The 55th Annual Grammys drop ratings despite enthusiasm

By Meredith Mellon

Every February, some of the most well-known performers in the music industry come together to celebrate the year in music. Despite the ratings drop from 40 to 28 million viewers, the show was filled with stunning performances, surprised winners, sore losers and fun fashion. Plenty of drama ensued.

This year the Grammys pulled out all the stops for the performances. It included the Bob Marley tribute with Rihanna and Sting and the duet between Adam Levine and Alicia Keys.

Justin Timberlake, who hadn’t performed at the Grammys in five years, performed two songs, “Suit and Tie” and a new song from his upcoming album. His sound is new to many fans. Even though Timberlake’s new style seems to reflect the style of years past, including his performance which was televised in black and white. A performance unlike Timberlake’s was Taylor Swift’s. The perpetually heartbroken singer sang “We are never ever getting back together.”

Some of the winners of the night were expected such as Adele or Carrie Underwood who usually clean up their categories due to their powerhouse voices. Many of the other winners were unexpected as many categories did not have a front-runner. When Frank Ocean won for Best Urban Contemporary Album, the media cared more about fellow nominee Chris Brown’s reaction rather than Oceans’ win. Brown and Ocean had gotten into a physical fight just a few days prior and at the Grammys; Brown was one of the only audience members who didn’t stand for his opponent’s win. The biggest award of the night, Album of the Year, went to Mumford and Sons for the band’s album “Babel.” The band has been nominated in years past but this was their first win at the Grammys. While the purpose of the night is to award artists for their music, many viewers were focused on the fashion.

Prior to the event, many news outlets, including the Hollywood Reporter, had reported that CBS had sent out a notice to all attendees with strict wardrobe rules for the night. Despite being told to cover up for the evening, many of the women didn’t follow the rules. Katy Perry, Jennifer Lopez and Kelly Rowland were among many who showed a lot of skin on the red carpet.

The Grammy Awards brought together live performances, daring fashion and exceptional awards to those who more or less deserved them.