February 11, 2025 • 40 mins
From how he swept through the GRAMMYs to his historic performance at the Super Bowl halftime show, everything is coming up Kendrick Lamar.
We dig into our favorite moments of Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl halftime show and review how wrong we were about the GRAMMYs!
We also answer important questions like, did the Super Bowl have to be so black? And, is Beyoncé ranked higher in the Illuminati than Sabrina Carpenter?
Subscribe so you don't miss an episode!
Follow us on Instagram @AtFirstListenPodcast!
(Episode 25.)
We dig into our favorite moments of Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl halftime show and review how wrong we were about the GRAMMYs!
We also answer important questions like, did the Super Bowl have to be so black? And, is Beyoncé ranked higher in the Illuminati than Sabrina Carpenter?
Subscribe so you don't miss an episode!
Follow us on Instagram @AtFirstListenPodcast!
(Episode 25.)
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
Welcome to At First Listen, a music podcast for people
who don't always get the hype but want to. I'm Andrew,
I'm Dominique.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
He tried to jump me in I did.
Speaker 1 (00:25):
I said, I'm first.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
Just because you talk first doesn't mean you are first
in the artwork.
Speaker 1 (00:31):
That's true. Alphabetically, yeah, you're that's you can't blame.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
It's been holding up my confidence for a while. In
fact that my letter starts with my name starts with
the letter A. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (00:41):
Yeah, that's not fair. Our last name letters are close
to each other in the alphabet, so yeah, we have that.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
So today we're giving our first reaction to Kendrick Lamar's
quote unquote controversial Super Bowl halftime performance and a response
to the results of the Grammys.
Speaker 1 (01:05):
See, I did not know that it was controversial, So
that just shows my You know, we're on totally different
sides of the internet. You have some real life people
that you've spoken to about it who might have different
opinions than you. I typically only talk to people with
my same opinions.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
Yeah, I after the game was over, I saw someone
posted a reel. Not a person I know, but someone
who is like near enough to my age older than me,
near my age, different stage of life for sure, And
they were saying how cal Kendrick totally blew it, And
I was just like, I'm muting this person right now,
(01:42):
because don't I don't get how you could have that
particular opinion blew it like he had his shot at
something he failed. I don't know. I don't relate to
that view. I think one of the the entertaining parts
of Kendrick's Super Bowl halftime performance was how he seemed
(02:08):
to understand and bacon things in the performance that people
on a certain political side were going to hate it.
Speaker 1 (02:17):
You mean, like right leaning conservatives. Yes, yeah, it makes sense,
but it's all so funny because it's kind of caught
politics in a way of liberalism, because people super leftist,
like radical people are not impressed either, because they're like, Okay,
it's still American propaganda. People. I would I don't have
(02:40):
any idea about I think it's all great and I
love America always, but some people might say that, you know,
playing at the super Bowl and having the American flag
be center stage in your show and censoring every bit
that that would be censored for the radio is not
(03:02):
a radical thing to do or a controversial, which is
why they allowed him to do it.
Speaker 2 (03:09):
Yeah, I think booking him at all was kind of
a big swing for the NFL, making Kendrick Lamar the
first solo rap performer at the super Bowl. That's not
his vibe. Putting on a super Bowl halftime show is
very much not the type of live performer Kendrick Lamar is.
(03:31):
He falls much more into the singer, songwriter, beat poet
at the gas light in the sixties side of the
spectrum than a like Broadway rhinestone type of thing, which
is I think what the super Bowl is typically going for.
Speaker 1 (03:55):
Totally, that's the whole thing, and it's clear also that
he was He created a sh that was as close
to that as he could. He danced, he had dancers,
he'd had all the fanfare. It was clear that he's
not a big dancer guy. I definitely think that if
he was just like sitting down, like kind of sitting
(04:17):
like I can imagine him like sitting on the stairs
and just kind of having a heart to heart type
of show, that would represent him better. That's why he
felt he seemed a little out of breath at the beginning. Yeah,
I think at the beginning of a couple of parts.
But then he got into it, yea, and he was
so happy to be there. He was having a good
(04:38):
time for sure. In those bell bottoms. Did you notice
those pants? I thought they were very cute. I actually
think that they would look good on me. But I
felt that they were very.
Speaker 2 (04:53):
Long, and they were even a little long for him.
Speaker 1 (04:56):
They were one hundred percent long for him. They were
under his shoes, which I think is cute. When I
wear it, I feel like I'm getting my pants dirty.
And these pants are too long for me.
Speaker 2 (05:11):
I thought the bell bottoms were an interesting choice. It's
a quintessential American fashion, right it is.
Speaker 1 (05:17):
And he wore the letterman jacket too, again.
Speaker 2 (05:20):
Sporty one of the sporties looks.
Speaker 1 (05:23):
Is it American fashion for men?
Speaker 2 (05:26):
It's a very feminine look. Was this the other thing
I was going.
Speaker 1 (05:28):
To say, it is which I live for?
Speaker 2 (05:31):
Was that drag?
Speaker 1 (05:32):
Oh my god, is he a drag queen?
Speaker 2 (05:35):
No?
Speaker 1 (05:37):
It wasn't. It was a no. I think it was
in the It was in the realm of you know,
black men, particularly black men, when they're really good at something,
they can get away with subverting gender in a little
tiny ways. He was not wearing any makeup as far
(05:57):
as I can say. You know, I'm sure he's wearing
a bit of powder an eyeliner, but nothing visible. If
he had, you got to make up, you gotta shave
if you're gonna do drag. In my opinion, you don't
have to shave, but do some beard shaping.
Speaker 2 (06:09):
I mean, so I've seen people go like full mustache
or goatee. It's also, yeah, you're not you want to
shave the in between.
Speaker 1 (06:15):
Parts, That's what I'm saying. And he doesn't have the
best his beard.
Speaker 2 (06:19):
Doesn't doesn't have full coverage. No, I know what that's like.
Speaker 1 (06:22):
Hey, you know, he is setting very realistic expectations for
um for male body image, unlike all of those gorgeous
dancers and Serena and Sizza looking fine and gorgeous and perfect.
I didn't know Serena could dance like that.
Speaker 2 (06:42):
So there's actually a video of her winning a tennis
match and doing do we say the name of that dance?
Is that?
Speaker 1 (06:49):
Is that?
Speaker 2 (06:50):
Okay?
Speaker 1 (06:50):
Yeah? Grip walking? Yeah? I didn't know that. So she
is she from Oakland or whatever.
Speaker 2 (06:58):
I believe she's also from Gotcha. Let's talk about why
she was maybe there.
Speaker 1 (07:04):
Yeah, so she came up during was it during Not
Like Us?
Speaker 2 (07:08):
During Not Like Us? Yeah?
Speaker 1 (07:09):
So okay, he played so many songs it was very complex.
She came on during Not Like Us after says oh wait, okay,
can we rewind? Let's tease it, just as he teased
Not Like Us about forty five times. The whole thing
(07:40):
was a teaser for it in a way where you
were like, when is he gonna do it? He's gotta
do it, and he was kind of like giggling. The
real big teaser was right before Luther. He was like,
I know what y'all want to hear. Should I play
your favorites long for you?
Speaker 2 (07:57):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (07:57):
I just want six Grammys for this? Do you want to?
And then he's like, no, we're gonna do something else,
and then bring Sizza out. For a second, before Sissa
came out, it was like, okay, we're tied of this,
let's get let's hear it, you know. But then Sizza
comes out and you're like, okay, never mind, love that
we're happy and that. I was like, he's such a comedian.
(08:21):
He love He has been dropping hints about how he
loves comedy. Sam Jackson was comic relief. He was doing
this like minstrel Uncle Tom silly, but like dark humor
thing the concept and comedy of building up tension. You
can make people feel uncomfortable as long as you reward
(08:44):
them for it, and you keep them going, you keep
them engaged.
