A moment of unparalleled Grammy Awards emotion
Forget the accolades, the incredible records, the millions of fans and social media followers. Forget about the mesmerizing voice for just a moment.
After opening the 59th annual Grammy Awards this past Sunday with a chilling version of “Hello,” Adele then took the stage for a second time, about halfway through the broadcast. One minute and six seconds into her rendition of “Fastlove,” a tribute to the late, great, George Michael, we see what makes Adele second to none.
“I’m sorry for starting again. Can we please start it again. I’m sorry, I can’t mess this up for him.”
Fortitude:
The courage to admit the mistake, stand there in front of the world, on perhaps the most renowned stage, looking each big name in the eye and saying — “No. I’m human. I refuse to compromise the art. I will dig deep and do this right.”
During her brief pause, we see Adele pace the stage a bit. Thousands of people were in the room and millions were watching. Hell, there was even a full orchestra behind her. But, I’m sure in that moment as she looked around with absolutely nowhere to run, she felt completely alone. She then whispers a powerful “fuck!” takes a deep breath, gathers herself and with incredible grit delivers — “Looking for some education, made my way into the night.” A fitting re-acquaintance.
Accompanying the performance was a montage of George Michael images overhead. The last one you see as Adele glides through the closing notes is charming portrait of Michael smiling down.
Humility:
One thing is clear with Adele — the music always comes first. It’s all about the music. The way it should be.
“I don’t make music for eyes. I make music for ears.”
There is something immensely moving about vulnerability in the arts. When it sincerely comes from the artist themselves, you appreciate the fact that though their platform may be different, they still rely on the outlet to accept their out-pour of emotion. It’s like the ocean. There’s only one for everybody. Treat it with respect and it will always be there for you.
Adele took home five Grammy awards Sunday night, bringing her to a total of 15 in her young career (all in the past 9 years). As her latest record 25, won ‘Album of the Year’, Adele says “I can’t possibly accept this award. I’m very humbled and I’m very grateful and gracious, but my artist of my life is Beyoncé.” She then literally breaks the trophy, suggesting it should be shared. A gesture that brought Beyoncé to tears.
Sweet Devotion:
Though I 100% believe it, I feel guilty about the headline of this article. Mostly because, I bet Adele would say to me, “Are you f@ckin’ serious, dude? I’m just a singer. I’m just my own artist.”
With an extravagant show like the Grammys, every minute is accounted for. Producers spend all year mapping out a minute-by-minute timeline — even cutting off people’s heartfelt words of appreciation to fit in one more live circus act. By now, the unexpected is expected somewhere, but still nobody writes in a live do-over. Especially not for Adele.
Adele writes in the do-over.
If there were aspiring artists or kids watching, it’s my hope that by now they’ve forgotten about the flash. The light shows, jumping out of props, faulty microphones and/or vocals are just part of the “show.” The take-back to fuel the fire as they get back to wood-shedding should be that raw moment, where the artist who went five-for-five in the main events, faced adversity, respected the art and herself — subtly leading by example. It doesn’t matter who you are. It’s about the music.
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Jeff Gorra / jeffgorra@gmail | Follow Jeff Gorra on Twitter:
