Lady Gaga’s hit single “Poker Face” was nominated for five Grammys this year and took home two titles. “Poker Face” was a smashing success by all accounts, putting Lady Gaga on the proverbial map. The Grammys aired on Sunday night on CBS.
The Grammys began with Lady Gaga singing a duet with the legendary Elton John. Both were decked out in rather unsettling costumes, with Lady Gaga’s face having more makeup than a college fraternity party. “Poker Face” fell in the Record of the Year category, as Kings of Leon’s smash hit “Use Somebody” came away with the award. Others nominated for the prestigious Grammy included “Halo” by Beyoncé, “I Gotta Feeling” by the Black Eyed Peas, and “You Belong with Me” by country superstar Taylor Swift. Lady Gaga’s “Poker Face” features engineering and mixing by Robert Orton, RedOne, and Dave Russell.
For Album of the Year, “The Fame,” which includes “Poker Face,” once again came up empty. This time, “Fearless” by Taylor Swift stole the award. The youngster, whom rapper Kanye West interrupted during the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards after she won for Best Female Video, snagged five Grammys in 2010. Also nominated for Album of the Year were “I Am… Sasha Fierce” by Beyoncé, “The E.N.D.” by the Black Eyed Peas, and the Dave Matthews Band’s “Big Whiskey And The Groogrux King.”
The final category that “Poker Face” bricked out in was Song of the Year. The tune was drawing dead by the time “Single Ladies” by Beyoncé took down the title. Other tracks nominated for the Song of the Year Grammy included “Pretty Wings” by Maxwell, “Use Somebody” by Kings of Leon, and “You Belong with Me” by Taylor Swift. Song of the Year was one of six Grammys taken home by Beyoncé, a former member of the all-female group Destiny’s Child. The group also included Kelly Rowland, who performed during the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure in the Bahamas last month.
What did “Poker Face” draw out on, you ask? The song took home the title of Best Dance Recording, defeating an eclectic set of challengers that included “Boom Boom Pow” by the Black Eyed Peas, “When Love Takes Over” by Kelly Rowland and David Guetta, “Celebration” by Madonna, and “Womanizer” by Britney Spears. The category marked the only Grammy nomination for Spears, who saw her world turned upside down ever since “Baby One More Time” was released in 1998. Rumors abound that the former Mousketeer and mother of two will release a brand new album later this year.
Lady Gaga’s “The Fame,” which features the hit song trumpeting our industry, also won for Best Electronic/Dance Album. It defeated “Divided By Night” by the Crystal Method, David Guetta’s “One Love,” LMFAO’s “Party Rock,” and the Pet Shop Boys’ “Yes.” Also from “The Fame” is Lady Gaga’s “Just Dance,” which was a chart-topping hit around the world. Meanwhile, “Poker Face” paced the Billboard Hot 100 in April. The album itself was released back in September 2008 and instantly reinforced the popularity of poker in mainstream America.
The reaction on the PocketFives.com forums to Lady Gaga’s five Grammy nominations was mixed. One poster commented, “although i do have to admit a couple of her songs from her new album have grown on me… but her as a person tilts me. unfortunately i think she’s going to win.” Others passed their judgments on Lady Gaga’s competition: “I don’t get why Beyonce is so revered…. she’s powerful, but just not appealing to me. Black-eyed peas are solid. Taylor Swift seems like a really sweet girl.”
Groups who performed at the Los Angeles awards show included Green Day, the Dave Matthews Band, and the Zac Brown Band, who sang a portion of their hit song “Chicken Fried.” Pink, meanwhile, hung from the Staples Center’s rafters in an aerial interpretive dance that had this author fearful for her life.
Can you read our poker face?