Speaker 2 (08:47):
So there's this conversation going into the game as to
whether or not Kendrick is gonna perform or be allowed
to perform. Not like us, because back in December, Drake
sued the record label alleging that he is the victim
of defamation in the song. So I guess they were
always going to do it. But one of the triumphs
(09:11):
of the halftime show is how up to the minute
it appeared. You know, these things have to be so
tightly orchestrated, and there's hundreds of thousands of dollars that
goes into building the sets, and there's hours and hours
of rehearsals and everything, like it's got to run like
(09:33):
clockwork the whole performance. There's no like improvising, like hamming
it up a little bit more, because you need to
get to the next place that you're supposed to be
or you're going to get like a runover or a
dancer is going to get crushed by like some heavy machinery,
like it needs to really go. So the fact that
they made it seem in the script like, Okay, Kendrick
(09:57):
is just actually gonna talk for something.
Speaker 1 (10:00):
Wait, when do you think he was gonna win? So
uh oh, I want you to I want to perform
your favorite song.
Speaker 2 (10:10):
But you know they love to suit, which is what
he said after Peek a Boo going into right with Siza.
Speaker 1 (10:16):
Do you think did you feel that way? Because I
felt that it was obvious that he was going to
do it.
Speaker 2 (10:20):
Our conclusion in the room at the time was, oh, wow,
he's really not going to do it. I guess I
guess that we thought that that was his way of
addressing it in the moment and being like, yeah, lawsuits
so can't do it.
Speaker 1 (10:33):
Yeah. No, I never doubted it for a second. I
knew it was coming. I only became more sure throughout.
I just I it makes sense he did it last
or he did TV off after yeah, second to last,
also after winning all the Grammys. I never doubted it
because then Drake wins and Drake has already lost, and
(10:55):
he wasn't that where's that lawsuit gone? Nowhere, right.
Speaker 2 (10:59):
I mean, if you're worried about a lawsuit and what,
you're not going to jail over a lawsuit, So where
you're gonna have to pay, Like after your stadium tour,
you're gonna be able to afford whatever you owe this guy.
Speaker 1 (11:13):
Yeah, and it's not even him, it's the label. Yeah,
and the label obviously wants him to play Not Like Us. Yeah,
because if they're the same label, right, that's the whole case.
Drake sued the label, not Kendrake. People like kind of
framed it as like, oh, he sued Kendrick over Not
Like Us, but he couldn't because you can't do that.
You can't sue.
Speaker 2 (11:32):
So Kendrick has freedom of speech.
Speaker 1 (11:34):
Yes, yeah, and so that's what he was talking about
with people have to sue. The label benefits from him
doing this song at the show, and it's his song.
He can do it, of course, of course. I just
I couldn't see a world where he wasn't that would
like Drake would Drake would be happy about that. Drake
(11:56):
even likes the song. Drake has been enjoying it. So yeah,
to go into the Grammys a bit right.
Speaker 2 (12:04):
Yeah, let's take a break and we'll come back and
we'll talk more about the Grammys in a post super
Bowl world. Welcome back to at first listen to the
(12:25):
music podcasts for people who don't always get the hype
but want to. I'm Andrew, I'm Dominique, and we're wrapping
up our talk about the super Bowl with talk about
the twenty twenty five Grammys and how mistaken we were
about almost everything we said about it, but you know,
first time doing it.
Speaker 1 (12:46):
Yes, I think that we were correct about Best New Artist, Yes.
Speaker 2 (12:54):
And we were correct about some of our takes on
Sabrina Carpenter. We just didn't realize how many awards they
give out and how many would be available to her.
Speaker 1 (13:03):
Correct correct, she got other awards. I even I actually
did talk to friends about these things after our episode
and realized that, yes, of course Charlie was gonna win
Best Electronic Album. And what I didn't know was that
(13:26):
there was this big push for more diversity in the
academy and that they actually did that. And that's most
likely why Kendrick and Beyonce one did you know about this?
Speaker 2 (13:43):
I didn't make that connection.
Speaker 1 (13:45):
That is, that's that's what went down. I would say,
you know, it's all very secretive and stuff. You don't
know who's actually voting or what. But when I was
guessing Record of the Year and Album of the Year
and Song of the Year and the reason that that
I gave in our previous episode for them not winning,
(14:07):
I was not at all thinking about what song seemed
like it should win. I was we were thinking. I
was thinking about what song I think will win based
on the track record of the grammysh And we only
talked about Record of the Year also, so it was
like we, uh, we didn't talk that much about Cowboy
(14:29):
Carter as an album. But yeah, for both of those,
I was just like, they don't give awards to black people,
so obviously they're not gonna win. So I was like,
I that was the whole logic behind is. I was
kind of just like, Okay, well cross them off and
then look at who else could win.
Speaker 2 (14:46):
So a few years ago, Childish Gambino won. I think
it was Record of the Year for This is America.
So there is, at least in recent history a track record.
The Grammys have kind of bucked that trend, you know,
a little, little by little. I didn't think not like
Us would win so many awards just because of the
(15:09):
disc track angle and because it's a dis about another
major artist who has a profile at the Grammys when
he's putting out music. So yeah, Kendrick lamar one for
not Like Us you wanted the super Bowl for that
whole thing.
Speaker 1 (15:29):
He won Record of the Year and Song of the
Year feels a bit Redundant.
Speaker 2 (15:35):
And Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song.
Speaker 1 (15:38):
Yeah, and then they gave Best Rap Album to Dochi,
which was the amazing, the best like Upset.
Speaker 2 (15:48):
I feel Kendrick's album was not nominated. I don't think
it qualified within like their window because it came out
like November, maybe late November, I think so. I'm sure
they would have loved to seems like it to give
him that award too. But it's great that Doci won
the As she said, she knows her history on the podium.
(16:08):
She's only the third black woman to ever win that award,
which is.
Speaker 1 (16:14):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (16:15):
Oh. Kendrick also won for Best Music Video for Not
Like Guess Right?
Speaker 1 (16:20):
Okay, so what all did he win? Record of the Year,
Song of the Year.
Speaker 2 (16:24):
Best Rap Performance, Best Rap Song, Best Music Video.
Speaker 1 (16:30):
I mean, I'm not going to argue at all. I
think do Chee's Yeah, sure, why not. I'm about it.
I think ultimately it does go down to votes, right,
So it's not like that. It's not like the council said, Okay,
(16:51):
we're gonna give Kendrick every every award. It was like
he just ranked higher on all those things. Yeah, enough
people chose him for those things that he brought everything
home and it was really cool. It was awesome. I
was only disappointed in that. I was disppointed that I
(17:13):
was wrong, but I was happy to be wrong.
Speaker 2 (17:17):
I was like, Wow, we really blew it.
Speaker 1 (17:19):
Yeah, who did we guess? I guess for Record of
the Year.
Speaker 2 (17:24):
You guess. I think you got the Beatles.
Speaker 1 (17:26):
I was shocked that they didn't win, but I think,
you know, it's also it's much more historic for Kendrick
to win.
Speaker 2 (17:36):
Yeah, the Beatles did win for Best Rock Performance. The
Rolling Stones also won Best Rock Album. I rolled my
eyes at both of those. Paul McCartney, by the way,
won three Grammys. He won Grammys for Obviously Now and
(17:57):
then Best Rock Performance. He also won for Album of
the Year because the Beyonce covers the Beatles Blackbird on
that album, and they use because they use Paul McCartney's
original guitar part in the mix. He qualified for a
Grammy for that one, and he also got a Grammy
(18:19):
because the Rolling Stones one Best Rock album he plays
bass on. I think the song is called bite your
Head Off on the Hackney Diamonds album. So Paul McCartney
just stacking trophies, whether whether he's trying or not. Don't
put although I guess he'd definitely try that now and
then a lot of work.
Speaker 1 (18:39):
Like don't put h don't put Paul McCartney on your
record challenge impossible difficulty level.
Speaker 2 (18:50):
So how did you react to Beyonce winning Album of
the Year.
Speaker 1 (18:55):
First of all, I was I was surprised. My first
thought was I feel that she you know, we talked
about I don't feel that it's it's her best album,
but I agree that it is the most exciting album
of all of the ones nominated. I didn't really feel
(19:18):
convinced about any of the other options. I just and
but I hadn't listened straight through it. Thinking about that,
I have listened to Cowboy Carter and I am a
huge fan of all the collabs, all the features on there.
