Very limited broadness of genres. Small amount of artists that are winning everything. Mediocre performances.

I don't know what else to add, but need to fill up 150 characters.

Here we have "The 64th Annual Grammy Awards " and to explain the title of my review straight away with "the impossible" I mean getting worse than the Oscars that took place briefly before this ceremony. Kinda embarrassing that this show here still calls itself the greatest night in music or music history even. That clearly does not say anything positive about music at all and luckily, it is also not true obviously. If I go to a jam session in the neighborhood with unknown, yet talented musicians, then that is most likely much greater than every Grammys event from the 2020s. So far at least. Kinda shocking to see the tradition though. 64th edition I am not sure if this counts as a round anniversary in terms of eight times eight, but I guess not and the slightly more round anniversary will be next year. But let's have a look at this year's now and also at the basic facts first: It was a very long presentation as always. The show clocked in at 153 minutes and that does not even include commercials, so with the advertizing in-between it easily reached the three-hour mark. The event took place in Vegas and host for the second time in a row was late show host Trevor Noah. No clue why though. He did poor with his previous hosting job and he was again totally forgettable now. He basically rushed his material like crazy (what awful delivery!) and it wasn't good material either, so difficult to find anything funny about him. But if you have seen his show, you know already. Ludacris was better pretty much and he only had one brief moment when he talked about his epic hair. As for Noah, maybe you have also seen his charity tennis doubles match with Federer, Nadal and Bill Gates, then you know very well what to expect here. No matter if he was joking about inflation, prostitution, his lack of singing talent or about wearing women's underwear, it was always lackluster. Please don't bring him back in 2023. But even he as part of the exclusively liberal late show host front could not deny that the pandemic has regressed so far that it makes sense that the place is packed again and nobody is in danger. My country Germany could learn something from that, so maybe his shots parallel at the very start was his best and brightest moment. Too bad he did not call it a night after that.

Now, enough about him and let's focus on the show: The key problem was once again the general idea. This is an awards show. The focus should be on awards. It is not. One award in the first 30 minutes. Two or three in the first hour. There are so many stage performances instead that it is basically a concert show and the awards are just side effects. It makes no sense. Keep it at two hours max, better 100 minutes and cut out the majority of performances. Besides, they even sacrificed presenting tons of categories in favor of these singers delivering their acts. Absolutely not acceptable. It's always difficult and disrespectful if certain categories are dropped, just like at the Oscars this year, but if it happens not because of the runtime, but with the intention that simply more people can sing their songs, songs we can see and hear them sing all the time at their concerts, on Youtube etc., then it is simply too far off the mark. On a slightly positive note, there were maybe two or three songs included this time that were not totally poor or forgettable. I liked Brendi Carlile's "Right On Time". And Silk Sonic including Bruno Mars and a second musician I am not familiar with with their number "Leave the Door Open" were also not too shabby, although their shenanigans, especially in that skit with Noah, were a bit hammy and cringeworthy. But they got it right: Clean sweep. Except the final category where they were not nominated. That is all the positive I can say in terms of songs I guess. The rest felt either forgettable or just way too weak to be featured during such a high-profile event. But then again, The Grammys have been in a slump for a long time.

For the rest of the review, I will just do some brainstorming. Nothing chronological. I was baffled by how the once oh so rebellious Avril Lavigne has really become the most mainstream blonde on the planet now. Oh well, I always thought her act was just staged. The Ukrainian president got some screen time too. There were rumors he could be featured at the Oscars, but they decided against it, but the Grammys happily accepted him. For me, this was maybe the worst decision of the night. The moment the entertainment industry opens itself up to fully becoming a political stage is a moment of utter sadness. I am not taking sides here whatsoever. I'd happily accept peace. But this man's inclusion had no business being part of the show. They messed up with all the stage performances already, but this is where they really hit off-topic territory. Especially awful because the Grammys are also seen by so many young people not just in America, but worldwide. Those especially should not be fed speeches like this. Let them decide themselves what they want to see. I think said president was a comedian before he became a politician, so if at all, then he should be included with some sketch at the American Comedy Awards or something, but that is it and also that would already be a highly questionable inclusion too. Of course, there was also some talk about Ukraine on other occasions. No need to get any further into that now. Doja Cat I am not sure I like her as an artist, but winning a Grammy pretty much the same time she announced her really early retirement was something special. Maybe her tears were real. Lady Gaga worked once more with the fabulous Tony Bennett, but he is retired now at a slightly older age than Doja Cat, so Gaga was there to perform on her own. Did not like it at all. I already found the praise too much that she got for her turn at the Oscars next to Liza Minnelli, but this one here was even worse.

