's Florence Welch performed. While at times, the the notes were off and some of the girls screeched, I know they meant well. Yolanda Adams and Jennifer Hudson blew me away as usual and Florence Welch was surprisingly better than I thought she would be. Marina McBride sadly was a little flat and Christina Aguilera was trying way too hard. At least they sang some of my favorite Aretha songs!

Train won for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group for their song "Hey Soul Sister." That was a surprise for me because I didn't know Train had another album out and I've heard that song on commercials, not realizing it was them. I need to keep in the loop more.

Muse sounded great singing "Uprising". But now everyone including Glenn Beck (yuck) is saying Muse is calling for a "revolution." Or maybe it's the illuminati, haha!

B.O.B., Bruno Mars and Janelle Monae: B.O.B. was classy with his orchestra and monocle performing "Beautiful Girls", Janelle Monae stole the performance with "Cold War" and Bruno Mars tried with his "oldies but goodies" throwback to the Motown singing "Grenade, but sounded a little froggy. Sorry Bruno, still love you!

Seeing Jaden Smith make Justin Bieber's performance 100x better with his rap skills, however... (keep reading)

Bob Dylan, Avett Brothers and Mumford and Sons almost convinced me to go pick up a banjo and head to the country. Still it did have its uncomfortable moments, like the mentioning of a noose in the Mumford and Sons' song.

Cee-Lo sang "F*** You" as Big Bird!!!!! Some said he looked like a Liberace peacock. I thought it was hilarious and fun, especially with the Muppets. And Gwyneth Paltrow wasn't bad...See Gaga, that is how you look weird and make it work!

Norah Jones, John Mayer (looking like Johnny Depp) and Keith Urban sang one of my favorite COuntry song "Jolene"...John I hope you know that this does not erase that we black women have not forgotten your white supremacist dick comment...

Esperanza Spalding winning Best New Artist was definitely a shocker. Most expected either Bieber or Drake, but the upright bass-playing Jazz artist snuck in and took it right from under them. To all of the Bieber and Drake fans who are asking who Spalding is and/or are mad she won, get over it and check her out. She is talented and you may learn something; be respectful and open your damn mind!

Mick Jagger and Raphael Saadiq paid tribute to one of my favorite Soul singers, Solomon Burke. I was so excited to see Mick Jagger in his first appearance at the awards show performing "Everybody Needs Somebody to Love." You should have seen me jumping around in my room! And it seemed as if Mick didn't want to stop jumping around either...all that energy for a 67-year-old!

The Bad:

Sorry to all the Lady Gaga fans, but the debut performance for her song "Born This Way" was weak! Besides the song sounding like a bad Techno mash-up of Madonna's Express Yourself" and "Vogue," the dancing was ridiculous. This is what makes me angry -- Lady Gaga does strange stunts like coming to the awards show in an egg, but her music does not live up to the hype!

Miranda Lambert basically was boring--I don't even remember the name to the song--That goes for you, too, Katy Perry.

Rihanna performed twice! TWICE!!!!!!! First with Eminem, who looked pissed off all night and then with Drake. Hearing her once was enough, thank you!

And finally The WTF Moments:

The overly-sentimental beginning of Usher and Justin Bieber's performance made me want to gag...A Lot! Also, what was with the mortal combat ninjas and drummers in Bieber's perfomance; were they to mask how bland he looks and sounds in real life?

Lady Gaga said she wrote "Born This Way" with Whitney Houston in mind. While she probably would have sounded better, was saying that necessary?

Teddy Pendergrass tribute...what Teddy Pendergrass tribute!!!!!!!!!!!! First of all you have a group named Lady Antebellum (a reference to pre-Civil War times) doing the tribute and it was ONE song "If You Don't Know Me By Now," which was done while he was in Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes. WOW!!!!!!

Why were Kings of Leon on the same stage as Miley Cyrus?

Hey Grammys, you left an artist out of the Memoriam to those who past....hello, Guru, rapper from the 90s, member of Gang Starr!

Arcade Fire won Album of the Year...this was a WTF moment only because after seeing Lady Antebellum win award after award, this woke me up!