I actually right away after listening to Blackbird I added
(19:45):
Rayna Roberts and other people who were on it. I
became a fan of the other artists that she featured,
the other like black women country singers. I think I
was really successful in that way, and I think it
was really cool how she did. She got everyone together
to make this. There was so much talent on it,
(20:09):
so I was surprised but happy. I think she also
really showing like country. I am country, I can do this.
I can do a really good job at this. And
it is her wheelhouse. It does feel like her lane,
much more than Renaissance actually, which is music that I
(20:31):
kind of prefer. But there's a lot more appropriation I
feel on her part. She's not a club kid, but
she is a country lady. Okay, how do you feel
okay when I hear because I watched her Christmas Day
football performance and she sings one of the songs she's
(20:56):
like talking about going to work and cooking and cleaning
and stuff every time.
Speaker 2 (21:03):
Is that the doll that's the Dolly Parton cover? Wait?
Speaker 1 (21:08):
Working not too fun? Shouldn't she do that? No?
Speaker 2 (21:11):
It's but there's another She covered a Dolly Parton song
on that album.
Speaker 1 (21:15):
Yes, which is like snore Okay, here's the thing. I
think I have a lot of criticisms of how Beyonce
went about this, but it's as a kind of annoying person,
and not in not in the way that I don't
think she should want to grab me for it, in
the way of like, okay, Blackbird and Jolene, like come on, yeah,
(21:40):
come up with be a little bit more original.
Speaker 2 (21:43):
Like why don't I just pick the greatest songs of
the twentieth century and put them on my album? Yeah,
maybe won Album of the Year for this.
Speaker 1 (21:52):
People so surprised.
Speaker 2 (21:54):
Yeah, I groaned audibly when they announced her name. There's
this famous it's now very mean to shout of Beyonce. Oh,
he was legitimately surprised. Yeah, that was and that was
That was cute. That was humanizing, and I appreciated that.
Speaker 1 (22:08):
I did too. That was cute. Britney Spencer, by the way,
Britney Spencer and Rainer Roberts are two black women country
singers who were on Blackbird, and I really am a
big fan of both of them. I when I heard
when I listened to Cowboy Carter, I sort of turned
off Cowboy Carter at some point and I listened to it.
I listened the whole thing. It was easy listening. And
(22:30):
then I mainly was interested in those ladies who are
really cool, and I listened to them as I rode
on my road trip this summer in my truck.
Speaker 2 (22:42):
I was I was living like were Cowboy Carter.
Speaker 1 (22:45):
I was Cowboy Carter. I'm stoked about it. Go Off.
Queen definitely like better than the other albums. I think
it's just more complex more. She's a much more you know,
established artist. She has this whole lore. Oh yeah, but
she does annoy me when she talks about, you know,
(23:07):
doing stuff that people do. Lana, like Lana del Rey
does this like thing where she's like a character that's
not her, and I think Beyonce does that a lot.
But she exactly Sasa Sasha fears and.
Speaker 2 (23:25):
Saucy freaks is what your mom calls Beyonce's alter ego. Exactly.
Speaker 1 (23:31):
But I still can't stop being annoyed by it. Stop
talking about We know you don't cook. You talk about
it all the time. You never cook?
Speaker 2 (23:40):
Why would you?
Speaker 1 (23:41):
Why would she? She's not good at it, she doesn't
want to do it, so why do you talk about
it in like every album? Cooking and cleaning. You never
did it, but she it's because it's fun. See, like,
people who actually do that don't write songs about it
because it's not glamorous or fun. Like, Oh, I'm gonna
quit my job. Your job is Beyonce, You're gonna quit
(24:02):
that job.
Speaker 2 (24:03):
Oh it seems like a good job.
Speaker 1 (24:05):
Yeah. Also, I don't think you can physically quit it.
It's you, it's your identity.
Speaker 2 (24:22):
The other nominees from the year were Andre three thousand knubusum.
Speaker 1 (24:28):
Oh yeah, not buy a hair. He almost won.
Speaker 2 (24:32):
He was so close so he could feel how close.
Speaker 1 (24:35):
I mean, that's what the only thing that most people
listened to all year long?
Speaker 2 (24:41):
Just Andre three thousands flute.
Speaker 1 (24:46):
Why did they even nominate that? Like, what is the
that's like? If if that that's the type of thing
that would win that, like I would expect to win,
not like because it's like it's like the thing that
like no but he likes but it's cool to like
it or something.
Speaker 2 (25:03):
The hipster gra yeah, so short and sweet. S I
mea Carpenter Bratt by Charlie XCX Jesse Volume four by
Jacob Collier, who is one of those people where it's
like he always gets nominated in these major categories never
has a chance of winning. I think it's because he's
Quincy Jones's friend. He always gets the nominations. We should
(25:27):
do an episode of artists that annoy us and we
don't know why they annoy us. Because Jacob Collier is
one for me.
Speaker 1 (25:34):
I could tell you so many reasons why he annoys me.
So that wouldn't fit for me. His style, his vibes.
I could get more specific if I knew more of
his music.
Speaker 2 (25:48):
I kind of what I'm proposing.
Speaker 1 (25:50):
Yeah, that would be hard, but I could do it.
Speaker 2 (25:53):
Billie Eilish hit Me Hard and soft record Rise and
follow the Midwest Princess Chaperone and Tortured Poet's Department by
Taylor Swift.
Speaker 1 (26:02):
It's like when you hear it when you list, it's like.
Speaker 2 (26:05):
Yeah, I mean, I thought Chapel Roone was gonna win
or Sabrina Carpenter.
Speaker 1 (26:11):
The thing is, the Chapel Roans and the Sabrina Carpenters
did win in the past, like Harry Styles winning against
her at Taylor Swift winning. You know, all of many
times Beyonce created generational, defining, incredible, complex albums. I'm just
like you know not to bring back old things. But
(26:31):
if Sasha fears, if if what what was that album called?
Was it called Sasha Fiars?
Speaker 2 (26:36):
He might have been like, I am Sasha.
Speaker 1 (26:37):
I am Sasha. If that era wasn't gonna win, then
why would this win? But we're in a different time now,
We're in a different time where we're the where the
super Bowl is all black and basically they're realizing.
Speaker 2 (26:50):
Are upset about it.
Speaker 1 (26:51):
So it was like, I didn't expect it. But when
you when you list all those when you list them,
it's like, yeah, of course, why would why would they
beat her? But they have in the past, Like why
did Harry Style didn't Harry Styles win Album of the Year?
Speaker 2 (27:07):
Um? Harry Styles won the Grammy for Album of the
Year twenty twenty three for his third album, Harry's House.
Speaker 1 (27:16):
And that was against Was that against renaissance?
Speaker 2 (27:18):
Yes, it was against renaissance exactly.
Speaker 1 (27:20):
Okay, So in the world where Harry Styles beat Renaissance,
why would Sabrina Carpenter not beat Cowboy Carter. However, I'm
glad that's not the universe we live in. You know,
we do know that Beyonce is higher ranking in the
Illuminati than Sabrina Carpenter. So for that reason for longer, yes, exactly,
(27:44):
put your time man, exactly. Jay z is a billionaire.
You know, she included triangles. Maybe Sabrina needed more of that.
We're kidding for anyone who is not sure. I do
not believe that the couple of powerful people who control
(28:04):
the world are the Illuminati. I think that they are
very public about their actions. But the Grammys was good.
Speaker 2 (28:13):
Yeah, I actually fully enjoyed the show. I normally hate it,
and like I said in that episode, I was looking
forward to seeing what happened at seeing the performances. Sabrina
Carpenter amazing. Her performance was great.
Speaker 1 (28:29):
Doci Doci.
Speaker 2 (28:31):
They should have ended it after she should have gone last,
because they were like three or four. Shaboozi went after
Doci and it was like, come on, dude.
Speaker 1 (28:41):
Right there was just so much energy of Doci did
everything that everybody else did, and more like.
Speaker 2 (28:50):
She had the incredible visuals.
Speaker 1 (28:52):
She had the dancing, she had the concepts, she had
the bars like she you know, Sabrina's was amazing, but
it was it wasn't exactly moving, and then Chapel did
it had a more it was she.
Speaker 2 (29:10):
Did she did Pink Pony Club and it was very
much like a single stage set up with a bunch
of shit going.
