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CMA Bottom Line Takeaway: “We Got This”
November 4, 2016
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Mere moments into Wednesday night’s (11/2) “50th Annual CMA Awards,” the entire evening was summed up beautifully, emotionally, and – ironically – by someone who is mostly unable to express himself anymore. The second Randy Travis sang the word “Amen,” the last lyric to his classic “Forever And Ever, Amen” – the finale of a long, fabulous opening-of-show tribute medley – the CMAs totally and completely owned us.
And Travis didn’t merely eke out the word “Amen.” By God, the man SANG it, putting a little English on the backside of that first syllable, just to show us that while speech is now difficult for him, that magical, beautiful baritone remains; not as good as it once was, but just as good once as it ever was.
In an instant, you, me, and anybody with at least a faint heartbeat in their chest and some remaining semblance of a soul were reduced to a wad of putty – ok, make that silly putty – incapable of anything but good, positive, warm, and fuzzy feelings about how this show would go down. Well, mostly anyway. More on that in a few.
Travis’ tear-inducer wrapped up what was, in essence, whip-around coverage of Country music from the past five decades, a tutorial that included performances and songs from Vince Gill, Ben Haggard, Roy Clark, Brad Paisley, Carrie Underwood, Charlie Daniels, Dwight Yoakam, Charley Pride, Reba, Alabama, Ricky Skaggs, Alan Jackson, and Clint Black.
“When the CMA told us not to miss the first eight minutes, that wasn't just hype,” observed Scripps VP/Programming and Wichita VP/GM Beverlee Brannigan. “Oh. Em. Gee. Star after star, iconic songs, just wow. Charley-freaking-Pride performing!”
Added another, anonymous PD, “I really loved the mixture of Classic Country artists and modern; together, it really worked well. To see all those icons performing was great fun for all the fans.” Another not-to-be-named programmer told me, “Randy Travis singing ‘Amen.’ I’m sure I wasn’t the only one with tears in my eyes.” Nope, not even.
Surprises? Sorta
Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood continue to get solid feedback as the show’s hosts, with one PD saying, “I don’t know who writes for Brad and Carrie, but it is so good, and their chemistry and comedic timing makes the show so fun to watch and flow well.” Virtually everyone I talked to pointed out the Peyton Manning bit as the monologue’s peak, where he and the hosts conversed via the Nationwide insurance jingle. What do you call Randy Travis AND Peyton Manning, both impossibly likeable, both within the first 20 minutes or so? A helluva good start. Did ALL of it work? No. But show me any host of any awards show who sticks the landing on their entire opening. It just doesn’t happen.
The Brothers Osborne win for Vocal Duo of the Year qualified for upset of the night – sorta – but not really. One PD texted me from inside the Bridgestone Arena: “There’s a new world order, ladies and gentleman.” Said Cumulus/Nash Dir./Programming John Shomby, “No one thought the Brothers Osborne had a chance. Nothing comes close to that.” Mercury Nashville VP/Promotion Damon Moberly, who has a front row seat to label-mate EMI Nashville, home to the Brothers, acknowledges, “Some may be surprised at this, maybe even shocked, but they are the genuine article – real writers and artists. I love everything they do, and it’s been great to watch them work their asses off with Country radio.”
Level B surprise? Maybe – maybe – Chris Stapleton’s Male Vocalist win. Anonymous PD #1 told me, “I think [he] surprised everyone again by winning against a very tough and powerful field of mainstream Country artists.” Tim McGraw may have performed Song of the Year winner “Humble And Kind,” but Stapleton is the H&K poster boy, never ceasing to amaze with his complete modesty. “Who is more humble than Chris Stapleton?” wondered Moberly, while fully confessing, “I’m a bit biased.” (Wink, wink.) But you have to believe that had Stapleton been able to give his time to Dolly – whose Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award speech was rushed, thanks to the “Please wrap” message flashed by producers – he damned sure would have.
Entertainer of the Year winner Garth Brooks was another pseudo-surprise, given how tough that category was, and considering Jason Aldean and Kenny Chesney didn’t even get a nomination. Conventional wisdom said it was wide open, with Luke, Carrie, Keith, and Stapleton also vying, but much like George Strait’s win a couple of years ago, this win for Garth – his fifth career Entertainer of the Year trophy and first since 1997 – was seen as triumphant. The gap between wins isn’t quite the drought just endured by Cubs fans, but Garth winning after 18 years, following a long, self-imposed retirement, is damned impressive. And, to add some perspective, Garth’s first CMA EOTY win in 1991 occurred when Thomas Rhett, Wednesday night’s Single of the Year winner for “Die A Happy Man,” was about a year old and may or may not have been walking fully upright yet.
The Evidence Is Mounting
No artist who sang on Wednesday’s CMAs verbally mouthed the words, but collectively, individually, and without intent, the defiant takeaway message from a night of stellar, moving, and technically flawless live performances was, “We got this.”
The late Wednesday afternoon reveal of Beyoncé’s appearance on the CMAs – set to perform with the Dixie Chicks – sparked a long, lively, and speculative conversation, some of it among our industry admittedly spurred on by yours truly. Just so you know, when I express an opinion here or on socials, it’s usually an aggregated one, based on multiple conversations with radio and industry pros. So the main query after the Beyoncé news broke was first, “Why is this even necessary?” Followed by, “What’s she going to sing?”
