Taylor Swift

8 Thoughts About the 2024 Grammy Awards

“Music’s biggest night” was last night, so let’s talk through some of the takeaways.

1. Taylor Swift is doing too much.

Taylor Swift has plenty of great qualities, but being “cool” is not one of them. Whether it’s something as small as giving Jack Antonoff a million faux punches and a noogie when his name gets mentioned, or as big as announcing the incredibly cringey title of her upcoming album, she was just doing a lot last night. It didn’t set the table very well for winning Album of the Year for Midnights, which I consider to be one of her weakest albums. Folklore and 1989 deserved it, but Midnights? Here’s hoping that music of The Tortured Poets Department ends up better than its name.

2. Tracy Chapman singing “Fast Car” was awe-inspiring, and not only did Luke Combs avoid ruining it, but he actually did a great job.

I’ve held nothing but contempt for Luke Combs’s cover of Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car,” but when he performed it as a duet with Chapman early in the broadcast, I was won over. The performance was simply amazing — the best one of the night. It was heartwarming to see the crowd’s enthusiastic love for Chapman, who played her timeless classic as beautifully as ever, 36 years after its release. Against all my expectations, Combs did justice to the song as he performed alongside Chapman, displaying his impressive voice. They both clearly had a lot of respect for each other, which went along way toward melting my previous disdain for Combs’s version.

 

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3. Trevor Noah is a perfect Grammys host.

Every time Trevor Noah hosts the Grammys, he reminds us that it’s possible to be gracious and positive while also being hilarious. So many award shows hosts think the only way to be funny is to roast its participants, but Noah shows us that’s not true. I burst out laughing when, after shaming TikTok for removing a large swath of music from their app and “ripping off all of these artists,” he followed that with, “How dare you do that! That’s Spotify’s job!”

4. I truly do not get “What Was I Made For?”

I just don’t see the appeal of Billie Eilish’s “Best Song of the Year” winner. I admit that I’ve never really gotten into her music, especially compared to some of her generational peers like Olivia Rodrigo. I did enjoy some of the stuff from her debut album, and I think she’s cool, but the breathy “What Was I Made For?” does absolutely nothing for me. I really try to not be a hater, but it’s so boring, I’m sorry.

5. I also don’t get the immense popularity of Miley Cyrus’s “Flowers.”

As opposed to Billie Eilish, Miley Cyrus has made tons of songs that I love. Her catalog is filled with bangers, and she’s an incredibly talented live singer and performer. But “Flowers” is very middling to me. It’s not bad, but it’s not “great” either. It just does its thing for three minutes without leaving any impression. I will say though, her live rendition of “Flowers” during the broadcast was pretty good. I meant it when I said she’s a great performer.

6. The “In Memoriam” section recognizing Tina Turner was well done.

Unsurprisingly, Oprah knocked it out of the park with her tribute, vividly capturing why Tina Turner was so great. Oprah’s delivery, including a loving imitation of her friend’s speaking voice, was part of the magic, but the words themselves were great too:

“Tina Turner was always a towering figure. She is our forever goddess of Rock & Roll, who inspired millions, a moving symbol of grace and grit, soul and power. Our love and respect for Tina grew as we witnessed her bravely reclaim her freedom. From the moment I met Tina, first as a fan, then later blessed to become her friend, she was a special kind of role model… And as those big wheels of time keep on turning, Tina’s voice continues to speak to all of us.”

And Fantasia Barrino did a solid job channeling Turner’s energy with her rendition of “Proud Mary.”

7. The Grammys missed an opportunity by ignoring Rock and Alternative during the telecast.

As some of you know, the live Grammys broadcast doesn’t show the vast majority of the awards they give, with many winners receiving their awards in a pre-show event. For many years, I’ve lamented the complete disregard for the Rock and Alternative categories during the broadcast. Has rock really fallen that far? This year, Paramore won for Best Rock Album, and boygenius won for Best Alternative Album. Not only would I have loved to see them receive their awards, but I have no doubt that live performances from both of them would have brought the house down.