Speaker 1 (29:18):
On, right, and she had all those clowns.
Speaker 2 (29:21):
I was on a big horse.
Speaker 1 (29:23):
What do you call honorable mention for Cynthia Rivo doing
Michael Jackson.
Speaker 2 (29:33):
No, Cynthia Revo did uh? He was a Frank Sinatra song.
Speaker 1 (29:39):
Oh was it like fly Me to the movie.
Speaker 2 (29:40):
And then Victoria Monet did the Michael u That was
all part of the Quincy Jones tribute.
Speaker 1 (29:47):
Yes, cancel me sorry.
Speaker 2 (29:49):
Quincy Jones was a h ranger and producer for Frank Sinatra.
So they started I think with like fly Me to
the Moon or something like that, and then it wrapped
up with say don't stop till you get in Noo.
Speaker 1 (30:04):
Yes, I thought Cynthia. Cynthia was incredible. I think it
was a real contrast between all of the fanfare and
turned to kick into but then just like singing that
song so beautifully, and then I was.
Speaker 2 (30:25):
Herbie Hancock really diligently looking at the music like, dude,
you don't need the music, Like he was almost ignoring her. Yeah,
like you don't know how to play this dumb Frank
Sinatra song, right, and not that the song is dumb,
(30:47):
but compared to like a jazz fusion mastermind like Herbie Hancock,
I mean right.
Speaker 1 (30:54):
And then yeah, that was funny. That's a good point.
I think it goes back to, you know, the more
things change, the more they say the same with like
doing it to be you know, talking about Michael Jackson stuff.
I was like, don't make her do Michael Jackson. It was,
it was, and I felt like it wasn't that good
(31:15):
if like Janelle Moneis, she like didn't do that good
of jop singing it. I just didn't think.
Speaker 2 (31:23):
So one of my takeaways from that and maybe I'm
like not right about this, But Michael Jackson's music, if
you're really getting into it, gotta be really tough for
a woman to sing, honestly, because Michael had a high
voice for one for a man, then he's sang in
falsetto a lot so as a female singer, especially if
(31:45):
you're trying to do it in the original key, which
I think she was. Where are you going to sing
that song? Are you singing high in your like full
voice range? Are you trying to hit it with your falsetto?
It seems like it would be awkward to do it.
Speaker 1 (32:02):
It was weird, and then we are the world Stevie Wonder,
like I mean, in a way, it's like, okay, Stevie Wonder,
you can pretty much do whatever you want. And he
looked great. But I will admit what I will. I
will say that I did not pay as much attention
(32:23):
to anything between the performances, especially the ones that I
wanted to see, the performances and the announcements of the
awards that I cared about, and I mostly googled it
because they're always shut up talking about the fires are
so very sad. But I don't need I don't need
the Grammys to talk to me about the fires. It's
(32:45):
very silly to me and kind of annoying for them
to be like, so said the fires. Oh now the
winner of this you know for short and sweet, like
it's just kind of like this fire donate, you know, like,
and don't ask me to donate when all youll rich
(33:05):
people are having the biggest rich people party of your
of the month, getting ready for more awards. Ray as well.
(33:26):
I am a huge Ray fan. She again another artist
who did just like one song and sing it's so beautifully.
Speaker 2 (33:37):
How to performance that in that environment is so tough
to nail.
Speaker 1 (33:41):
Yes, and none of the big none of the big
names of this year, Sabrina Chapel, Charlie could get away
with like they all just did. They did really cool
uh spectacles, spectacles, they did Medley's of all their songs.
I'm learned to how Kendrick did at the at the
(34:02):
super Bowl. Very cool and successful. But I it was
such a pleasure to see Ray take that whole moment,
for her to sing that song like she's saying it
so much more than any of any of those other
people had an opportunity to do. And I respected that
(34:24):
a lot. I think it was a great It was
a great night. It was a great night for music.
It was a great knight for black people. People are
We're doing it, We're doing art, We're.
Speaker 2 (34:35):
So so we we have to maybe wrap up with
Charlie's performance, which I think was the last one.
Speaker 1 (34:43):
I believe it was. I believe it was a.
Speaker 2 (34:45):
Big spot for them to put her on. But it
was I think, as they explained before, maybe a bit
censor driven that they would put her there because it's after,
you know, a certain hour when they can get away
with a little more. Uh read the.
Speaker 1 (35:01):
Marry her vibe. She's like staying up late anyway. She's
the club kid, you know, other people had to had
to go to bed. Amazing. I loved it. I thought
it was great. I thought I loved how she she
in the spirit of the of the night in general,
like she brought she loves to bring everyone in. She
brought the club to the Grammys. Fully it was. It
(35:25):
was a blast.
Speaker 2 (35:26):
And I laughed so that she did Von Dutch and
then she did Guess And during guests, they they're like
showering them with underwear. And I laughed because this message
popped up, like as they were going to a commercial.
The wording was very specific, but yet so awkward. Will
(35:48):
be donated to like such and such a cause, And
it's like, okay.
Speaker 1 (35:52):
Give them an award. Yeah, they donated underwear. That's so silly. Uh,
that's exactly what I I was referring to a second
ago performative nonsense. I wish Billy would have been a
part of it.
Speaker 2 (36:05):
They kept showing her.
Speaker 1 (36:06):
Yeah, I think she just didn't want to. Probably, Yeah,
she just had other stuff going on, and yeah, it
wasn't necessary.
Speaker 2 (36:14):
Maybe it takes the spotlight off Charlie a little bit
for her to perform that song with her. I don't
know if maybe that's a consideration. Like we talked about
Charlie's profile as an artist, this is an opportunity she
might never get again.
Speaker 1 (36:30):
It's true, but that's also doesn't seem like that's her prerogative,
like she she doesn't seem to be clamoring for the
spotlight or else she wouldn't bring every model on earth
to her to everything she does. I feel that maybe
there is an element of because Billy is also nominated it.
I do feel like most of the time when people
(36:52):
bring other guests into the show, it's not people who
are also nominated or in any of the same categories
could be part of it. We started the year off
with some great wins. It was a great year for music.
I don't think anyone lost. I feel like it was
very you know, I always say this.
Speaker 2 (37:10):
It seems like there was a very even distribution of awards.
Speaker 1 (37:13):
Well in a way, Yeah, even Lee distributed to Kendrick Lamar, Like, yeah, if.
Speaker 2 (37:19):
You were a rapper, you were probably not too happy
with the distribution. But all the pop artists, it was
like they gave everybody one.
Speaker 1 (37:26):
Yeah, and Beyonce deserves all the awards for past, present,
and future. So I think like, if not like us,
you know, Kendrick Lamar seeing as one of the best
rappers of our time, if not the best. No, I
feel like any rap fan was happy about it, including
(37:49):
people performing insane with Beyonce, Like nobody's like, ugh, Beyonce
beat me. I was robbed, Like No, I've not heard
one instance of somebody saying, oh, they except for like
weird super fans of probably Taylor Swift and Billie Eilish,
I've heard that, but those people are.
Speaker 2 (38:06):
Not I can tell you that that's not the narrative
that Beyonce couldn't win Album of the Year. She's not
the only artist to like go through something like that
in the seventies. Paul Simon could not win Album of
the Year for many years until eventually he won, and
during his acceptance speech he thanked Stevie Wonder for not
(38:29):
releasing an album that is because they just like automatically
gave it to Stevie Wonder like every year. That is funny,
And then he finally got one on one of Stevie's
touring years.
Speaker 1 (38:41):
See, I am interested in Beyonce maybe doing a rap
album because that's one award that she hasn't won. Get
the whole set, yeah, get the yeah exactly because she did.
She did like her rap era kind of sash Fears
was kind of that, right, or Black is King the Carters.
It was the Carters that was like rap genre, but
(39:04):
she wasn't rapping really, Yeah, she's not really a rapper anyway.
Beyonce rap versus Kendrick rap versus docile'll be tricky, still
kind of obvious. I'm we're wrapping up. We're doing such
a good job.
Speaker 2 (39:21):
We're petering out. We like to peter out.
Speaker 1 (39:23):
Yeah, that's kind of our style. We want you to
feel very safe. It feels like a little too good
to be true in a way, all of these things happening.
