The Grammys--I Don't "Get" Taylor Swift

Parent Cafe
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<p>She seems to be a lovely, wholesome young woman, and I’ll concede that she writes some cute, though unmemorable, teenybopper ditties, but there are plenty of songs like that being written all the time. She can’t sing live to save her life (tonight on the Grammy’s she was so off key that I had to leave the room), so I assume her recordings are the product of Auto tune and other machinations. There was so much talent on display on tonight’s show that it just floored me that the least talented performer of all of them walked away with the big prize. I’ve heard that her father was very well connected in the industry and engineered a lot of her success, but that can’t be all of it. I can see a lot of 14 year old girls buying her stuff, but they don’t vote for the Grammy’s. So what gives? (I guess I don’t know what “Album of the Year” means anyway–maybe it’s just the album that makes the most money for the music industry?) </p>

<p>As for the show, after watching the Lady Gaga/Elton John duet, I think my life may just be complete. Dazzling!</p>

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<p>MommaJ, I couldn’t agree more with your entire post. I have now seen Taylor Swift on at least three different shows in the last few months, and NEVER have I seen her sing a song without being off-key AND SHE WROTE THE SONGS! SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO undeserving of awards! I also left the room about ten seconds into her performance, and I understand it got worse!
And as for Gaga and Sir Elton, I literally got teary watching that. I can not imagine how she must have felt, singing with him, to her own song and to his. Although if you looked at her face, after she removed her glasses which I think she did so she could really really SEE this experience, her emotions were all right there. There is a young girl, only 3 years older than Taylor Swift, who writes her own songs, plays piano, is a true performer and who can actually sing, LIVE, and does it all the time! SHE was robbed tonight for sure!</p>

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<p>Where was Kanye when we needed him?? The only difference is that Lady Gaga was robbed this time, not Beyonce! :/</p>

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<p>Robbery is a good word for the Grammy debacle tonight. My ears hurt listening to Taylor Swift trying to hit a note, and she seemed oblivious to her flat sound. She does a great job looking cute and putting on eyeliner, but how can the music industry reward such bad singing?</p>

<p>Who votes for Grammy winners? There was so much real talent that deserved recognition- Jennifer Hudson, Mary J. Blige, Lady Gaga. I assume the decision was a marketing ploy of some sort.</p>

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<p>I didn’t see the entire show (missed Hudson, Elton and Lady Gaga) but I saw a good bit of it. I told my wife that it must have been a sorry year for pop music. Taylor was badly off key but she wasn’t the only one that was blecch. ( I do like her, btw, but I recognize she can’t hit notes.) The female singer for The Black-Eyed Peas was just horrible, as was Jamie Foxx/T-pain. Ear pain was more like it. Plenty more that turned my stomach. That rap trio near the end? Weak sauce. </p>

<p>Even artists I like seemed to be picking weak/crap songs- Dave Matthews, what was that? A census thing? There were enough folks up there for their own area code. Jeff Beck’s group? Did have a lobotomy somewhere along the way? Never really a fan but Bon Jovi was a bad joke. </p>

<p>The “We Forget Who Michael Jackson Really Was” Tribute was just god-awful, too. </p>

<p>Really, really bad show all-around.</p>

<p>Lots of good music out there right now. Just couldn’t prove it by last night. Yuck.</p>

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<p>Oh boy - so it WASN’T just me!! I was blessed with perfect pitch, and I was almost in vertigo last night listening. I had to put the TV on mute.</p>

<p>My disappointment (agreeing with the OP’s line about the ‘ditties’) was that really NONE of the Song of the Year nominees had lyrics that I think were poetic enough to deserve a nomination, let alone a Grammy (love Lady Gaga, but the muffin line in Poker Face is a bit much).</p>

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<p>I agree with what has been said about Taylor Swift. She is adorable, but not deserving of a grammy at this point.</p>

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<p>I felt so bad for Stevie Nicks…Taylor was awful last night…it was embarassing…</p>

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<p>I agree with what everyone is saying. Taylor Swift was just bad. She seemed to be in another league than the other performer’s and that is not a good thing. Everything was weak, her tone, her musicianship, I’m sorry but it was all sub par to the other performer’s.</p>

