YP Lessons From the Grammys

The 54th Annual Grammy Awards took place in Hollywood last night with a somber tone just 24 hours after the death of Whitney Houston shocked the world. The compassion and love from her fellow artists was undeniable for the singer, who had graced the Grammy stage a number of times in her legendary career and took home 6 Grammys herself. Despite the grim circumstances, the show was filled with memorable performances, words of wisdom and few surprises as the expected candidates took home Grammys and offered humbling words of wisdom. As we did earlier this year after the Golden Globes, we questioned what, if any, young professional lessons could be learned from our friends on the Hollywood music scene.  

And the winners are…

The community will come together in tough times. From the beginning, the sense of community and shared grief resonated through the awards show, with host LL Cool J exclaiming just moments upon entering the stage that “There’s no way around this,” and that “We’ve had a death in the family.” He then led a prayer in Whitney’s honour. Toward the end of the show, the crowd was clearly moved by Jennifer Hudson’s tribute performance of Houston’s megahit I Will Always Love You. Donned in a Whitney-esque gown and hairstyle, she struggled to keep her composure toward the end of the powerful performance. Also memorable was Alicia Keys and Bonnie Raitt’s acoustic version of Sunday Kind of Love, a tribute to recently deceased Etta James. 

The Show Must Go on. The Grammys demonstrate that, no matter how well planned an event can be, you have to plan for unforeseen circumstances and adapt plans last minute. With Whitney Houston’s death just 24 hours earlier, the impeccably scheduled show was altered last minute to accommodate things like a video screening of “I Will Always Love You” performed at the 1994 Grammys by Whitney and, of course, Hudson’s performance. Jennifer Hudson had to rehearse the song with little notice while managing her own grief at the same time. Furthermore, her team likely scrambled to adapt her dress to reflect that of Whitney.

No matter your success, sometimes it is best to re-visit your roots. Foo Fighters, who won three Awards, echoed the sentiment that no matter the access you have to the best technology and resources, sometimes the best results are produced when you return back to your roots. Their latest Grammy-winning album was recorded with limited technology in a garage, with a microphone and tape machine and without a computer…much the same as the way they first started. 

Music has the power to alter moods and lift spirits: Beach Boys has always produced feel-good music and, although we must admit the band members looked like they were going to have a heart attack on stage during their reunion performance, they filled the theatre with a much-needed uplifting tone. How can anyone not love the Beach Boys, especially the typical YP male, when all they sing about are girls, cars and surfing?

Sometimes people will afford you second chances: Three years ago, Chris Brown was one of the most shamed men in Hollywood after he assaulted his then girlfriend Rihanna. Although perhaps people have been too forgiving, Chris is definitely well on his way to redemption. Not only did he perform at last night’s performance (complete with an impressive aerial flip) but he also took home a Grammy for Best R&B Album, proving that although it may take time, people are forgiving of mistakes.

Love your job. In his speech for best new artist, Bon Iver front man Justin Vernon expressed the love for his job and that a piece of shiny hardware like a Grammy, though well appreciated, is not the motivating force behind creating good music. He exclaimed that he makes music for the “inherent reward for making songs” and that even accepting the award and being on stage made him nervous and awkward. He also recognized the countless number of hard-working musicians who would never catch their lucky Grammy break in another message that passion was more important than the monetary reward. We also found Paul McCartney’s performance refreshing in that it is nice to see someone who has been an industry staple for so long still having such love and passion for his job, as was clearly evident on stage.

Sometimes it is better to play it safe on the red carpet. Katy Perry’s blue hair was not clever and was more of a distraction than anything. Not to mention it wasn’t original. Lady Gaga’s ‘do looks pretty similar in the “Marry the Night” music video, if you ask us. Sometimes, less is more.

It is possible to take an ultimate low point in your life and make it the most positive experience. Adele succeeded in every way possible last night, winning in all six categories for which she was nominated, including the year’s top record and best song (Rolling in the Deep), best album and pop vocal (21), top pop solo performance (Someone Like You) and best short video. Besides her killer voice, much of Adele’s success can be attributed to the fact that her music is universally relatable, especially to anyone who has left a bad relationship or had his or her heart broken. In her acceptance speech, Adele speaks of the “rubbish relationship” that inspired her much-loved music. This is an example of taking a bad situation, perhaps at a time when you’ve been at rock bottom, and turning it around for the positive.

Fishnets can now be worn on the face: Ask Lady Gaga.

For the complete list of Grammy winners, click here