A British newspaper published a scathing article on the 2012 Grammy Awards, calling the show the worst representation of the best music of the year.
The writer was particularly brutal in her opinion of last night’s duet performance by rapper Ludacris and country musician Jason Aldean.
Other than sadism, there can be no other explanation for the sonic boom of hell that was a live duet featuring that master of subtlety, Ludacris – a singer perhaps best known for a song that features the Shakespearean chorus of “Get back, motherfucker, you don’t know me like that” – and Jason Aldean, an extraordinary young man whose life ambition appears to be to marry the two genres of rap and country music. Source
But she also reserved some venom for cartoon rapper Nicki Minaj, whom she referred to as “a zombie reading an autocue that was written by robots …” She added Nicki “… served as a double confirmation that just because a woman might dress crazy, she isn’t necessarily all that interesting.” Ouch!
Kanye West, who received the most nominations for 7 Grammy’s, didn’t even show up at last night’s Grammy warm up event. The writer pointed out that Kanye might have snubbed the event because his album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, “was not nominated for Best Album, despite most music critics lavishing so much praise on it one might have thought it was the cure for cancer.”
But it’s probably more likely that Kanye knows he is being set up for failure.
See the full list of nominations after the break — courtesy of loyal reader Mizzdallas!
Photos: Getty Images
54th Annual Grammy Awards Nominees:
Album of the Year
21 – Adele
Doo-Wops & Hooligans – Bruno Mars
Born This Way – Lady Gaga
Wasting Light – Foo Fighters
Loud – Rihanna
Record of the Year
“Rolling in the Deep” – Adele
“Grenade” – Bruno Mars
“Holocene” – Bon Iver
“The Cave” – Mumford & Sons
“Firework” – Katy Perry
Song of the Year
“Rolling in the Deep” – Adele
“Holocene” – Bon Iver
“Grenade” – Bruno Mars
“The Cave” – Mumford & Sons
“All of the Lights” – Kanye West, Rihanna, Kid Cudi, & Fergie
Best New Artist
Bon Iver
The Band Perry
Nicki Minaj
J. Cole
Skrillex
Best Pop Solo Performance
“Someone Like You” – Adele
“Yoü And I” – Lady Gaga
“Grenade” – Bruno Mars
“Firework” – Katy Perry
“F***in’ Perfect” – Pink
Best Pop Vocal Album
21 – Adele
The Lady Killer – Cee Lo Green
Born This Way – Lady Gaga
Doo-Wops & Hooligans – Bruno Mars
Loud – Rihanna
Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals
“Body And Soul” – Tony Bennett & Amy Winehouse
“Dearest” – The Black Keys
“Paradise” – Coldplay
“Pumped Up Kicks” – Foster The People
“Moves Like Jagger” – Maroon 5 & Christina Aguilera
Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals
“Airplanes II” — B.o.B, Eminem & Hayley Williams
“Imagine” — Herbie Hancock, Pink, India.Arie, Seal, Konono No. 1, Jeff Beck & Oumou Sangare
“If It Wasn’t For Bad” — Elton John & Leon Russell
“Telephone” — Lady Gaga & Beyoncé
“California Gurls” — Katy Perry & Snoop Dogg
Best R&B Performance
“Far Away” – Marsha Ambrosius
“Pieces Of Me” – Ledisi
“Not My Daddy” – Kelly Price & Stokley
“Is This Love” – Corinne Bailey Rae
“You Are” – Charlie Wilson
Best Traditional R&B Performance
“Sometimes I Cry” – Eric Benét
“Fool For You” – Cee Lo Green & Melanie Fiona
“Radio Message” – R. Kelly
“Good Man” – Raphael Saadiq
“Surrender” – Betty Wright & The Roots
Best R&B Song
“Far Away” – Marsha Ambrosius
“Fool For You” – Cee Lo Green & Melanie Fiona
“Not My Daddy” – Kelly Price
“Pieces Of Me” – Ledisi
“You Are” – Charlie Wilson
Best R&B Album
F.A.M.E. – Chris Brown
Second Chance – El DeBarge
Love Letter – R. Kelly
Pieces of Me – Ledisi
Kelly – Kelly Price
Best Rap Performance
“Look At Me Now” – Chris Brown, Lil Wayne & Busta Rhymes
“Otis” – Jay-Z & Kanye West
“The Show Goes On” – Lupe Fiasco
“Moment 4 Life” – Nicki Minaj & Drake
“Black And Yellow” – Wiz Khalifa
Best Rap/Sung Collaboration
“Party” – Beyoncé & André 3000
“I’m On One” – DJ Khaled, Drake, Rick Ross & Lil Wayne
“I Need A Doctor” – Dr. Dre, Eminem & Skylar Grey
“What’s My Name?” – Rihanna & Drake
“Motivation” – Kelly Rowland & Lil Wayne
“All of the Lights” – Kanye West, Rihanna, Kid Cudi & Fergie
Best Rap Song
“All of the Lights” – Kanye West, Rihanna, Kid Cudi & Fergie
“Black And Yellow” – Wiz Khalifa
“I Need A Doctor” – Dr. Dre, Eminem & Skylar Grey
“Look at Me Now” – Chris Brown, Lil Wayne & Busta Rhymes
“Otis” – Jay-Z & Kanye West
“The Show Goes On” – Lupe Fiasco
Best Rap Album
Watch the Throne – Jay-Z & Kanye West
Tha Carter IV – Lil Wayne
Lasers – Lupe Fiasco
Pink Friday – Nicki Minaj
My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy – Kanye West
Best Short Form Music Video
“Rolling in the Deep” – Adele
“Yes I Know” – Memory Tapes
“All Is Not Lost” – OK Go
“Lotus Flower” – Radiohead
“First Of The Year (Equinox)” – Skrillex
“Perform This Way” – “Weird Al” Yankovic
Best Long Form Music Video
I Am…World Tour – Beyoncé
Foo Fighters: Back And Forth – Foo Fighters
Talihina Sky: The Story of Kings Of Leon – Kings Of Leon
Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of a Tribe Called Quest – A Tribe Called Quest
Nine Types of Light – TV on the Radio
Producer of the Year, Non-Classical
Danger Mouse
Paul Epworth
The Smeezingtons
Ryan Tedder
Butch Vig