Eminem was called, "The most dangerously talented man in Hip Hop history!" REALLY?!!!!! Either this shows how much other Hip-Hop artists are failing or how much amnesia we have when it comes to Hip-Hop history. Ever heard of Biggie, Tupac, Rakim, Kool Moe Dee, Chuck D, KRS-One, Mos Def, Jay-Z, I could go on!

"Click-It Concert" Series

Are you the type of person who hates going to concerts because you hate live performances (sounds terrible or can't see the artists), hate some of the songs played during the concert or just to lazy to go (maybe you can't go at all because the artists are dead, LOL, or no longer performing)? Maybe it is not possible for you to get to a concert? Or maybe you are the type of person who get tired of having to search around for songs of your favorite artists on youtube? Well, your in luck!!!

"Click-It Concert" is my version of a mini-concert online in which there will be several songs and videos from an artist in one spot. And you get to pick which songs you want to listen to. All you have to do is click.

The first " Click-It Concert" will be from one of my favorite funk groups of all time:

RUFUS AND CHAKA KHAN

So Enjoy!

Do You Love What You Feel



Once You Get Started



You Got the Love



Masterjam



Any Love



Ain't Nobody



Tell Me Something Good

Top Music Singles and Videos of 2008

Happy New Year's Eve!!! Here are all the songs that I think were great in 2008 and some comments and videos to go along with them. The songs are "best in" category form not an actual number listing because all the videos are great and I can't choose which ones are better than others. Also some artists had more than one song that was great this years, so they have multiple songs.

So here it is:

Best Acoustic songs:
1) Jason Mraz- I’m Yours (Love this song- Simple yet deep)
2) Beyonce- If I were a boy (This song was strangely similar to Ciara's Like A Boy Song. Oh well, it shows Beyonce's singing talent)

Best R n B Songs (Female)
1) Jazmine Sullivan- Bust your windows/Need You Bad (Liked the string section and the dark Cabaret kind of sound on Bust Your Windows)



2) Brandy- Right Here (Departed) (The Brandy I was missing is kind of back)
3) Estelle - f Kanye West "American Boy/ Pretty Please (Love Me) (Estelle is from England and I love John Legend for choosing her, she makes me smile!!)



4) Erykah Badu -Honey (One of my favorites and she is hilarious in the video, incl. making fun of her ex Andre 3000)



5) Ashanti -The Way That I Love You (Ashanti showing that she is a stong singer. If only she could keep it up)
6) Keyshia Cole –I Remember/ Heaven Sent (Keyshia Cole's sweet Balads. I love her!)
7) Solange Knowles- Sandcastle Disco/ I Decided (Solange's throwback to 60's style definitely made her standout from her sister and I love her songs, esp. Sandcastle Disco)



8) Mariah Carey -Touch My Body (Lyrics and video are funny!!)
9) Janet Jackson- Feedback (Once again Janet Jackson howing how hot she is.)
10) Alicia Keys- Teenage Love Affair (Alicia's 60s-70s throwback. It is such an adorable song! And my cousin's cousin, Tristan from the new 90210 is in it!)
11) Beyonce'- Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It) (Ms. Sasha Fierce proving how she can be fierce with a simple black and white dancing video)
12) Jordin Sparks f Chris Brown - No Air (Love this song, it's cute)
13) Rihanna- Disturbia/ Umbrella/ Take A Bow/ Special note: should have released single Breakin Dishes (There's just something about Rihanna that all her songs are so catchy even though she can't sing that well. The song Disturbia is the best and the video is wonderfully disturbing even with the fake, choreographed twitching from dancers)
14) Mary J. Blige - Just Fine (Mary J. Blige is happy!? That's weird, but she makes the song work with throwbacks to MJ himself!)
15) Chrisette Michelle- Be OK/Love is You (This girl in the hip-hop version of Billie Holiday. I love her! Should have released "Good Girl" Listen:

)

16) Amy Winehouse- Tears Dry on Their Own (She may be a cokehead, but she can sing!!!)
17) Janelle Monae- Many Moons (No explanation, just watch:

)


Best R n B songs (Male)
1) Ryan Leslie- Diamond Girl/ Addicted ft. Cassie (He is so cute and I love his songs!!)