I think there is an element of entertainment wants to
you know, what do they say? You know, it's the
opium of the masses. It makes us feel a little
bit better about the terribleness that could be happening around
(39:48):
us and leave.
Speaker 2 (39:55):
All right. So yeah, that's our episode. We're gonna be
back next week a new one. Please subscribe so you
don't miss an episode, Follow us on Instagram at First
Listen Podcast, and we'll see you next time.
Welcome to At First Listen, a music podcast for people
who don't always get the hype but want to. I'm Andrew,
I'm Dominique.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
He tried to jump me in I did.
Speaker 1 (00:25):
I said, I'm first.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
Just because you talk first doesn't mean you are first
in the artwork.
Speaker 1 (00:31):
That's true. Alphabetically, yeah, you're that's you can't blame.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
It's been holding up my confidence for a while. In
fact that my letter starts with my name starts with
the letter A. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (00:41):
Yeah, that's not fair. Our last name letters are close
to each other in the alphabet, so yeah, we have that.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
So today we're giving our first reaction to Kendrick Lamar's
quote unquote controversial Super Bowl halftime performance and a response
to the results of the Grammys.
Speaker 1 (01:05):
See, I did not know that it was controversial, So
that just shows my You know, we're on totally different
sides of the internet. You have some real life people
that you've spoken to about it who might have different
opinions than you. I typically only talk to people with
my same opinions.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
Yeah, I after the game was over, I saw someone
posted a reel. Not a person I know, but someone
who is like near enough to my age older than me,
near my age, different stage of life for sure, And
they were saying how cal Kendrick totally blew it, And
I was just like, I'm muting this person right now,
(01:42):
because don't I don't get how you could have that
particular opinion blew it like he had his shot at
something he failed. I don't know. I don't relate to
that view. I think one of the the entertaining parts
of Kendrick's Super Bowl halftime performance was how he seemed
(02:08):
to understand and bacon things in the performance that people
on a certain political side were going to hate it.
Speaker 1 (02:17):
You mean, like right leaning conservatives. Yes, yeah, it makes sense,
but it's all so funny because it's kind of caught
politics in a way of liberalism, because people super leftist,
like radical people are not impressed either, because they're like, Okay,
it's still American propaganda. People. I would I don't have
(02:40):
any idea about I think it's all great and I
love America always, but some people might say that, you know,
playing at the super Bowl and having the American flag
be center stage in your show and censoring every bit
that that would be censored for the radio is not
(03:02):
a radical thing to do or a controversial, which is
why they allowed him to do it.
Speaker 2 (03:09):
Yeah, I think booking him at all was kind of
a big swing for the NFL, making Kendrick Lamar the
first solo rap performer at the super Bowl. That's not
his vibe. Putting on a super Bowl halftime show is
very much not the type of live performer Kendrick Lamar is.
(03:31):
He falls much more into the singer, songwriter, beat poet
at the gas light in the sixties side of the
spectrum than a like Broadway rhinestone type of thing, which
is I think what the super Bowl is typically going for.
Speaker 1 (03:55):
Totally, that's the whole thing, and it's clear also that
he was He created a sh that was as close
to that as he could. He danced, he had dancers,
he'd had all the fanfare. It was clear that he's
not a big dancer guy. I definitely think that if
he was just like sitting down, like kind of sitting
(04:17):
like I can imagine him like sitting on the stairs
and just kind of having a heart to heart type
of show, that would represent him better. That's why he
felt he seemed a little out of breath at the beginning. Yeah,
I think at the beginning of a couple of parts.
But then he got into it, yea, and he was
so happy to be there. He was having a good
(04:38):
time for sure. In those bell bottoms. Did you notice
those pants? I thought they were very cute. I actually
think that they would look good on me. But I
felt that they were very.
Speaker 2 (04:53):
Long, and they were even a little long for him.
Speaker 1 (04:56):
They were one hundred percent long for him. They were
under his shoes, which I think is cute. When I
wear it, I feel like I'm getting my pants dirty.
And these pants are too long for me.
Speaker 2 (05:11):
I thought the bell bottoms were an interesting choice. It's
a quintessential American fashion, right it is.
Speaker 1 (05:17):
And he wore the letterman jacket too, again.
Speaker 2 (05:20):
Sporty one of the sporties looks.
Speaker 1 (05:23):
Is it American fashion for men?
Speaker 2 (05:26):
It's a very feminine look. Was this the other thing
I was going.
Speaker 1 (05:28):
To say, it is which I live for?
Speaker 2 (05:31):
Was that drag?
Speaker 1 (05:32):
Oh my god, is he a drag queen?
Speaker 2 (05:35):
No?
Speaker 1 (05:37):
It wasn't. It was a no. I think it was
in the It was in the realm of you know,
black men, particularly black men, when they're really good at something,
they can get away with subverting gender in a little
tiny ways. He was not wearing any makeup as far
(05:57):
as I can say. You know, I'm sure he's wearing
a bit of powder an eyeliner, but nothing visible. If
he had, you got to make up, you gotta shave
if you're gonna do drag. In my opinion, you don't
have to shave, but do some beard shaping.
Speaker 2 (06:09):
I mean, so I've seen people go like full mustache
or goatee. It's also, yeah, you're not you want to
shave the in between.
Speaker 1 (06:15):
Parts, That's what I'm saying. And he doesn't have the
best his beard.
Speaker 2 (06:19):
Doesn't doesn't have full coverage. No, I know what that's like.
Speaker 1 (06:22):
Hey, you know, he is setting very realistic expectations for
um for male body image, unlike all of those gorgeous
dancers and Serena and Sizza looking fine and gorgeous and perfect.
I didn't know Serena could dance like that.
Speaker 2 (06:42):
So there's actually a video of her winning a tennis
match and doing do we say the name of that dance?
Is that?
Speaker 1 (06:49):
Is that?
Speaker 2 (06:50):
Okay?
Speaker 1 (06:50):
Yeah? Grip walking? Yeah? I didn't know that. So she
is she from Oakland or whatever.
Speaker 2 (06:58):
I believe she's also from Gotcha. Let's talk about why
she was maybe there.
Speaker 1 (07:04):
Yeah, so she came up during was it during Not
Like Us?
Speaker 2 (07:08):
During Not Like Us? Yeah?
Speaker 1 (07:09):
So okay, he played so many songs it was very complex.
She came on during Not Like Us after says oh wait, okay,
can we rewind? Let's tease it, just as he teased
Not Like Us about forty five times. The whole thing
(07:40):
was a teaser for it in a way where you
were like, when is he gonna do it? He's gotta
do it, and he was kind of like giggling. The
real big teaser was right before Luther. He was like,
I know what y'all want to hear. Should I play
your favorites long for you?
Speaker 2 (07:57):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (07:57):
I just want six Grammys for this? Do you want to?
And then he's like, no, we're gonna do something else,
and then bring Sizza out. For a second, before Sissa
came out, it was like, okay, we're tied of this,
let's get let's hear it, you know. But then Sizza
comes out and you're like, okay, never mind, love that
we're happy and that. I was like, he's such a comedian.
(08:21):
He love He has been dropping hints about how he
loves comedy. Sam Jackson was comic relief. He was doing
this like minstrel Uncle Tom silly, but like dark humor
thing the concept and comedy of building up tension. You
can make people feel uncomfortable as long as you reward
(08:44):
them for it, and you keep them going, you keep
them engaged.
Speaker 2 (08:47):
So there's this conversation going into the game as to
whether or not Kendrick is gonna perform or be allowed
to perform. Not like us, because back in December, Drake
sued the record label alleging that he is the victim
of defamation in the song. So I guess they were
always going to do it. But one of the triumphs
(09:11):
of the halftime show is how up to the minute
it appeared. You know, these things have to be so
tightly orchestrated, and there's hundreds of thousands of dollars that
goes into building the sets, and there's hours and hours
of rehearsals and everything, like it's got to run like
(09:33):
clockwork the whole performance. There's no like improvising, like hamming
it up a little bit more, because you need to
get to the next place that you're supposed to be
or you're going to get like a runover or a
dancer is going to get crushed by like some heavy machinery,
like it needs to really go. So the fact that
they made it seem in the script like, Okay, Kendrick
(09:57):
is just actually gonna talk for something.