8. Joni Mitchell’s performance was deeply moving.

In her first Grammys performance ever, Joni sounded really great singing “Both Sides Now,” and her co-performers did an amazing job. She somehow wrote that song at age 22, displaying wisdom way beyond her years, but now at age 80, she has a whole life’s worth of experience to give it even more weight. It was a poignant moment.

The 10 Best Taylor Swift Songs of the Last 10 Years

Taylor Swift has dominated 2023, generating endless reams of content, so why not add to it? I came up with my ten favorite Taylor Swift songs of the last ten years (as in, from 1989 onward). I inserted this seemingly arbitrary cut-off just because the task of creating a list from her whole catalog seemed too daunting, and because I know these later albums much better than her first few.

10. “Lavender Haze” (Midnights)

The dark, swirling, all-encompassing production, with its deep synth-bass and thumping beat, anchors a great vocal line from Taylor.

 

9. “False God” (Lover)

I don’t know many people who rate this one highly, or even think about it much, but I love it. It locks into a sultry, satisfying groove.

 

8. “Karma” (Midnights)

“Karma” would probably be a lot higher if my daughter hadn’t requested it one million times this past summer. The music is top-notch — most of Midnights’ production was handled by Jack Antonoff alongside Swift, but “Karma” and “Lavender Haze” notably feature contributions from Sounwave, known for his work with Kendrick Lamar. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the album’s best tracks are the ones with an outside voice and perspective.

 

7. “exile” (folklore)

“exile is a stunningly potent duet between Taylor Swift and Justin Vernon (of Bon Iver). The emotion is palpable, the melodies are impressive, and the chemistry is undeniable.

 

6. “I Did Something Bad” (Reputation)

Historically, I haven’t had the highest opinion of Reputation, though it has grown on me in the years since its release. One thing I’ve known from the beginning, however, is that “I Did Something Bad” slaps.

 

5. “Style” (1989)

“Style” is Taylor’s best sounding song. That foreboding Max Martin production in the intro and verses, with its “question-and-answer” format, is the epitome of cool. It’s the kind of song that send you headfirst into your imagination.

 

4. “Lover” (Lover)

“Lover” feels like a standard that has existed for 50 years. It sounds like a live band on stage in an empty auditorium, playing a song you swear has been in your bones your whole life.

 

3. “invisible string” (folklore)

Delicately beautiful, in both instrumentation and sentiment. Taylor is at her best when she’s not forcing the music to conform to her lyrics. When the music and words flow naturally together, that’s when she reaches greatness.

 

2. “New Romantics” (1989)

The euphoric, transcendent chorus makes my heart skip a beat. I’ve been told the lyrics are dumb, but I wouldn’t know. It’s too exhilarating to give that any heed.

 

1. “Blank Space” (1989)

Expertly crafted, with delightfully self-aware lyrics and a huge, larger-than-life sound befitting the pop star behind it.

 

And as a little bonus, here’s my next ten, from #11 to #20: “Shake It Off,” “this is me trying,” “How You Get The Girl,” “seven,” “Anti-Hero,” “the last great american dynasty,” “Cruel Summer,” “Call It What You Want,” “Wildest Dreams,” and “It’s Nice To Have A Friend.”

Summer Mix 2021, Part 1: Day

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Summer is back! Kind of. Let’s do what we can to eliminate the delta variant so we can enjoy the summer alongside these tunes.

The tracklist, along with YouTube and Spotify versions of the playlist, are at the bottom. But first, some notes:

  • I’m declaring “good 4 u” by Olivia Rodrigo as 2021’s official “Song of the Summer.” If you think I should be making other considerations, let me know. Other “songs of the summer” for the last few years, according to yours truly: “Savage (Remix)” by Megan Thee Stallion and Beyoncé in 2020, “Old Town Road” by Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus in 2019, “Nice for What” by Drake in 2018, and “Slide” by Calvin Harris, Frank Ocean, and Migos in 2017.
  • I never thought I would like a Modest Mouse song in 2021 as much as I love “We Are Between,” but “here we are.”
  • It wouldn’t really be a summer mix without the most underrated artist of the last 5 years, Amber Mark. People need to stop sleeping on her.
  • Check out the fizzy, bubbly cover of that one Third Eye Blind song (you’ll recognize it). Hilary Duff, rising from the ashes!
  • Is “The Way I Made You Cry” from 2021 or 1967?
  • “Summer Mix 2021, Part 2: Night” coming soon!

