The Politics Of The Grammys

While watching the Grammys the other weekend, I found myself expecting the more commercial artists to win. Most of the time, I was correct. Lady Antebellum, Usher, Eminem, etc. I watched acclaimed but lower-sale acts like The Roots, Big Boi, and Janelle Monae get snubbed. Even looking at the nominees, I found it laughable that albums such as Katy Perry's Teenage Dream or Justin Bieber's My World 2.0 could even be considered award-winner material.

By the end of the show, I had, like most years, all but given up on the Academy. That was, at least, until Arcade Fire took Album Of The Year for their latest LP, The Suburbs. I had been positive that Eminem would win. After all, he had had a comeback year, had been previously snubbed for his acclaimed early releases, and had sold millions of records. It seemed that, despite this album being weaker than his early stuff, he would finally have his year. Instead, the Academy surprised me by honoring a truly noteworthy album. The Suburbs is significant for being the first independent record to win, which is appropriate considering the growing influence of the indie scene in the Internet Age. The album received universal acclaim and even hit number one on the Billboard 200.

But despite their win, the week following the ceremony was admittedly embarrassing with the Internet exploding in anger as Bieber and Eminem fans expressed in utter disbelief the results of the Grammys. "Who is Arcade Fire?" many asked, even leading to a blog (http://whoisarcadefire.tumblr.com) attempting to compile every grammar-lacking tweet criticizing the ceremony's results.

What does all of this say about pop culture in the US, in which the trend-followers and money-seekers are rewarded over those who truly have something to say? Arcade Fire's album is both an homage to and a critique of the suburbs, an essential ingredient in the formation of pop culture as it is today, in all its commercialization. The album flows with sentiment and a mix of good and bad emotions as it tells a story and challenges its listener. The same can't be said about Justin Bieber or Katy Perry, whom in contrast feed that commercialization by singing the same cliched manufactured pop that's been around for as long as the suburbs have.

I'm glad Arcade Fire won, and not just because I adore their music. It's not often that the establishment rewards the counter-culture, and despite what preteens and Hot 100 slaves will say, art should not be recognized for how much it sells but rather for the expression it presents. Take that, Thomas Kinkade.