CMAs

[Ken H.]

Can somebody explain to me the Taylor Swift phenomenon? As we know she won big at the CMAs, but honestly, can the woman actually sing? I’m no fan of county music but I readily concede there are some incredibly talents in that genre, but Taylor Swift? What am I missing???

[Whip]

I feel the same way when I watch the Oscars.

 

 

[Albert]

The biggest shows on TV today are amature dancers, amature singers, amature dieters and amature surviovors. How tough can it be?

[Tony_K]

Taylor Swift is female, attractive, a crossover success and young!

So needless to say she will be propped up for a few years by her industry to bring in new YOUNG listeners and money. Plain and simple.

 

Shania Twain was similar but was not as young when she first appeared to the mainstream.

[tobyzusa]

... but Taylor Swift? What am I missing???

 

The girl is talented. She writes, performs, and produces her own stuff, and I think she's maybe 18, possibly 19 yrs. old.

 

While I don't like her high school like lyrics, that's all she has to pull from.

 

Can't find anything to criticize her for unless you want to whip her for being young.

[EffBee]

Virtually all awards have lost their luster and in many cases their credibility in recent years. They are no longer a measure of performance, but of unrealized potential, which too often remains that way because the winner has maxxed out just getting to where they are.

[RedHot]

I kind of agree with the young age, except for Carrie Underwood! Dang, that girl CAN SING!!! I don't understand the infatuation with Taylor Swift. I seriously can't STAND to listen to her sing on tv, but I do like her songs on the radio. My guess is, the recording studio is helping her TREMENDOUSLY!!! Some of her songs or all of her songs are kid related and face it, kids today have way more money than I do!!

 

I love to listen to Carrie sing - wow, what a voice! And I like to look at Brad Paisley!

[AviP]

What am I missing???

The fact that it's marketing muscle and ratings that is the hallmark of success. And isn't she blond! Honestly, I haven't heard much of her (I can't remember) but most artists don't seem to have the longevity of those before. Perhaps the computer generation has ADHD.

 

[90%angel]

A lot of people, including Taylor fans, were saying that they get her winning Entertainer of the Year since she writes and performs her own stuff, is a crossover sensation, her concerts sell out in record time, etc. etc. But they don't get her winning female vocalist since there were so much better vocalists in her category (Underwood, McBride, Lambert, McEntire).

 

What I don't get is the Sugarland fascination. Ugh. Jennifer Nettles has one of the most whiny, nasally, horrible voices I've ever heard! Nails on a chalkboard for me.

[tallman]

Virtually all awards have lost their luster and in many cases their credibility in recent years. They are no longer a measure of performance, but of unrealized potential, which too often remains that way because the winner has maxxed out just getting to where they are.

 

 

Kindly refrain from bringing politics into this thread.

Thank You.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'll be noble and go to my room now.

[Husker Red]

 

I gotta agree with ya, Ken. I've got nothing against her, but I don't really get her either. I see that she's cute and likeable, but when she sings I'm completely underwhelmed. I think her winning has something to do with the fame and sympathy Kanye's interruption got for her. I would prefer if awards were given based on accomplishments rather than just being likeable, but we were over that topic already regarding a peace prize last month.

 

Now Carrie Underwood on the other hand - hubba hubba and boy howdy can that girl sing.

[yabadabapal]

BMWST Awards anybody?

What categories would we have?

 

[David]

The biggest shows on TV today are amature dancers, amature singers, amature dieters and amature surviovors. How tough can it be?

 

Did you really just misspell amateur four times? Are you enjoying the irony of that? Sorry--you would have done the same to me.

[tallman]

No, he didn't.

He misspelled it once and used that spelling four times.

 

I think all of these talented people should get all of the awards they deserve.

Whether or not I like them isn't, nor should it be, the issue.

In fact, I believe we need more awards.

And lower standards too.

[RedHot]

I think you guys are hilarious!

 

I'm all for the BMWST awards! First category should be coolest bike - I'll nominate MINE!

[Paul Mihalka]

"In fact, I believe we need more awards.

And lower standards too."

 

Hey Tim, don't bite your tongue while you have it in your cheek!

 

[yabadabapal]

 

I think all of these talented people should get all of the awards they deserve.

Whether or not I like them isn't, nor should it be, the issue.

In fact, I believe we need more awards.

And lower standards too.

 

I agree, everyone should get an award. My award is for having the most posts from a person without a motorcycle. Anyone else?

 

[Whip]

 

I think all of these talented people should get all of the awards they deserve.

Whether or not I like them isn't, nor should it be, the issue.

In fact, I believe we need more awards.

And lower standards too.

 

I agree, everyone should get an award. My award is for having the most posts from a person without a motorcycle. Anyone else?

 

 

[SeanC]

I don't count myself as a fan of her music, but I think she's immensely talented as both a performer and a songwriter, i.e., the real deal, not a product of packaging and promotion like so many young pop stars (that she happens to be easy to package and promote is a separate matter entirely).

[Ken H.]

Can't find anything to criticize her for unless you want to whip her for being young.

No not at all, several of my favorite female vocalist are young (or at least younger). The mentioned Carrie Underwood, Pink, Zooey Deschanel, Lady Gaga, even Britney for that matter, to name a few. If you look past the theatrics (Deschanel isn't much into that even) they all have talented voices too. But Taylor Swift, I’m not so sure. No range, no dynamics, no variations/versitility... "Underwhelming" is the right word IMHO.

