<p>MOWC - are you holding your breath to see T Swift in Valentine’s Day? :)</p>
<p>Honestly, I never paid her much attention since her mom packed her up and moved her to Nashville when she was 13 to become a country music star. Her dad is/was a stock broker by the way.
I will admit she is cute - not really pretty, just cute. I just loved her on SNL - her monologue proved she has the ability to make fun of herself. </p>
<p>I do feel like an old fart reading this - I have no idea who Kings of Leon are…</p>
<p>Zac Brown was alright. I thought Lady Gaga was the Best New Artist by acclamation. I thought Silversun Pickups were a Pretty Good New Artist in 2006 or so. I actually bought and enjoyed the Ting-Tings’ record in 2008, so I was rooting for them among the people who were nominated (even though they were nowhere near the Best New Artist of 2008 OR 2009). But given that Best New Artist is something of a joke, even by the low standard of the Grammys, it’s hard to care much.</p>
<p>You say po-tay-toe, I say po-tah-to. Zac Brown Band sang “America” last night. I don’t know what they normally sound like, but that was more over the top screechy than all of Adam Lambert’s American Idol performances combined. Relisten to “above the fruited plain” and you’ll hear what I’m referring to. Then that fiddle-sounding part at the end. Ugh. But I do love me some Leon Russell.</p>
<p>Agreed, JHS, about “NEW” artist, but since they’ve altered the requirements to allow new to mean new to most of us, I have no quibbles about how many CDs someone has before they win this. Lady Gaga wasn’t up for best new artist, but I would have taken MGMT or the Ting Tings over the eventual winners, at least based upon what I heard last night.</p>
<p>“You are obviously not into great vocals”. You guys are a bunch of snobs. She may have had pitch problems last night (that may or may not have been her own fault). But she has sold 3.2 million albums, and I love listening to several of her songs. I was almost a music major in college myself (decided I’d like to eat when I got out, so picked a different major). And, by the way, I am not generally a country fan, and don’t even consider myself a die-hard fan.</p>
<p>Nobody on this forum (or their kids!) has even a whiff of the success she has had. How about being happy for a young woman who has done so well, has created music that is fun to listen to, and doesn’t behave like Lindsey Lohan?</p>
<p>I agree that Taylor Swift is limited in her signing talent, but since when is big singing talent required for pop or rock stardom? Does the name Bob Dylan ring a bell? How about Leonard Cohen? Or Tom Waits? Neil Young sounds like he is singing with a clothes pin on his nose and he is worshiped as a god. </p>
<p>If they all can get away with it, why not Taylor Swift? She’s done amazingly well for a 20-year old. I’m willing to give her a break and see how she develops over the coming years.</p>
<p>JustAMomOf4 reminds me that my private favorite moment watching the Grammys last night was, for the first time, actually seeing Angelo [Petraglia], who co-won Record of the Year with Kings of Leon. Angelo co-wrote and masterminded two of my favorite records of all time: Kings of Leon’s debut, Youth And Young Manhood, and Kim Richey’s Bitter Sweet – which have absolutely nothing in common with one another. (He had a co-write with Taylor Swift on her first record, too.) He’s one of these shadowy Nashville cats (from the Bronx, in this case) who never made it himself but who adds quality to project after project.</p>
<p>Burn This - I totally agree! Almost turned it off, but just the idea of seeing Leon Russell again - well - I persevered. He was himself all over again! LOVED him! It was like balm on poison ivy, lol. Did you not tear up to hear Leon sing down some music and play that piano?</p>
<p>Don’t care about Taylor Swift one way or the other, but I think that’s just a certain gift you either have or don’t have. I’m not a singer, don’t have perfect pitch, and absent someone who truly screeched, I probably couldn’t tell the difference. I couldn’t tell if someone was flat or sharp – if I could, then I’d be a singer. It’s like those supertasters who can or can’t taste bitterness in broccoli or something.</p>
<p>Hmmm…wonder if that’s it? Maybe I’m bitter my daughter DOESN’T have the success of Taylor - I can only say that she actually does though have a LOT of musical success, including vocally. So let me decide for a minute. Thinking. </p>
<p>Nope, not in a million years would she want to be up on that stage, even making that money, if it meant humiliating herself in that way. She’d rather be great, and “starve”. </p>
<p>You’re taking these things to mean that I think Taylor is a bad person, and your feelings are hurt. I’m just calling a spade a spade. And you can BET when my D or her ensembles or choirs were pitchy (though she/they aren’t tone deaf…so it’s never been as bad as this)…they were called out on it. You make your bed you lie in it. It’s a public performance and I have a right to “pan” it.</p>
<p>and…Momofwildchild - whoa. No…saying a person isn’t talented is not the same as/because of “disliking” her. I don’t know her, never will…I think you’ll see I said she seems to be a “sweetie”, and other such descriptions. An adorable 2 year old who is kicking my shin is still cute as can be…but they need to stop doing that because it’s not a good thing do to. Doesn’t mean I don’t like them, doesn’t make them bad. But their actions are not tolerable.</p>
