Beyonce makes Grammys history but SuBo looms
It began with a outrageous duet by Lady Gaga and Elton John — the former wearing a sequined green leotard and giant shoulder pads, the latter dressed in black and covered in ash — but it didn't take long for the host of last night's Grammy Awards to acknowledge that the real star of the American music industry in 2009 had been a rather more dour figure.
Susan Boyle, in other words.
Or as the comedian Stephen Colbert described her, "a 48-year-old Scottish cat lady with sensible shoes".
Indeed, even though Lady Gaga dominated the red carpet and Beyonce cleaned up during the event with no fewer than six trophies — a new record for most wins by a female performer — it was SuBo who loomed large over the Grammys, a feat she somehow managed in spite of not showing up (her mega-selling album was released too late for consideration).
Not that the attention was always flattering. "Justin Timberlake may have brought the sexy back," deadpanned Colbert in his comic opening monologue, "But Susan Boyle sent it away again."
No such jokes are likely to be made if Boyle dominates the nominations next year.
One British singer, 32-year-old Imogen Heap, threatened to steal Lady Gaga's reputation for wearing the most outrageous outfit when she arrived on the red carpet.
Singer-songwriter Heap, who won a Grammy for best Engineered Album, wore what was dubbed a "twit dress" - a huge necklace with a live Twitter feed and a "TV" purse to display videos her fans were sending to her account.
Meanwhile, aside from Beyonce's multiple triumphs, including Song of the Year and Songwriter of the Year for Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It), it was the Kings of Leon who took home one of the biggest awards of last night when their song use Somebody defied expectations by winning Record of the Year, beating everyone from Lady Gaga to Taylor Swift.
"I'm not going to lie, we're all a little drunk. but we're happy drunks," said the band's singer, Caleb Followill.
As for top honour of Album of the Year, it went to Swift, the 20-year-old country singer who had eight nominations for Fearless, second only to Beyonce's ten nods. Swift, the youngest artist to prevail in the greatly-coveted Album of the Year category, won a total of four prizes during the evening, including best Country Album.
"I just keep thinking back to when you're in second grade and you sing in the talent show for the first time and people joke around and say, 'Maybe we'll see you at the Grammys some day.' but that just seems like an impossible dream," said Swift, after her first award. "I just feel like I'm standing here accepting an impossible dream."
Sales of Fearless, Swift's second album, were helped greatly by an on-stage encounter with the rapper Kanye West at last September's MTV Video Music Awards. West jumped up from the audience during the event and took the microphone from Swift, claiming that she didn't deserve the award for best Female Video. He apologised later.
There was no such upset at the more staid Grammys, which includes a total of 109 awards categories. most of the winners are announced during the epic pre-televised part of the ceremony.
Among the most notable Grammys to be handed out this year, best new Artist went to the Zac Brown Band, while best Rock Album went to Green Day for 21st Century Breakdown. meanwhile, the singer Maxwell, up for six awards, won his first Grammys for best R&B Male Vocal for the ballad Pretty Wings, and best R&B Album for Black Summers' Night. the latter was his first record after an eight-year semi-retirement from the music business.
One of the most long-anticipated Grammys of last night went to Neil Young, the veteran singer/songwriter, who had never been honoured at the ceremony in spite of a career spanning almost half a century. the 64-year-old won the Grammy for best Art Direction on a boxed or special limited-edition package for Neil Young Archives Vol. 1 (1963-1972).
Last night's show also included a posthumous 3-D video appearance by Michael Jackson, who performed Earth Song with a group of live "backing singers" comprised of Celine Dion, Usher, Carrie Underwood, Jennifer Hudson and Smokey Robinson. other set pieces of the live telecast included a heavily-bleeped rap by Eminem, Lil Wayne and Drake, and a tribute to the guitar maker Les Paul featuring the British rocker Jeff Beck.
Although Beyonce was last night's big winner, it wasn't the first time she had collected multiple trophies in one night: she won five prizes in 2004 on the strength of her debut album Dangerously in Love. Until her record-breaking sweep last night, she had tied the record for the most wins by a female artist with Alicia Keys, Norah Jones, Lauryn Hill and Amy Winehouse.
"Wow, thank you so much," Beyonce said last night. "This has been such an amazing night for me . . . I'd love to thank my family for all of their support, including my husband [the rapper Jay-Z]. I love you."
