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Beyonce triumph at this year’s Grammy awards (1)

www.expatsnet.net
03.02.2010 13:55

It was a night of pure GRAMMY gold for R&B songstress Beyoncé, who picked up six wins, a record for a female artrist, at the 52nd Annual GRAMMY Awards, including Song Of The Year, Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, Best Female R&B Vocal Performance, Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance, Best R&B Song, and Best Contemporary R&B Album. Country sensation Taylor Swift was the evening's runner-up with an impressive four GRAMMY wins, including taking Album Of The Year forFearless, besting Beyoncé. Equally impressive, at the age of 20 Swift is the youngest artist to pick up Album Of The Year honors.

Black Eyed Peas and Kings Of Leon won three GRAMMYs each, the latter picking up the coveted Record Of The Year for "Use Somebody." Picking up two GRAMMYs each were Eminem, banjo maestro Béla Fleck, composer Michael Giacchino, Lady Gaga, Maxwell, Jason Mraz, and conductor Michael Tilson Thomas.

And in an evening of spirited, sometimes joyous performances, the broadcast's more reflective moments might have been its most memorable. Following a star-studded tribute to Michael Jackson, the King of Pop's children appeared, brave-faced and in armbands, to accept an award on his behalf. Later, Andrea Bocelli and Mary J. Blige sang a stirring duet of "Bridge Over Troubled Water" to raise funds for earthquake-devastated Haiti.

The 52nd GRAMMY Awards kicked off in grand fashion, literally, with Lady Gaga opening the festivities solo, emerging in a green-sequined bodysuit with angel wings, accelerating from a purr to a powerful roar for her No. 1 "Poker Face," surrounded by a fleet of male dancers. Then, she faced a rhinestoned Sir Elton John — a 1970s fashion headline-maker himself — from opposite ends of a pair of conjoined pianos for a pair of songs: "Speechless" and "Your Song."

Beyoncé, the field-leader with 10 GRAMMY nominations, took total command of the stage to open her performance. After parading down the aisle with a SWAT team of dancers, she launched fiercely into "If I Were A Boy," at one point dropping to one knee in front of a crowd of fist-pumping fans, before segueing into a version of Alanis Morissette's "You Oughta Know." If she is known largely as a pop/R&B diva, that's due to change as Beyoncé proved she can not only belt, she can also rock.

Pink sauntered onto the stage solo to sing the gentle "Glitter In The Air." Despite a quiet start, her trademark guts and grace were on full display as she slipped out of a white robe and into a swing that lifted her high above the stage, an acrobatic move that saw her suspended upside down and bathed in dripping water, helping add drama to a daring performance.

It was destined to be a good night for the Black Eyed Peas, nominated for six GRAMMYs. A fashionable Fergie, will.i.am, apl.de.ap, and Taboo lit into "Imma Be," prancing and hip-shaking before bouncing in time alongside a team of dancing robots to their omnipresent smash "I Gotta Feeling."

Lady Gaga wasn't the only Lady sensation in attendance at the 52nd GRAMMY Awards. Lady Antebellum, who picked up a GRAMMY for Best Country Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals, sang the earnest "Need You Now," the title track from their new album, with harmonic grace and country prettiness. Everything about the performance suggested long-term promise for the Nashville-based vocal trio.

Lionel Richie's spirit-lifting introduction to the evening's Michael Jackson tribute preceded a video clip, voiced by Jackson, recalling the tragedy of the King of Pop's death as well as his commitment to multiple worthy causes. Celine Dion led an all-star, 3-D rendition of "Earth Song," harmonizing with Usher before Carrie Underwood, Jennifer Hudson, and Smokey Robinson joined in. As the song built to its dramatic crescendo, each superstar took turns asking, on behalf of Mother Earth, the song's sad refrain: "What about us?"

It was directly after the performance that Jackson's children Prince and Paris took the stage to accept their father's Lifetime Achievement Award. Eyes around the audience filled with tears as the children delivered touching speeches in honor of their father.
Wyclef Jean, a native of Haiti, thanked the United States for its generosity in the wake of the devastating earthquake that recently struck the island. He introduced Blige and Bocelli, who teamed for a beautiful and graceful duet of Simon And Garfunkel's aforementioned classic "Bridge Over Troubled Water" — which is celebrating its 40th anniversary GRAMMY wins for Record and Album Of The Year. Bocelli opened in perfect voice and was joined by a stunning Blige, turning in a unique performance, raising voices in support of those in need.

"This is the story…when we are 80 years old, and we are telling the same stories over and over to our grandkids, and they are so annoyed with us, this is the story we are going to be telling over and over again: In 2010 that we got to win Album Of The Year at the GRAMMYs!

Source: www.grammy.com

Check out Beyonce’s performance in Grammy awards.