Speaker 1 (10:00):
Wait, when do you think he was gonna win? So
uh oh, I want you to I want to perform
your favorite song.
Speaker 2 (10:10):
But you know they love to suit, which is what
he said after Peek a Boo going into right with Siza.
Speaker 1 (10:16):
Do you think did you feel that way? Because I
felt that it was obvious that he was going to
do it.
Speaker 2 (10:20):
Our conclusion in the room at the time was, oh, wow,
he's really not going to do it. I guess I
guess that we thought that that was his way of
addressing it in the moment and being like, yeah, lawsuits
so can't do it.
Speaker 1 (10:33):
Yeah. No, I never doubted it for a second. I
knew it was coming. I only became more sure throughout.
I just I it makes sense he did it last
or he did TV off after yeah, second to last,
also after winning all the Grammys. I never doubted it
because then Drake wins and Drake has already lost, and
(10:55):
he wasn't that where's that lawsuit gone? Nowhere, right.
Speaker 2 (10:59):
I mean, if you're worried about a lawsuit and what,
you're not going to jail over a lawsuit, So where
you're gonna have to pay, Like after your stadium tour,
you're gonna be able to afford whatever you owe this guy.
Speaker 1 (11:13):
Yeah, and it's not even him, it's the label. Yeah,
and the label obviously wants him to play Not Like Us. Yeah,
because if they're the same label, right, that's the whole case.
Drake sued the label, not Kendrake. People like kind of
framed it as like, oh, he sued Kendrick over Not
Like Us, but he couldn't because you can't do that.
You can't sue.
Speaker 2 (11:32):
So Kendrick has freedom of speech.
Speaker 1 (11:34):
Yes, yeah, and so that's what he was talking about
with people have to sue. The label benefits from him
doing this song at the show, and it's his song.
He can do it, of course, of course. I just
I couldn't see a world where he wasn't that would
like Drake would Drake would be happy about that. Drake
(11:56):
even likes the song. Drake has been enjoying it. So yeah,
to go into the Grammys a bit right.
Speaker 2 (12:04):
Yeah, let's take a break and we'll come back and
we'll talk more about the Grammys in a post super
Bowl world. Welcome back to at first listen to the
(12:25):
music podcasts for people who don't always get the hype
but want to. I'm Andrew, I'm Dominique, and we're wrapping
up our talk about the super Bowl with talk about
the twenty twenty five Grammys and how mistaken we were
about almost everything we said about it, but you know,
first time doing it.
Speaker 1 (12:46):
Yes, I think that we were correct about Best New Artist, Yes.
Speaker 2 (12:54):
And we were correct about some of our takes on
Sabrina Carpenter. We just didn't realize how many awards they
give out and how many would be available to her.
Speaker 1 (13:03):
Correct correct, she got other awards. I even I actually
did talk to friends about these things after our episode
and realized that, yes, of course Charlie was gonna win
Best Electronic Album. And what I didn't know was that
(13:26):
there was this big push for more diversity in the
academy and that they actually did that. And that's most
likely why Kendrick and Beyonce one did you know about this?
Speaker 2 (13:43):
I didn't make that connection.
Speaker 1 (13:45):
That is, that's that's what went down. I would say,
you know, it's all very secretive and stuff. You don't
know who's actually voting or what. But when I was
guessing Record of the Year and Album of the Year
and Song of the Year and the reason that that
I gave in our previous episode for them not winning,
(14:07):
I was not at all thinking about what song seemed
like it should win. I was we were thinking. I
was thinking about what song I think will win based
on the track record of the grammysh And we only
talked about Record of the Year also, so it was
like we, uh, we didn't talk that much about Cowboy
(14:29):
Carter as an album. But yeah, for both of those,
I was just like, they don't give awards to black people,
so obviously they're not gonna win. So I was like,
I that was the whole logic behind is. I was
kind of just like, Okay, well cross them off and
then look at who else could win.
Speaker 2 (14:46):
So a few years ago, Childish Gambino won. I think
it was Record of the Year for This is America.
So there is, at least in recent history a track record.
The Grammys have kind of bucked that trend, you know,
a little, little by little. I didn't think not like
Us would win so many awards just because of the
(15:09):
disc track angle and because it's a dis about another
major artist who has a profile at the Grammys when
he's putting out music. So yeah, Kendrick lamar one for
not Like Us you wanted the super Bowl for that
whole thing.
Speaker 1 (15:29):
He won Record of the Year and Song of the
Year feels a bit Redundant.
Speaker 2 (15:35):
And Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song.
Speaker 1 (15:38):
Yeah, and then they gave Best Rap Album to Dochi,
which was the amazing, the best like Upset.
Speaker 2 (15:48):
I feel Kendrick's album was not nominated. I don't think
it qualified within like their window because it came out
like November, maybe late November, I think so. I'm sure
they would have loved to seems like it to give
him that award too. But it's great that Doci won
the As she said, she knows her history on the podium.
(16:08):
She's only the third black woman to ever win that award,
which is.
Speaker 1 (16:14):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (16:15):
Oh. Kendrick also won for Best Music Video for Not
Like Guess Right?
Speaker 1 (16:20):
Okay, so what all did he win? Record of the Year,
Song of the Year.
Speaker 2 (16:24):
Best Rap Performance, Best Rap Song, Best Music Video.
Speaker 1 (16:30):
I mean, I'm not going to argue at all. I
think do Chee's Yeah, sure, why not. I'm about it.
I think ultimately it does go down to votes, right,
So it's not like that. It's not like the council said, Okay,
(16:51):
we're gonna give Kendrick every every award. It was like
he just ranked higher on all those things. Yeah, enough
people chose him for those things that he brought everything
home and it was really cool. It was awesome. I
was only disappointed in that. I was disppointed that I
(17:13):
was wrong, but I was happy to be wrong.
Speaker 2 (17:17):
I was like, Wow, we really blew it.
Speaker 1 (17:19):
Yeah, who did we guess? I guess for Record of
the Year.
Speaker 2 (17:24):
You guess. I think you got the Beatles.
Speaker 1 (17:26):
I was shocked that they didn't win, but I think,
you know, it's also it's much more historic for Kendrick
to win.
Speaker 2 (17:36):
Yeah, the Beatles did win for Best Rock Performance. The
Rolling Stones also won Best Rock Album. I rolled my
eyes at both of those. Paul McCartney, by the way,
won three Grammys. He won Grammys for Obviously Now and
(17:57):
then Best Rock Performance. He also won for Album of
the Year because the Beyonce covers the Beatles Blackbird on
that album, and they use because they use Paul McCartney's
original guitar part in the mix. He qualified for a
Grammy for that one, and he also got a Grammy
(18:19):
because the Rolling Stones one Best Rock album he plays
bass on. I think the song is called bite your
Head Off on the Hackney Diamonds album. So Paul McCartney
just stacking trophies, whether whether he's trying or not. Don't
put although I guess he'd definitely try that now and
then a lot of work.
Speaker 1 (18:39):
Like don't put h don't put Paul McCartney on your
record challenge impossible difficulty level.
Speaker 2 (18:50):
So how did you react to Beyonce winning Album of
the Year.
Speaker 1 (18:55):
First of all, I was I was surprised. My first
thought was I feel that she you know, we talked
about I don't feel that it's it's her best album,
but I agree that it is the most exciting album
of all of the ones nominated. I didn't really feel
(19:18):
convinced about any of the other options. I just and
but I hadn't listened straight through it. Thinking about that,
I have listened to Cowboy Carter and I am a
huge fan of all the collabs, all the features on there.
I actually right away after listening to Blackbird I added
(19:45):
Rayna Roberts and other people who were on it. I
became a fan of the other artists that she featured,
the other like black women country singers. I think I
was really successful in that way, and I think it
was really cool how she did. She got everyone together
to make this. There was so much talent on it,
(20:09):
so I was surprised but happy. I think she also
really showing like country. I am country, I can do this.
