Even
though the CMA Awards are not a noteworthy country album, it is considered
“Country Music’s Biggest Night”. They honor the very songs, albums and artists
that I love and write about on a weekly basis. What kind of country blog would
I be if I did not share my thoughts on this wonderful evening in country music?
So here is my take on the 47th Annual CMA Awards which aired on ABC last night, November 6th:
No
one does an awards show quite like Nashville, Tennessee and the folks of
country music. It is such a good time that even P. Diddy had to join in on the
fun. Yes, Puff Daddy, the former rapper, was at the award show dubbed “country
music’s biggest night”. Despite that awkward cameo, made complete by a shameless
plug of Diddy's new music company, the night went as close to perfect as live shows
can get these days.
The
VMAs and other music award shows have begun to feel like a huge concert with the
scattered presentation of awards inconveniently interrupting the performances.
The CMAs, however, have managed to incorporate great performances and still
feel like an award show. With performances from big names such as Jason Aldean
and Florida Georgia Line, the CMAs were rockin’ but they never forgot what the
main purpose of the show was. The best part about the CMAs, and country music
in general, is the sincere support and admiration that the artists have for one
another. These feelings of encouragement between the stars are so strong that
they practically jump through the TV screen and wrap you in a warm embrace. The
way they smile at, interact with and root for one another is so heartfelt that
you can’t help but cheer for every single one of them in return.
Luke Bryan and Florida Georgia Line rock the opening of the CMAs
Photo courtesy of The Tennessean
The
show was co-hosted for the sixth time by country music superstars Brad Paisley
and Carrie Underwood. These two are one of the best duos to ever host an award
show. Due largely in part to playing to sell out stadiums across the world, they
are naturals on stage and in front of a live audience. But most importantly
they are natural with one another. There is no competition for who can sneak in
the most one-liners, nor is there awkward tension and uncomfortable silences.
It is apparent that Paisley and Underwood are just as good of friends off-stage
as they seem to be on-stage. These two also nail a crucial part of hosting: the
humor. Paisley and Underwood’s jokes are spot on, perfectly timed and do not
feel forced in the slightest. These days, a host is expected to do it all: look
fabulous, deliver lines flawlessly and have the audience cracking up at their every
joke. Most hosts fail to accomplish this, but Paisley and Underwood are a well-oiled
machine and excel at their jobs as emcees.
Their
opening song of “Why Can’t We Be Friends” was pure genius and was centered on
the ridiculous feuds between celebrities today. This even prompted Luke Bryan
and Zac Brown to hug out their widely publicized disagreement. It was hard to
tell if this was spontaneous or had been scripted as a part of the opening, but
it was awesome all the same. The duo held no punches when it came to making
cracks at Miley Cyrus. Paisley publicly thanked Taylor Swift for managing to
grow up in front of their eyes without “humping a teddy bear or gyrating with
Beetle Juice”. He then went on to don an outfit later in the show that was
incredibly similar to Thicke’s at the VMAs.
The best part of the Paisley/Underwood opening was their Duck Dynasty
twist on the ever-popular “Blurred Lines” song. The performance was made
complete with twerking from Willie and Jase Robertson.
Bryan and Brown hug it out!
Photo courtesy of CBS
Paisley channels his inner Thicke and Underwood rocks her own foam finger
Photo courtesy of E! Online
It
was surely a star-studded evening, with some of the biggest names in country
music taking home trophies. Florida Georgia Line were two time winners for
“Single of the Year” and “Vocal Duo of the Year”, while Blake Shelton took home
awards for “Album of the Year” and “Male Vocalist of the Year”. The biggest
surprise of the night, however, came when George Strait beat out Jason Aldean,
Luke Bryan, Blake Shelton and Taylor Swift for “Entertainer of the Year”. No
disrespect to King George, because he is a country music legend and always will
be, but I can’t help but think that this win may have been for sentimental
reasons rather than deservedness. It is hard to believe that a 61 year old
could beat out some of the hardest-rocking, stadium-filling artists to ever be
in country music. The fact that Strait announced his imminent retirement once his Cowboy Rides Away Tour is over, definitely swayed some votes his
way. King George most definitely deserves our respect and admiration, and if
that means giving him “Entertainer of the Year” one last time, then so be it.
But there is no question that his win left some viewers scratching their heads.
Say
what you will about Taylor Swift, but there is no denying that she is a bona
fide superstar. Last night Swift was honored with the Pinnacle Award. This is
an award that is given to artists who have brought country music to a global
audience and has only ever had one other recipient (Garth Brooks in 2005).
Despite the fact that Taylor may have deviated from country music and gone down
the pop path in her latest album Red,
there is no denying that she has put country music on the global stage. In
case you were on the fence about Ms. Swift’s worthiness of this award, Tim
McGraw and company put any rolling eyes to rest. While listening to McGraw give
tribute to Swift and watching the amazing video package that was put together,
you can’t help but admire the person that Swift has grown into at such a young
age. During the package she received congratulations from celebrities such as
Mick Jagger, Ellen DeGeneres and Ethel Kennedy. It was heartwarming to see
Taylor being embraced by such an eclectic group, and it speaks to the superstar
that she has become. Now, I know that we have all grown tired of Taylor’s
aw-shucks disbelief as she wins award after award but last night her surprise
and gratitude were complete genuine. The look on her face as she watched the
video was one of sincerest shock that made you remember why she became
America’s sweetheart in the first place. Swift closed her acceptance speech in
an incredibly humble way saying, “You’ve made me feel so special right now, thank
you”. Well Taylor, after all you’ve given to your fans and the lives that you
have changed, you deserve to feel “so special”, because you are.
Swift accepts her Pinnacle Award with sincere gratitude
photo courtesy of CBS News
If
you are one of those people who simply “doesn’t get country music” watch clips
of this award show online. The CMAs are a great representation of why country
music is so special. It’s the people, it’s the atmosphere, it’s the music….
It’s everything!
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