<p>Even the Black Eyed Peas, Fergie was off, maybe she was sick, I’ve heard her before and she sounded much better. Jamie Foxx always sounds like that, I don’t think he’s a great singer, but is a good performer.</p>

<p>But I thought Pink was great. Laying down, upside down and to sound like that. It was amazing.</p>

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<p>I missed the grammys last night :frowning: will it be on Hulu?</p>

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<p>Aaaaaaahhhh! THANK YOU! I went tearing into my teenager’s room (a fabulous musician who plays many instruments and sings in a state champion choir) saying “REALLY? REALLY? Taylor Swift?” (She’s not a Swift fan, I was just commenting on this). </p>

<p>I’m from the hard/acid rock era…so I “get” how we like people who aren’t great singers. But the screamers and the talk singers are not OFFENSIVELY OUT OF TUNE like she was. </p>

<p>I didn’t listen to everyone but -omg…when she was singing Rianna (sp?) with Steve Nicks I thought “Am I the ONLY person in the world who hears this?..I think I have a pretty good ear!” It was just horrid. </p>

<p>I first heard the term “auto - tuner” recently. My daughter was also telling me how many people take advantage of it, but that it also “changes” your voice (surely it has to digitize it, right?). And she explained how some people succeeded in spite of themselves and some can’t perform live (then, duh…DON’T!). </p>

<p>Conversely…my sister and I both told each other how we were DRAWN into the room from another when we first heard “That Scottish Woman”. Whereas Taylor Swift made me get up out of bed, pajama-ed (yes I lie down early…I get up early)…I could not listen any more!</p>

<p>To the “blessed” with perfect pitch person above: The people I know with perfect pitch call it a curse BECAUSE of this. It’s just so horrid to have your ears so constantly accosted. At least you expect it from a grade school choir - but a multi GRAMMY award winner? Blech. </p>

<p>Taylor…I’m sorry kiddo…but I think I’d hang up my guitar (better still, my microphone). Maybe it was just one bad night, her feedback was bad, who knows…I don’t listen to her, I hate country. THIS was my one experience with her singing. </p>

<p>FYI - I was also dishearted by Beyonce. I LOVE her. But her set just didn’t work, you couldn’t hear the vocals well, etc. It wasn’t her - but …it was just “off”. </p>

<p>Gaga/Elton were good.</p>

<p>I thought the collaboration on the Earth Song was good (not sure I could hear the song very many times though…liked the beginning but got sick of it) - the PERFORMANCE seemed awesome.</p>

<p>But, after I had to listen to Taylor Swift I literally gave up and didn’t see the rest.</p>

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<p>I’m deaf in one ear, and I could still tell Taylor Swift was off-key. I had to turn off the TV. Poor Stevie Nicks.</p>

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<p>thank you, thank you. I thought that I was just being mean to the poor kid. She seems like a sweetheart of a person, but I can’t see where she is all that talented :(</p>

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<p>I just think Taylor fills a niche. And I’m happy to see her there whether it’s for a year or two or longer.</p>

<p>As a mom of a young daughter, I appreciate Taylor Swift as a model for young girls who love music. I agree her live vocals left much to be desired. When she sang the duet it seemed that she was almost trying too hard - maybe too nervous/pumped up to be singing with someone she has idolized. </p>

<p>But in the midst of all the bad music these days (i.e. lyrics and IMO outrageous “characters”, antics, etc.) I appreciate a nice young woman singing about simple things in life and always presenting herself in an appropriate, thankful way. </p>

<p>We could argue if the above ^^^ stuff is enough to get her to the Grammys. But I think we could argue that about more than one artist that was on the show last night. </p>

<p>Remember that many of the artists we saw last night were likely NOT singing live.</p>

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<p>Let’s not let Stevie off the hook so easily. She could have at least learned a few words to song they did after Rhiannon (I’m assuming it was one of Taylor’s.) Or maybe she was in shock.</p>