I can do a really good job at this. And
it is her wheelhouse. It does feel like her lane,
much more than Renaissance actually, which is music that I
(20:31):
kind of prefer. But there's a lot more appropriation I
feel on her part. She's not a club kid, but
she is a country lady. Okay, how do you feel
okay when I hear because I watched her Christmas Day
football performance and she sings one of the songs she's
(20:56):
like talking about going to work and cooking and cleaning
and stuff every time.
Speaker 2 (21:03):
Is that the doll that's the Dolly Parton cover? Wait?
Speaker 1 (21:08):
Working not too fun? Shouldn't she do that? No?
Speaker 2 (21:11):
It's but there's another She covered a Dolly Parton song
on that album.
Speaker 1 (21:15):
Yes, which is like snore Okay, here's the thing. I
think I have a lot of criticisms of how Beyonce
went about this, but it's as a kind of annoying person,
and not in not in the way that I don't
think she should want to grab me for it, in
the way of like, okay, Blackbird and Jolene, like come on, yeah,
(21:40):
come up with be a little bit more original.
Speaker 2 (21:43):
Like why don't I just pick the greatest songs of
the twentieth century and put them on my album? Yeah,
maybe won Album of the Year for this.
Speaker 1 (21:52):
People so surprised.
Speaker 2 (21:54):
Yeah, I groaned audibly when they announced her name. There's
this famous it's now very mean to shout of Beyonce. Oh,
he was legitimately surprised. Yeah, that was and that was
That was cute. That was humanizing, and I appreciated that.
Speaker 1 (22:08):
I did too. That was cute. Britney Spencer, by the way,
Britney Spencer and Rainer Roberts are two black women country
singers who were on Blackbird, and I really am a
big fan of both of them. I when I heard
when I listened to Cowboy Carter, I sort of turned
off Cowboy Carter at some point and I listened to it.
I listened the whole thing. It was easy listening. And
(22:30):
then I mainly was interested in those ladies who are
really cool, and I listened to them as I rode
on my road trip this summer in my truck.
Speaker 2 (22:42):
I was I was living like were Cowboy Carter.
Speaker 1 (22:45):
I was Cowboy Carter. I'm stoked about it. Go Off.
Queen definitely like better than the other albums. I think
it's just more complex more. She's a much more you know,
established artist. She has this whole lore. Oh yeah, but
she does annoy me when she talks about, you know,
(23:07):
doing stuff that people do. Lana, like Lana del Rey
does this like thing where she's like a character that's
not her, and I think Beyonce does that a lot.
But she exactly Sasa Sasha fears and.
Speaker 2 (23:25):
Saucy freaks is what your mom calls Beyonce's alter ego. Exactly.
Speaker 1 (23:31):
But I still can't stop being annoyed by it. Stop
talking about We know you don't cook. You talk about
it all the time. You never cook?
Speaker 2 (23:40):
Why would you?
Speaker 1 (23:41):
Why would she? She's not good at it, she doesn't
want to do it, so why do you talk about
it in like every album? Cooking and cleaning. You never
did it, but she it's because it's fun. See, like,
people who actually do that don't write songs about it
because it's not glamorous or fun. Like, Oh, I'm gonna
quit my job. Your job is Beyonce, You're gonna quit
(24:02):
that job.
Speaker 2 (24:03):
Oh it seems like a good job.
Speaker 1 (24:05):
Yeah. Also, I don't think you can physically quit it.
It's you, it's your identity.
Speaker 2 (24:22):
The other nominees from the year were Andre three thousand knubusum.
Speaker 1 (24:28):
Oh yeah, not buy a hair. He almost won.
Speaker 2 (24:32):
He was so close so he could feel how close.
Speaker 1 (24:35):
I mean, that's what the only thing that most people
listened to all year long?
Speaker 2 (24:41):
Just Andre three thousands flute.
Speaker 1 (24:46):
Why did they even nominate that? Like, what is the
that's like? If if that that's the type of thing
that would win that, like I would expect to win,
not like because it's like it's like the thing that
like no but he likes but it's cool to like
it or something.
Speaker 2 (25:03):
The hipster gra yeah, so short and sweet. S I
mea Carpenter Bratt by Charlie XCX Jesse Volume four by
Jacob Collier, who is one of those people where it's
like he always gets nominated in these major categories never
has a chance of winning. I think it's because he's
Quincy Jones's friend. He always gets the nominations. We should
(25:27):
do an episode of artists that annoy us and we
don't know why they annoy us. Because Jacob Collier is
one for me.
Speaker 1 (25:34):
I could tell you so many reasons why he annoys me.
So that wouldn't fit for me. His style, his vibes.
I could get more specific if I knew more of
his music.
Speaker 2 (25:48):
I kind of what I'm proposing.
Speaker 1 (25:50):
Yeah, that would be hard, but I could do it.
Speaker 2 (25:53):
Billie Eilish hit Me Hard and soft record Rise and
follow the Midwest Princess Chaperone and Tortured Poet's Department by
Taylor Swift.
Speaker 1 (26:02):
It's like when you hear it when you list, it's like.
Speaker 2 (26:05):
Yeah, I mean, I thought Chapel Roone was gonna win
or Sabrina Carpenter.
Speaker 1 (26:11):
The thing is, the Chapel Roans and the Sabrina Carpenters
did win in the past, like Harry Styles winning against
her at Taylor Swift winning. You know, all of many
times Beyonce created generational, defining, incredible, complex albums. I'm just
like you know not to bring back old things. But
(26:31):
if Sasha fears, if if what what was that album called?
Was it called Sasha Fiars?
Speaker 2 (26:36):
He might have been like, I am Sasha.
Speaker 1 (26:37):
I am Sasha. If that era wasn't gonna win, then
why would this win? But we're in a different time now,
We're in a different time where we're the where the
super Bowl is all black and basically they're realizing.
Speaker 2 (26:50):
Are upset about it.
Speaker 1 (26:51):
So it was like, I didn't expect it. But when
you when you list all those when you list them,
it's like, yeah, of course, why would why would they
beat her? But they have in the past, Like why
did Harry Style didn't Harry Styles win Album of the Year?
Speaker 2 (27:07):
Um? Harry Styles won the Grammy for Album of the
Year twenty twenty three for his third album, Harry's House.
Speaker 1 (27:16):
And that was against Was that against renaissance?
Speaker 2 (27:18):
Yes, it was against renaissance exactly.
Speaker 1 (27:20):
Okay, So in the world where Harry Styles beat Renaissance,
why would Sabrina Carpenter not beat Cowboy Carter. However, I'm
glad that's not the universe we live in. You know,
we do know that Beyonce is higher ranking in the
Illuminati than Sabrina Carpenter. So for that reason for longer, yes, exactly,
(27:44):
put your time man, exactly. Jay z is a billionaire.
You know, she included triangles. Maybe Sabrina needed more of that.
We're kidding for anyone who is not sure. I do
not believe that the couple of powerful people who control
(28:04):
the world are the Illuminati. I think that they are
very public about their actions. But the Grammys was good.
Speaker 2 (28:13):
Yeah, I actually fully enjoyed the show. I normally hate it,
and like I said in that episode, I was looking
forward to seeing what happened at seeing the performances. Sabrina
Carpenter amazing. Her performance was great.
Speaker 1 (28:29):
Doci Doci.
Speaker 2 (28:31):
They should have ended it after she should have gone last,
because they were like three or four. Shaboozi went after
Doci and it was like, come on, dude.
Speaker 1 (28:41):
Right there was just so much energy of Doci did
everything that everybody else did, and more like.
Speaker 2 (28:50):
She had the incredible visuals.
Speaker 1 (28:52):
She had the dancing, she had the concepts, she had
the bars like she you know, Sabrina's was amazing, but
it was it wasn't exactly moving, and then Chapel did
it had a more it was she.
Speaker 2 (29:10):
Did she did Pink Pony Club and it was very
much like a single stage set up with a bunch
of shit going.
Speaker 1 (29:18):
On, right, and she had all those clowns.
Speaker 2 (29:21):
I was on a big horse.
Speaker 1 (29:23):
What do you call honorable mention for Cynthia Rivo doing
Michael Jackson.
Speaker 2 (29:33):
No, Cynthia Revo did uh? He was a Frank Sinatra song.
Speaker 1 (29:39):
Oh was it like fly Me to the movie.
