This year’s Grammy Awards were the first ones I was actually anxious to see. There was so much that happened on the show (good and bad). However, I’ll get straight to it and recap 5 of the most memorable moments of the 59th Annual Grammy Awards.

Chance Takes Us To Church

2016 was a huge year for Chance the Rapper. He closed it with 7 Grammy nominations for his critically acclaimed album, Coloring Book. He won several awards, but the biggest victory was his win for Best New Artist. Let’s not forget he made history as the first and only artist to win a Grammy for a streaming only album. Oh and how could we forget the way he took everyone to the spiritual mountain top with a medley of hits from Coloring Book, featuring Kirk Franklin and Tamela Mann?

Beyonce: The New Age Virgin Mary

Although Beyonce’s performance seemed like a bit of blasphemy, there is no doubt that she captured everyone’s attention. She won several awards, including Best Urban Contemporary Album. Everyone was thinking, “How is Beyonce going to slay us all with this pregnant belly in tow”? Well, she did just that as she leaned back in that chair, making us all nervous for her safety. Eeesh. Plus, she performed “Love Drought” which in my opinion, is the best song from Lemonade. Plus, her sister, Solange, won the well deserved Best R&B Performance Award for “Cranes In The Sky”.

Adele’s Fastlane Flake Up 

Adele opened the Grammys with her monstrous hit “Hello”. However, that wasn’t the performance that really made people talk. She performed a new arrangement of George Michael’s “Fastlane”. Things seemed to be going well until she stopped the song, coupled with some explicit language. She apologized profusely, pulled it together and contnued the song (which she nailed by the way). She even tried to offer up her Album of the Year Grammy Award to Beyonce, stating that she was the one who really deserved it. Adele had a strange night in many aspects, but she took home the most hardware for the evening.

A Tribe Called Quest Gets Political 

Busta Rhymes and Anderson Paak  joined the legendary A Tribe Called Quest on stage for their high energy performance. They blazed through their hit “Award Tour” and then went into songs from their latest album, We Got It From Here…Thank You For Your Service, including the poignant “We the People”. Their performance was Hip Hop nostalgia at its best and simultaneously the creme of the crop for the new age movement. RIP Phife Dawg.

That’s How We Like It 

Bruno Mars didn’t disappoint in either of his two performances tonight. First up, he performed “That’s What I Like”, which is in my opinion the best track from 24K Magic. The performance was filled with pyrotechnics, bright lights and a risen stage. I think everyone was ready for his upcoming tour after that performance. Then he performed again with The Time, as they took us back to the late 80s. The Time was actually good enough by themselves, but Bruno Mars really took it home, complete with a Prince outfit that made him look eerily familiar to the purple one.

What were your favorite moments from this year’s Grammy Awards?

How do you turn around quite arguably the most disturbing televised New Year’s Eve performance in recent years? You release a brand new single, airing out your own dirty laundry. Mariah Carey knows how to hit high notes, write hit songs and make headlines. Her and ex fiance, James Packer, were engaged last year. However, that lasted about as long as a #1 chart run for one of her singles. Supposedly, he broke off the engagement in the press, before telling her. I’m not sure of the whole story. Furthermore, it’s not much of my concern for this post.

“I Don’t” is the new single from Mariah Carey, featuring YG. The song samples the Donnell Jones classic, “Where I Wanna Be”. The track and the melody find her getting back to her R&B roots. She sounds great on the song and is doing much less of those whisper tones she has made her recent trademark (thank goodness). The music video, which has already garnered over 6,000,000 views, finds her scantily clad in a drop top. Oh and let’s not forget that she burns her $250,000 wedding dress in the video.

She’s obviously trying hard to prove her last sex appeal in the video. Although she doesn’t have a need to do that, I can understand her wanting to stand out against the competition today. Despite the single release, she says she has no plans for a new album right now. The success of “I Don’t” may be the deciding factor of whether or not we will get a new Mariah Carey album. This might just be the perfect time to channel her frustrations into some new chart toppers.

So, what are your thoughts on “I Don’t”? Has Mariah Carey burned out her superstar flame? Check out the song and video for yourself below. I wonder what her ex fiance has to say about it.

Also, make sure you get your copy of my latest poetry book, Stingrays. The book was just released on Saturday, February 4th and is currently available for purchase (download) at the following retailers:

Amazon Kindle

https://www.amazon.com/Stingrays-Carlos-Harleaux-ebook/dp/B01MS430HJ/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1486443093&sr=1-1&keywords=Stingrays+ebook+Carlos

Barnes and Noble Online (Nook) 

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/stingrays-carlos-harleaux/1125369476?ean=9780692826836

Never trust a big butt and a smile. Ronnie, Ricky and Mike (a.k.a. Bell Biv Devoe) took the world by storm in the early 90s with hits like their smash single “Poison”. However, the group was birthed from New Edition’s massive success. Bobby Brown, Johnny Gill, Ralph Tresvant, Ronnie DeVoe, Ricky Bell and Michael Bivins made groundbreaking history together. The group recently received their star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. New Edition has its own mini series biopic which recently aired aired on BET. While stars like TLC and SWV missed their opportunity to capitalize on new music during their own biopics/reality shows, Bell Biv Devoe chose to strike while the iron was hot. 

There is no word yet on whether or not New Edition will be releasing new music. However, the biopic mini series has already received rave reviews and record breaking ratings. Bell Biv Devoe just dropped their new album, Three Stripes, last week. You have to have respect for a group that is still relevant nearly 30 years after their hey day. There are plenty of nostalgic moments sprinkled throughout the album, including an intro from the legendary Dough E. Fresh. The group chose to play it safe for the most part. Nonetheless, this album is pure Hip Hop infused R&B. The group played it smart by sticking to their original sound. After all, they were part of the originators of Hip Hop artists collaborating with R&B artists that we hear so much of today. 

The first half of the album has more of the uptempo party cuts. Bell Biv Devoe’s first single, “Run” is reminiscent of Biggie’s “Hypnotize”. The song details their frustrations of giving their all to an ungrateful woman. Eric Sermon wrote and produced the song as well. “Hot Damn” is one of the standout tracks though. The production will surely get you moving and this is one of the catchiest songs on Three Stripes. The group also doesn’t mind bucking up against any male competitors on the memorable “I’m Betta” (written and produced by KayGee  of Naughty by Nature).

“All Dat There” dances a fine line between being an R&B slow jam and mid-tempo cut. Nonetheless, the group tows that line well. This one has single release potential written all over it. Some of the other slow jams are a bit underwhelming like the vocally crisp, yet lyrically lackluster “Finally” (featuring SWV). “Don’t Go” helps balance it out though as the second best slow song on the album. Boyz II Men (who Mike Bivins founded) stop by on the pleasant throwback, yet forced sounding  “One More Try”.

Overall, BBD shines brightest when they are playing the bad boys of R&B. Three Stripes is a very solid effort though from three men who have nothing to prove at this stage in their career. They even slide in a reference to the hit single “Too Close”, from R&B group Next. Don’t call it a comeback. Ronnie, Ricky and Mike have been here for years.