Beyonce collecting award at the 2010 Grammys

Sunday night’s Grammys were a big night for many artists, but there is no question that it was a night for the ladies. Beyonce set a new record for the female winning the most Grammys in one night after collecting a staggering six trophies, including Song of the Year and Best R&B Song for “Single Ladies” and Best Contemporary R&B Album for “I Am…Sasha Fierce.” Predictably, Lady Gaga had three outfit changes; unpredictably, she only won two awards out of her five nominations. Taylor Swift won four Grammys including Album of the Year for “Fearless,” making her the youngest artist ever to win the Album of the Year award. Tension stirred in the audience as Beyonce and Lady Gaga gave Swift looks of disappointment and unapproval as she collected her award.

Kings of Leon came out strong winning four Grammys for their hit song “Use Somebody,” including Record of the Year, Best Rock Song, and Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group. Jay-Z won Best Rap Solo Performance for his album “D.O.A.” while Eminem won Best Rap Album for “Relapse.”

Other notable winners include Black Eyed Peas’ “The E.N.D.” for Best Pop Vocal Album, Phoenix’s “Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix” for Best Alternative Music Album, Green Day’s “21^st Century Breakdown” for Best Rock Album, and the soundtrack for “Slumdog Millionaire” as Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for Motion Picture, Television, or Other Visual Media.

This year’s performances trumped all previous years’ with unusual duets. Lady Gaga and Elton John kicked off the event together singing a medley of Gaga’s “Speechless” and John’s “Your Song.” Taylor Swift and Stevie Nicks also had a duet, with both struggling to hit the high notes throughout the performance. Eminem, Lil Wayne, and Drake also performed with Travis Barker a highly censored medley of “Forever” and “Drop the World.”

This year’s Grammys was a huge success. Ratings skyrocketed to 35% higher than last year. Promoters will have their work cut out for them next year; it will be tough to out-do the triumph that was the 2010 Grammys.

– Taylor Rohrbaugh
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