Speaker 2 (29:40):
And then Victoria Monet did the Michael u That was
all part of the Quincy Jones tribute.
Speaker 1 (29:47):
Yes, cancel me sorry.
Speaker 2 (29:49):
Quincy Jones was a h ranger and producer for Frank Sinatra.
So they started I think with like fly Me to
the Moon or something like that, and then it wrapped
up with say don't stop till you get in Noo.
Speaker 1 (30:04):
Yes, I thought Cynthia. Cynthia was incredible. I think it
was a real contrast between all of the fanfare and
turned to kick into but then just like singing that
song so beautifully, and then I was.
Speaker 2 (30:25):
Herbie Hancock really diligently looking at the music like, dude,
you don't need the music, Like he was almost ignoring her. Yeah,
like you don't know how to play this dumb Frank
Sinatra song, right, and not that the song is dumb,
(30:47):
but compared to like a jazz fusion mastermind like Herbie Hancock,
I mean right.
Speaker 1 (30:54):
And then yeah, that was funny. That's a good point.
I think it goes back to, you know, the more
things change, the more they say the same with like
doing it to be you know, talking about Michael Jackson stuff.
I was like, don't make her do Michael Jackson. It was,
it was, and I felt like it wasn't that good
(31:15):
if like Janelle Moneis, she like didn't do that good
of jop singing it. I just didn't think.
Speaker 2 (31:23):
So one of my takeaways from that and maybe I'm
like not right about this, But Michael Jackson's music, if
you're really getting into it, gotta be really tough for
a woman to sing, honestly, because Michael had a high
voice for one for a man, then he's sang in
falsetto a lot so as a female singer, especially if
(31:45):
you're trying to do it in the original key, which
I think she was. Where are you going to sing
that song? Are you singing high in your like full
voice range? Are you trying to hit it with your falsetto?
It seems like it would be awkward to do it.
Speaker 1 (32:02):
It was weird, and then we are the world Stevie Wonder,
like I mean, in a way, it's like, okay, Stevie Wonder,
you can pretty much do whatever you want. And he
looked great. But I will admit what I will. I
will say that I did not pay as much attention
(32:23):
to anything between the performances, especially the ones that I
wanted to see, the performances and the announcements of the
awards that I cared about, and I mostly googled it
because they're always shut up talking about the fires are
so very sad. But I don't need I don't need
the Grammys to talk to me about the fires. It's
(32:45):
very silly to me and kind of annoying for them
to be like, so said the fires. Oh now the
winner of this you know for short and sweet, like
it's just kind of like this fire donate, you know, like,
and don't ask me to donate when all youll rich
(33:05):
people are having the biggest rich people party of your
of the month, getting ready for more awards. Ray as well.
(33:26):
I am a huge Ray fan. She again another artist
who did just like one song and sing it's so beautifully.
Speaker 2 (33:37):
How to performance that in that environment is so tough
to nail.
Speaker 1 (33:41):
Yes, and none of the big none of the big
names of this year, Sabrina Chapel, Charlie could get away
with like they all just did. They did really cool
uh spectacles, spectacles, they did Medley's of all their songs.
I'm learned to how Kendrick did at the at the
(34:02):
super Bowl. Very cool and successful. But I it was
such a pleasure to see Ray take that whole moment,
for her to sing that song like she's saying it
so much more than any of any of those other
people had an opportunity to do. And I respected that
(34:24):
a lot. I think it was a great It was
a great night. It was a great night for music.
It was a great knight for black people. People are
We're doing it, We're doing art, We're.
Speaker 2 (34:35):
So so we we have to maybe wrap up with
Charlie's performance, which I think was the last one.
Speaker 1 (34:43):
I believe it was. I believe it was a.
Speaker 2 (34:45):
Big spot for them to put her on. But it
was I think, as they explained before, maybe a bit
censor driven that they would put her there because it's after,
you know, a certain hour when they can get away
with a little more. Uh read the.
Speaker 1 (35:01):
Marry her vibe. She's like staying up late anyway. She's
the club kid, you know, other people had to had
to go to bed. Amazing. I loved it. I thought
it was great. I thought I loved how she she
in the spirit of the of the night in general,
like she brought she loves to bring everyone in. She
brought the club to the Grammys. Fully it was. It
(35:25):
was a blast.
Speaker 2 (35:26):
And I laughed so that she did Von Dutch and
then she did Guess And during guests, they they're like
showering them with underwear. And I laughed because this message
popped up, like as they were going to a commercial.
The wording was very specific, but yet so awkward. Will
(35:48):
be donated to like such and such a cause, And
it's like, okay.
Speaker 1 (35:52):
Give them an award. Yeah, they donated underwear. That's so silly. Uh,
that's exactly what I I was referring to a second
ago performative nonsense. I wish Billy would have been a
part of it.
Speaker 2 (36:05):
They kept showing her.
Speaker 1 (36:06):
Yeah, I think she just didn't want to. Probably, Yeah,
she just had other stuff going on, and yeah, it
wasn't necessary.
Speaker 2 (36:14):
Maybe it takes the spotlight off Charlie a little bit
for her to perform that song with her. I don't
know if maybe that's a consideration. Like we talked about
Charlie's profile as an artist, this is an opportunity she
might never get again.
Speaker 1 (36:30):
It's true, but that's also doesn't seem like that's her prerogative,
like she she doesn't seem to be clamoring for the
spotlight or else she wouldn't bring every model on earth
to her to everything she does. I feel that maybe
there is an element of because Billy is also nominated it.
I do feel like most of the time when people
(36:52):
bring other guests into the show, it's not people who
are also nominated or in any of the same categories
could be part of it. We started the year off
with some great wins. It was a great year for music.
I don't think anyone lost. I feel like it was
very you know, I always say this.
Speaker 2 (37:10):
It seems like there was a very even distribution of awards.
Speaker 1 (37:13):
Well in a way, Yeah, even Lee distributed to Kendrick Lamar, Like, yeah, if.
Speaker 2 (37:19):
You were a rapper, you were probably not too happy
with the distribution. But all the pop artists, it was
like they gave everybody one.
Speaker 1 (37:26):
Yeah, and Beyonce deserves all the awards for past, present,
and future. So I think like, if not like us,
you know, Kendrick Lamar seeing as one of the best
rappers of our time, if not the best. No, I
feel like any rap fan was happy about it, including
(37:49):
people performing insane with Beyonce, Like nobody's like, ugh, Beyonce
beat me. I was robbed, Like No, I've not heard
one instance of somebody saying, oh, they except for like
weird super fans of probably Taylor Swift and Billie Eilish,
I've heard that, but those people are.
Speaker 2 (38:06):
Not I can tell you that that's not the narrative
that Beyonce couldn't win Album of the Year. She's not
the only artist to like go through something like that
in the seventies. Paul Simon could not win Album of
the Year for many years until eventually he won, and
during his acceptance speech he thanked Stevie Wonder for not
(38:29):
releasing an album that is because they just like automatically
gave it to Stevie Wonder like every year. That is funny,
And then he finally got one on one of Stevie's
touring years.
Speaker 1 (38:41):
See, I am interested in Beyonce maybe doing a rap
album because that's one award that she hasn't won. Get
the whole set, yeah, get the yeah exactly because she did.
She did like her rap era kind of sash Fears
was kind of that, right, or Black is King the Carters.
It was the Carters that was like rap genre, but
(39:04):
she wasn't rapping really, Yeah, she's not really a rapper anyway.
Beyonce rap versus Kendrick rap versus docile'll be tricky, still
kind of obvious. I'm we're wrapping up. We're doing such
a good job.
Speaker 2 (39:21):
We're petering out. We like to peter out.
Speaker 1 (39:23):
Yeah, that's kind of our style. We want you to
feel very safe. It feels like a little too good
to be true in a way, all of these things happening.
I think there is an element of entertainment wants to
you know, what do they say? You know, it's the
opium of the masses. It makes us feel a little
bit better about the terribleness that could be happening around
(39:48):
us and leave.
Speaker 2 (39:55):
All right. So yeah, that's our episode. We're gonna be
back next week a new one. Please subscribe so you
don't miss an episode, Follow us on Instagram at First
Listen Podcast, and we'll see you next time.
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