2) Ne-Yo- Closer/Miss Independent (Ne-yo can never go wrong in my ears!)
3) Raheem Devaughn- Customer (Corny lyrics, but he's such a great singer that I don't care)
4) Robin Thicke - Magic (White guy with soul! LOL)
5) John Legend - Green Light (John Legend does right everytime. Love him!! And I knew he was going to be famous before he became famous. First song I heard was "She Don't Have to Know" on a hip-hop CD)
6) J. Holiday- Bed/ Suffocate (Perfect baby making music!)
7) Gnarls Barkley- Who’s Gonna Save My Soul Now/Going On (From Crazy to Run to Smile, Gnarls Barkley videos and songs outdo the rest and I love Cee-lo!)

Best Hip Hop
1) Lil Mama f Chris Brown- Shawty Get Loose (Catchy as hell!!)
2) Ludacris f Chris Brown & Sean Garrett- I Know What The Girls Like/ f T-Pain One More Drink (He always has the funniest videos!!)
3) T.I. -Whatever You Like/f Rihanna - Live Your Life (T.I. is one of the best!!)
4) Nelly f Fergie - Party People (Party anthem!!!)
5) Flo Rida f Timbaland- Elevator (With Timbaland on your track, it's a hit!!)
6) Busta Rhymes- Don't Touch Me Now (Another party anthem)
7) Kardinall Official f Akon- Dangerous (Catchy chorus from Akon)
8) Kanye West - Love Lockdown/Heartless/ Homecoming/ Flashing Lights (Kanye has changed his style from rapping to singing, but for some strange reason it still works, esp. with cool videos)
10) Snoop Dogg- Sensual Seduction (Another rapper trying to sing, and yet still working)
11) Common- The People/ Universal Mind Control (one of my favs of all time)



12) N.E.R.D.- Spaz (Great hip-hop artists and producers!!)



13) Shwayze- Corona and Lime/Buzzing (Cool and laidback group)
14) Jay-Z- Roc Boys (Hip-hop legend himself)
15) Q-tip- Getting up (From Tribe Called Quest to now, Q-tip has been one of my favs. His nasally voice is so lovable)



16) Lupe Fiasco- Superstar (One of my new favs. Seeing a pattern yet)
17) The Roots f. Chrisette Michelle and Wale- Rising Up (This is what true hip-hop is!)



Best Gospel
1) Mary Mary- Get Up (Keeps me going)
2) Deitrich Haddon f. Reuben Studdard and Mary Mary-Love Him Like I Do (Catchy and true for me!)
3) Marvin Sapp- Never Would Have Made It (Inspirational and again so true for me)

Best Rock Songs
1) All American Rejects- Gives You Hell (Perfect revenge song!!)
2) 3 Doors Down- It's Not My Time (Cool song and video!!)
2) Buckcherry- Sorry (Sweet, weird esp. from Buckcherry!!)
3) AC/DC- Rock and Roll Train (Return of the legendary rockers!!)



4) Coldplay- Viva La Vida/Lovers in Japan (Love Coldplay!!)
5) Daughtry- Feels Like Tonight (Definitely freed himself from the American Idol stigma.)
6) Lifehouse- Broken (Lifehouse is amazing!!)
7) O.A.R.- Shattered (Love and Memories and this one are my favorites from O.A.R or as I call them the "rowing boat" band)
8) Weezer- Pork and Beans (Weezer are my awesome nerdy rock band)
9) Paramore- Crushcrushcrush/ Decode (Not my favs, but they have some good songs)
10) Bruce Springsteen- Girls in their Summer Clothes (Rock legend!!!)
11) Ludo- Love Me Dead (Funny and the lyrics are creative.)



12) Fall Out Boy- I Don’t Care (Fall Out Boy is great!!!)
13) Seether- Rise Above This (Songs are deep!!)



14) Snow Patrol-Take Back the City (They need to release more songs, they rock!!)