<p>In fairness to the critics here, Taylor Swift is NOT Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, or Tom Waits. Or Alanis Morissette. Croaking isn’t part of her aesthetic. She really SHOULD sing on key.</p>
<p>As for Neil Young, the times when I’ve seen him, he wasn’t anywhere near any key, ever. There’s a guy who really, truly can’t sing. Ditto Jerry Garcia. (Waits really, truly can’t sing, either, but he doesn’t pretend to, even on studio recordings.)</p>
<p>Edited to add: Beyonce was wearing that ridiculous dress, and you are complaining about her hair? In general, though Beyonce is so great-looking that she can pretty much do anything and my main reaction is “Hmm, Beyonce looks great doing that.”</p>
<p>I don’t think she needs our breaks. She’s made a gazillion dollars and won a bunch of awards. I’d like to see an undiscovered someone with a lot more talent get a break.</p>
<p>It seems we all agree that Taylor can’t sing (her performance on Saturday Night Live was pretty awful, too, so this wasn’t just a case of bad sound equipment). I find nothing special about her songwriting–bubble gummy tunes and lyrics that sound like any teenager’s diary entries. After the second or third time I’ve heard one of her songs, I never want to hear it again. Truly great songs I can listen to forever. She’s wholesome and nice? So’s my D. And she sings! (On key!) Anyone want to give her a statuette?</p>
<p>But like the Jonas Brothers and other teen obsessions, in a few years Taylor will be off our radar screens, so no big deal to me one way or the other. Lady Gaga on the other hand must have had a very bad night. She exploded on the music scene with huge talent, verve, creativity and humor (and I believe she writes her own songs too) and did not get the Grammy recognition she deserved.</p>
<p>Regarding Pink, I read that her intent was to prove a point–that singers who claim they must lipsynch or use backing tracks in live performances because of their physical exertions in big production numbers are full of baloney. Yay Pink!</p>
<p>I don’t agree that Taylor can’t sing. I’ll agree that she frequently has some pitch problems singing live- especially for TV broadcasts. I LIKE her singing. I like her songs. I don’t get tired of them. I don’t think she is going to fade away. She is much more than a teen obsession- if you followed country music you would know that.<br>
My daughter is a singer, too, and has stated that she would never have gotten away with singing that flat. My daughter occasionally gets paid to sing and she is quite critical of other singers. That said, she enjoys Taylor’s songs and has enjoyed some of her live performances here in town. She recognizes her talent as a songwriter.</p>
<p>I guess I’m just lacking in culture… (I have never heard a Lady GaGa song, by the way)</p>
<p>I find it amusing I don’t think I saw the word pitch until I called her pitchy…now everyone is saying pitchy instead of off key.</p>
<p>They’re often used in the same way, but they’re not the same.</p>
<p>A song can just be transposed into another key and sounds GREAT. Because the accompaniment, and other singer…are singing in that key. The note relationships are (pretty much) the same. So saying someone is “off key” means they’re just singing another key (think when you get to your limit when you’re singing at home alone…too high…no one else is listening so you just drop down an octave OR you change keys - I’m guilty…we all are…if it’s not a performance it’s just easier). But Taylor wasn’t singing a different key (well, maybe for one note at a time)…she was out of tune. If Steve was sining one note, Taylor found a way to flatten it out. Sometimes a little bitty flat - sometimes a full half step down to the actual flat. Or…er…um…a full note…or two! </p>
<p>THAT is why “everyone is talking about it”. It’s not really a little thing - she was WAY off.</p>
<p>I agree with most of what was already said-TSwift can NOT sing on key. I understand her popularity with teenage girls who can relate to her music, so although I’m not a fan, I have respect form her songwriting talent. However, she still can NOT sing and is not deserving of those awards over other talented and many unmentioned great singers —anyone ever hear of Lights? that girl can sing live, has raw talent, is awesome to her fans, does great acoustics which can be found on youtube, and she’s gorgeous too.</p>
<p>If you can’t stay on pitch when singing “live”–you can’t sing. Anyone’s voice can sound great after being processed in a recording studio, so the fact that Taylor Swift’s recorded music sounds fine does not mean she can sing. And no, I don’t follow country music, but I can’t even see how Taylor’s sings are country. I think she’s crossed over so far that she’s 100% pop (at least the songs we hear on the radio–maybe the rest of her album is more country?). I also wonder think the goofy teen charm will wear thin as she ages, but we’ll see. I did think her non-singing efforts on SNL were quite good–she was completely uninhibited, willing to try anything, and a very good comic actress. I’d actually like to see her pursue a non-singing career. And not sing live anywhere again, ever.</p>