[tallman]

 

I think all of these talented people should get all of the awards they deserve.

Whether or not I like them isn't, nor should it be, the issue.

In fact, I believe we need more awards.

And lower standards too.

 

I agree, everyone should get an award. My award is for having the most posts from a person without a motorcycle. Anyone else?

 

So, that makes your MPP average zero.

That may be a difficult record to break.

[WURTY]

I just turn the sound off and look at her

[Firefight911]

So, Ken, what you're really saying is . . .

 

[Shaman97]

Bear this in mind:

 

In their entire career, The Beatles won 5 Grammys.

 

Toto - for one album - won 3.

 

It's a marketing tool, not a reward for being a great talent.

 

Who's next? Miley Cyrus?

[tallman]

The King only won three, too.

All in the gospel category.

 

Go figure...

[bayoubengal]

Taylor Swift is outselling everyone in every genre of music by a very wide margin. As a whole, member's of this board may not get her, but as a population, we do. She sings about life. Her songs come from her experiences and consumers are responding and voting with dollars. This was not an accident. If it were pure looks Carrie would have won...

[EffBee]

The King only won three, too.

All in the gospel category.

 

Aw, man. Talk about making something political.

[Ken H.]

So, Ken, what you're really saying is . . .

 

Not entirely. Kanye West was an absolute inexcusable _sshole for what he did at the VMA Awards. (At least he has apologized profusely since then.)

 

I just can’t get into where the greatness is in Taylor Swift’s voice. Heck, I don’t even thing she’s particularly cute. But certainly I’m the wrong in target demographic!

 

[Ken H.]

She sings about life. Her songs come from her experiences...

How many 'life experiences' can a 19 year old have had???

[RedHot]

She sings about life. Her songs come from her experiences...

How many 'life experiences' can a 19 year old have had???

 

Now this part, I do understand. It is difficult being a teenager and going through so many things. I think that's what she writes/sings about and that's what the kids can relate too. For that, I think she does a good job. They may not seem like major life experiences but I do think they are important. Teenage kids are a very touchy thing, IMO, that's the point that they can go either way - good vs. bad.

 

 

 

Just my .02 as I don't have any, so I'm just guessing.

[marcopolo]

She's simply following (in her genre) in a long line of young female pop singers who all have one thing in common -- they can't carry a tune in the proverbial bucket. She seems likable, but I don't think anyone can seriously say she can sing.

 

Not than I'm a country fan, but as others have said, Carrie Underwood can belt out a tune.

[Joe Frickin' Friday]

She sings about life. Her songs come from her experiences...

How many 'life experiences' can a 19 year old have had???

 

Uh, yeah, that was my question. Her life experiences so far consist entirely of...high school.

 

How many boyfriends/lovers has she had, how many bad relationships, how much financial hardship, how many towns has she lived in, how much of the world has she seen (before becoming famous)? :confused:

[bayoubengal]

She sings about life. Her songs come from her experiences...

How many 'life experiences' can a 19 year old have had???

 

Now this part, I do understand. It is difficult being a teenager and going through so many things. I think that's what she writes/sings about and that's what the kids can relate too. For that, I think she does a good job. They may not seem like major life experiences but I do think they are important. Teenage kids are a very touchy thing, IMO, that's the point that they can go either way - good vs. bad.

 

 

 

Just my .02 as I don't have any, so I'm just guessing.

 

Shack. I have a teenage daughter. And a teenage son. Shack shack shack.

[Albert]

The biggest shows on TV today are amature dancers, amature singers, amature dieters and amature surviovors. How tough can it be?

 

Did you really just misspell amateur four times? Are you enjoying the irony of that? Sorry--you would have done the same to me.

 

I'm an "amature" speller.

[Lynn]

We are talking about a country award that ignored Johnny Cash's later work (at least until he died and the entire establishment went into a collective grief-gasm). How seriously can you take them at that point?

 

Not that any of the others are better. Even if they HAD done their own singing, Milli Vanilli was horrible.

 

And who can forget Jethro Tull as the first winner of the Hard Rock/Heavy Metal grammy (not dissing Jethro Tull....but they are NOT Hard Rock, let alone metal) instead of Metallica.

 

These awards are, overall, pretty meaningless. I am not overly impressed with Swift's voice myself-but I don't think you can read much into these awards except that she is popular right now.

[Matts_12GS]

So, Ken, what you're really saying is . . .

 

 

Is that "Ken"ye West?

[eddd]

Can't find anything to criticize her for unless you want to whip her for being young.

No not at all, several of my favorite female vocalist are young (or at least younger)...

 

Who isn't?

[Whip]

I'm watchin Taylor Swift and Def Leppard on CrossRoads.

 

I get it ... now!!!

 

 

 

 

[Ken H.]

Now here's a young performer who (IMHO) can sing -

[upflying]

Never heard of Taylor Swift. Only music I listen to is Oldies. Could care less about awards shows. Just show biz immorality, dysfunction, corrupt hypocrites and substance abusers on display.

[doc47]

Youth? What gets me are the teenagers who really ARE talented! Allison Krause was about 16 when she was "discovered" and that woman can really play fiddle and sing up a storm.

Mark O'Connor was 16 when I remember him showing up at the NW Regional Folklife Festival in Seattle and leaving us older musicians shaking our heads in wonder.

Then there was "Granny" Lamb, who was 14 when she showed up and put most of us to shame.

Of course, that's not in the pop music field where so much depends on hype.