Tracklist (meant to be played top to bottom, no shuffle):

1. Modest Mouse: “We Are Between”
2. Wavves: “Sinking Feeling”
3. Dirty Projectors: “Lose Your Love”
4. RAC, Matthew Koma & Hilary Duff: “Never Let You Go” (Third Eye Blind Cover)
5. Silk Sonic (Bruno Mars & Anderson Paak): “Leave the Door Open”
6. Amber Mark: “Competition”
7. Mourn: “This Feeling is Disgusting”
8. Cool Ghouls: “The Way I Made You Cry”
9. CZARFACE & MF DOOM: “Mando Calrissian”
10. Olivia Rodrigo: “good 4 u”
11. Kiwi jr.: “Cooler Returns”
12. Anna Fox Rochinski: “Party Lines”
13. Fleet Foxes: “Can I Believe You”
14. Flock of Dimes: “Walking”
15. Taylor Swift: “Mr. Perfectly Fine (Taylor’s Version)”
16. Hiss Golden Messenger: “Sanctuary”
17. Bleachers: “How Dare You Want More”

Five Quality Tracks: November 2017

1. Pinegrove: “Intrepid”

No band makes me feel things quite like Pinegrove. This might sound dumb to anyone who doesn’t care about sports, but the first time I heard “Intrepid” was at my computer browsing the Internet, trying to take my mind off the fact that the Dodgers were currently on the verge of losing Game 7 of the World Series after a season’s worth of build-up and excitement. I wasn’t despondent — that had happened after they lost an insane, drama-filled Game 5 by a score of 13-12 in extra innings — but I was feeling pretty dejected. But when I played “Intrepid,” I started to feel comforted. It struck the exact tone that I needed — not too happy, not too sad, but affirming and warm. Understanding. “Don’t let it get to you, you said.” So then I played it again, and again, and again…

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Poptimism Won 2015, Who Won ‘1989’?

Ryan Adams, Taylor Swift, and ‘Peak Poptimism’

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For those who don’t obsessively peruse music blogs, “poptimism” is a strain of music criticism that celebrates top-40 pop music and the mega-stars that bring the hits to life. Music magazines, websites, and publications such as Pitchfork and SPIN rose to prominence through their celebration of punk, indie, underground rap, and other genres far from the mainstream, dissing the vapidity of chart-topping hits along the way. But over time, pop has overcome its stigma. “Poptimism” has thoroughly permeated the ends of the blogosphere, to the point that praise for the likes of Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, and Carly Rae Jepsen has become the modus operandi of most music criticism (see the links on each name for examples). The fact that Pitchfork bestowed its #1 song of 2013 to “Hold On, We’re Going Home” by Drake, perhaps today’s biggest pop juggernaut, would have been unheard of a few years ago. It’s no longer an embarrassing display of naiveté to love “Call Me Maybe” or “Teenage Dream” — it’s a sign that you’re an impartial judge.

With the release of Ryan Adams’s cover of Taylor Swift’s behemoth of an album, 1989, we have officially reached “peak poptimism.” We are now in a society where there is no such thing as a guilty pleasure. If someone like Ryan Adams had covered a Kelly Clarkson album ten years ago, I guarantee it would have been a completely ironic exercise. The culture was just not one where the critically acclaimed underground mixed with the pop stars. But today, in an age where poptimism reigns supreme, Adams can talk about 1989 in an interview and say, with total honesty: “These songs are incredible. You break them down from what they are to this raw element, and they’re just super powerful and they can tear you up.”

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