<p>I didn’t think anybody sang well with the exception of the duet between … the italian dude (Vermicelli? Botticelli? ;)) and Blige. He was great, she was erratic but at least she can sing. A few segments of Beyonce were “good”. I actually liked her take on the Alanis Morrisette song. And Pink didn’t exactly sound “on” either. The rest that I saw, it all sucked. </p>

<p>I come from a generation where most of our favorites just stood up there and sang. All that Cirque de Soleil production is just fine for those that like that sort of thing but really…it is just lost on me. Give me a guy/gal with a guitar and mike, a lead guitarist that is badly in need of rehab, a moody bass player off to side and in the shadows, and a drummer that sounds like he’s randomly playing some another song. Loudly.</p>

<p>Once I thought I saw you in a crowded hazy bar, Dancing on the light from star to star.</p>

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<p>Taylor Swift = prepacked, marketed “star”. No talent there at all except for her looks.</p>

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<p>I’ll admit I didn’t watch it–I couldn’t name one song any of the more talked about nominees have done. S tells me Lady Gaga is good, so maybe I’ll look into her stuff. I’m so out of the loop. I did see Kings of Leon opening for U2 a few years ago, and we all agreed they were borrrinngg. </p>

<p>Speaking of U2, they put out what some call the album of the year, and one of the best of the decade, and not even a mention?</p>

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<p>agreed with other posters - Taylor Swift can’t sing. Unbelievable that she walked away with ANY awards. Kept wondering what Stevie Nicks was thinking when they were singing together. The genius of Taylor Swift is that she has pulled the wool over the eyes of a very cynical industry and made all of them look like fools.</p>

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<p>OK, I’m going to weigh in as a Taylor Swift fan. Not of her singing, which (as everyone has noted) is mediocre. Not awful, but not in Beyonce’s league. Not of her looks, either. She’s tall, and thin, and has great hair, but no one is going to confuse her with a classic beauty. Maybe she’ll grow into it, but for the moment she is awkward and foal-ish. (And it’s not just her age. Miley Cyrus, whom I think is younger, looks like she’s ready to be put out to pasture.)</p>

<p>For me, Taylor Swift has two qualities that make her special. </p>

<p>First, her teen ditties are very good teen ditties. To paraphrase Barack Obama, if you have better teen ditties, let me know about 'em! Most teen ditties are mindless; Swifts have ideas, structure, and wit, in addition to the hooks that everyone has. (Well, hooks may be hard to come by, but we don’t get to hear the stuff that doesn’t have them. Unless it’s Dave Mathews.) It’s been a decade since my kids were tweens, so I no longer have encyclopedic knowledge of teen ditties; I will admit to having no idea what, say, Demi Lovato’s songs are like. But the first couple times I heard Taylor Swift songs, the doggerel-loving pop-and-poetry scholar in me raised his ears and took notice. Bob Dylan called Smokey Robinson the greatest songwriter ever, and he was referring to things that Taylor Swift does really well, too. I’m not saying she’s Robinson’s equal, yet, but at 20 she’s way ahead of the curve.</p>

<p>Second, she has a gift of communicating joy and genuineness in public performance. She is never perfectly scripted, always a little giggly, and it helps communicate that there’s a real live girl in there, somewhere. Lady Gaga, Beyonce, Pink are much more accomplished performers, but none of them comes across as an actual person whose heart is racing because she’s doing something amazing. They are works of performance art. Swift can appear artless.</p>

<p>Finally – have any of you ever actually heard Stevie Nicks live? Swift may have been paired with Nicks because Nicks’ pitch problems make Swift Renee Fleming by comparison. (Speaking of which – Placido Domingo and Mos Def? Who thought of that? Who wrote it? Why weren’t they fired?)</p>

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<p>During the Grammy’s last night, I sat in the kitchen doing work and in the next room my husband watched the Grammy’s. When TS came on, I couldn’t believe my ears. I didn’t have the <em>benefit</em> of watching her cute lithe presence sway to the cameras, but her voice was absolutely tinny and amazingly off-pitch. (I envisioned that she must be tired of singing this same song in venue after venue.) To me, it cheapened the whole business: it’s not talent but the looks and the connections that win the awards (which then spur sales). Geez!</p>