I guess the in-memoriam segment including the singing of Zegler and Erivo was among the not totally awful moments. Big tribute also to Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins who died not too longe before the show. It seems now as if there is almost every year some big name who passes relatively briefly before the show, even if it was no suicide in Hawkins' case. Still tragic. Billie Eilish honored him for example. Speaking of Eilish, Olivia Rodrigo had a successful night here too and she reminded me a bit of an Eilish clone somehow. Maybe even easier on the eyes, but her singing did not win me over at all. Lil Nas X is an artist whose collaboration with Billy Ray Cyrus a few years ago I liked, but this song now which shameless exploits the film Call Me By Your Name with focus on his own sexuality was a complete mess and I don't see the slightest bit of artistry in there. Shameful stuff and quite telling that so many people fell for it and it was nominated for some big awards. We also have some more experienced nominees here. Look at country of course, but also to other categories. Willie Nelson for example at almost 90 now was featured. Just like ABBA. Norah Jones too, which is always nice. Coldplay. You can just check out the nominees list yourself. However, these long-time musicians were not really featured too much in the broadcast at all. They were lucky already if their names got mentioned. Focus was just too much on other stuff. Of course, a little joke about Will Smith's Oscar meltdown had to be made as well, but even there Noah showed perfectly that he has absolutely no guts. Totally harmless. Just stay away from all controversy and keep it all as risk-free as possible. The result is a show that lacks courage and class from beginning to end I must say. Oh yeah, Nas also sang his song and it's true he is a bit of a rap music icon with his long career, but I personally find it questionable how he behaved here. I am not sure it speaks for these artists if they agree to be in company of the defining musicians these days. Or who they want us to see as defining. The likes of Bieber, Sheeran, Batiste, Lil Nas X, Megan Thee Stallion, Rodrigo, Cardi B. It only looks (and sounds) like an illustrious group to the untrained eye (and ear).

What else? Oh yeah, they included the singers' assistants in different fields this time like tour managers and many others who got to introduce their bosses if you wanna call it that. In theory, a nice idea, but the execution felt just as random and ineffective in the end as everything else about this show. Merely mediocre moments were the highlights already from this painfully long ceremony. The Grammy Awards hit rock bottom quite some time ago and since then, they have been stuck deep down there in the mud and it seems unlikely they can soon rise again. More like quicksand. Still get worse. I would love to see a rise happen, but the people in charge of this event, the industry and music in general these days make it pretty obvious for me that there will be no improvement before the 70th edition maybe. It's not about talent or quality music anymore. It is about politics, agenda and simply representing the mainstream and just kinda further soothening down the audience, but not impressing or stunning it, no matter how many times Noah and the other folks want you to perceive weak performances as something extraordinary. The status quo must be held up. Actually, thinking of it now, it will be probably much later that this show finds its rhythm again, definitely not before they make the awards the heart and soul of it all again. Maybe 100th edition, so this show from 2022 without hesitation gets the lowest possible rating from me. I highly recommend you to stay far, far away. Huge thumbs-down. Oh yeah and don't even get me started on BTS. The scenes with them and how all their songs sound exactly the same and yet they are called the greatest band on the planet is pretty self-explanatory what kind of travesty is going on here. How can so many not see it? Wake up, folks!

I saw clips of the Grammy's on YouTube and all it STILL consist of Is so called Relevent, main stream and so called great Musicans who obviously all write their own lyrics being handed a trophy.

It's 2022 and I am amazed and grateful to see how the Grammys and even Oscars hasn't changed a bit. It's like a slap in the face how they can keep these shows fresh and entertaining for so long.

Even modern day rappers were awarded a trophy. That is so amazing.

Great fun. Fun show. Can't wait to actually watch the Grammy's live.