Best Pop Songs
1) Adele- Chasing Pavements (Love this song, but I'm mad that this is her only single so far!!)
2) Jonas Brothers- Lovebug/ When You Look Me In the Eyes/Burning Up (Can't help it, their songs are catchy and Joe Jonas is so cute!!!)



3) Miley Cyrus- Start All Over/ 7 Things (Don't really like Miley, but these two songs were her best.)
4) Demi Lovato- Get Back/La La land (She proves to be more than just a typical Disney star and she can sing)





5) Christina Aguilera- Keeps Getting Better (Well, she's right, she does!!)
6) David Archuleta- Crush (He's adorable, Enough said!!)
7) Duffy- Warwick Avenue/Mercy (She's cute and her songs are catchy.)
8) Gavin Degraw- In Love With A Girl (Mr. Degraw rocks!!)
9) Jordin Sparks & Chris Brown- No Air (Love this song so much, I put it in two categories! Ha Ha)
10) Leona Lewis - Better In Time/Bleeding Love (Loved Bleeding love, got tired of it and now I love Better in time. She can sing!!!)
11) Mariah Carey- Touch My Body (Put this one twice, too. LOL)
12) Maroon 5- f. Rihanna If I Never See Your Face Again/Won't Go Home Without You (Maroon 5 is still working it, esp. with Rihanna!)



13) Matt Nathanson- Come On Get Higher (Sweet love song and catchy!)
14) Natasha Bedingfield- Pocketful Of Sunshine (Love her!!!)
15) OneRepublic - Stop And Stare/ Say - (Great songs!!)
16) Pink- So What/ Sober (It's Pink, what more can I say, she's awesome!!)



17) Sara Bareilles- Love Song (Catchy and appeals to a songwriter like me)
18) Secondhand Serenade- Fall For You (An ending relatioship hurts a lot and this song makes it likable!!)
19) Pussycat Dolls- When I Grow Up (Can't help it, club banger, and it is "groupies" not "boobies")
20) The Ting Tings -Shutup and Let me go (Catchy!!!)
21) Metro Station- Shake It (Dance song for all teengagers and surprisingly I found out Miley' brother is in this group. Weird!!!)
22) Vampire Weekend-Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa (Love their songs and they're different from a lot of other groups!!)
23) We the Kings- Check Yes Juliet (Catchy!!!)
24) Honeyhoney- Toy Gun (New group that I fell for!)



25) B-52s- Funplex (It's fun to listen to them!!)
26) Morningwood- Sugarbaby (Them, too.)



27) Katy Perry- Hot N Gold (Didn't like "I Kissed a Girl" all that much, though it was too much of a novelty song, but this song proved me wrong about Katy.)
28) Yael Naim- New Soul (Precious!!!)
29) The Killers- Human (The Killers can never go wrong!!)
30) Counting Crows- You Can’t Count on Me (Counting Crows are one of my favs, too.)
31) Lenka- The show (The song is so cute and uplifting! I can't get it out of my ear)



Best Neo-soul Songs
1) Lyfe Jennings- Will I Ever Fall in Love (Soulful brother!)



2) Anthony David ft. India Arie- Words (Beautiful song about real love.)
3) Ledisi- In the Morning (Heartfelt ballad, I loved the song, esp. the way she sings it)
4) Anthony Hamilton- Cool (Love him, he has soul and the video is cute, even with David Banner talking about scratching the dandruff out a girl's hair or picking her nose! Yuck!)
5)Little Jackie- The World Revolves Around Me (Everyone has had this thought and she expresses it, great song!!)



6) Algebra Blesset- Run and Hide (Little known huge ball of talent. Check her out)


7) Kutiman and Karolina- Music is Ruling My World (Even Isrealis have soul, too!)



8)Raphael Saadiq- Love That Girl (From Toni, Tony, Tone to Lucy Pealr, Raphael is one of my favorite singers and this song takes me back to the early classic R n B songs!)
9) Musiq f Mary J. Blige- If U Leave/ Radio (He definitely represents his name!)
10) Rashaan Patterson- Feels Good (This song makes me think of a nice summer day or being in love, and it does make me feel good!)




So that's all the videos that I remembered and loved this years! Enjoy this list and New Years! Can't wait for the new music in 2009!