I think we all understand why Beyoncé was booked for the CMAs, and during the aforementioned Facebook dialogue, my good friend Michael Bryan offered this open-minded viewpoint: “It would suck for her to bring in a bigger audience to help showcase the format and music on the 50th anniversary.” To which I and others wondered with our outside voices, “What format, and whose music will she be showcasing?”
Turns out, it was all Beyoncé’s on both counts, as she and the Chicks thundered through her song, “Daddy Lessons” – a tune the Chicks have been covering during their recent tour – plus a quick mash-up of “Long Time Gone” from the Chicks’ 2002 “Home” album. “Whether or not it was a good performance (it was) is irrelevant,” said WGTY/York, PA PD/morning personality Scott Donato on his Facebook page Thursday (11/3) morning. “While it's obvious why it happened (ratings), it was the one majorly misguided effort in an otherwise awesome show.”
Donato also echoed what I and others have said here (ad nauseam, perhaps), that whoever “they” are that produce these shows, “they” have a maddening habit of booking mass appeal, out-of-format stars to endorse, or somehow legitimize, our already totally legitimate and awesome brand. “At the end of the day, the Country 'powers that be' need to realize that we're doing just fine with our own stars and vision,” continued Donato. “The show was phenomenal, and everyone involved with most of the decisions should be commended. But, they fell just short of that 'perfect game show' thanks to the most misplaced performance of all time.”
Donato for the internet win! But he wasn’t alone in that evaluation. “I think CMA tried to top [last year’s Chris Stapleton/Justin Timberlake moment] with Beyoncé and the Chicks but failed. I’m left scratching my head on this one,” said one programmer asking not to be identified. Added another anonymous PD, “I absolutely did not think the Beyoncé/Dixie Chicks thing worked at all; frankly it didn't even seem to be connected to the show; like an ‘out of body experience.’"
Brannigan also wondered why. “The Dixie Chicks have vocally dismissed Country. Beyoncé – on the 50th anniversary of the CMA – comes and sings one of her songs? Garth, Tim, Faith, Luke, Dolly, Kenny, LBT, Eric, Miranda, Brad, Carrie, Reba, Charley, Vince, Trisha, Alan, George, Keith, Martina, Barbara, etc. etc. etc. isn't enough star power for you? No matter how much ‘old school’ equity was built up at the front of the show, the Beyoncé and Chicks performance was out of place in the 50th Anniversary celebration.”
Especially when the gist of the CMA’s promotional branding campaign for their 50th show was “Forever Country,” with a social media component encouraging Facebook users to change their profile pic, framing it with “I’m Forever Country.” And nothing says Forever Country like Beyoncé singing a Beyoncé song on the CMAs, eh? Have you ever arrived late to a party, and everybody who’s already been there for two hours is on a different wave length, and by that I mean both chemically and emotionally? There’s not enough alcohol – or whatever – in the world that’ll get you caught up to their special head space. That’s how the Chicks and Beyoncé seemed to me. Two hours behind, and musically an island, despite their undeniably incredible performance. Counters Moberly, “Beyoncé is a global superstar, and while some might complain that the performance didn’t fit or had no relevance for the format, I thought it was entertaining.” And, WUBE/Cincinnati PD Grover Collins offered this perspective, "I know some had issues with Beyonce' and I understand that, but in all honesty it didn’t bother me that much. The other side of the coin is maybe we’ll get some pop/Beyonce’ fans come to check out her performance and stick around to watch a little more and get some converts."
Conversely, the not-yet global sensation Maren Morris, with her performance of “My Church,” unanimously won the night among people I followed and spoke to. “It cemented her as an artist who can elevate a song and create a special moment,” said Brannigan. Another anonymous PD said picking one was very tough to call, “But my standout performance was Maren Morris – she absolutely nailed it. Added Moberly, “She had the look of ‘oh man that went well.’ She looked relieved, and rightly so.” Shomby called Morris’ performance, “inspiring, and just plain cool.”
The Dolly tribute was also a consensus highlight, with one PD messaging me, “Dolly Parton! Dolly Parton! Dolly Parton!” during the segment. “Martina, Reba, Jennifer, Kacey, Carrie all singing ‘I Will Always Love You’ at the front of the stage was a beautiful moment,” adds Brannigan. KUPL/Portland’s Danny Dwyer: “The biggest and best performance was the Dolly tribute. Hands down my favorite portion of the show. And her speech? Priceless.” My favorite part of the Dolly tribute? Reba, admitting on national TV that she messed up lyrics for “9 To 5.”
But there were so many others too: Keith Urban scorching with “Blue Ain’t Your Color,” and showing once again that he’s a guitar God with a killer – albeit brief – solo. Brannigan also singled out Miranda Lambert delivering “Vice,” and Tim McGraw’s “Humble And Kind,” calling it “one for the ages. So classy, in control, totally owned the moment.”
Agreed. McGraw’s performance was another demonstration of an artist who knows how to find tunes he can absolutely slay, and turn them into career songs. Additionally, we’ve seen McGraw do this so many times during his 20-plus years as a superstar – he understands the Award show, big, TV moment and masterfully delivers these songs.
Chris Stapleton and Dwight Yoakam’s “Seven Spanish Angels,” Little Big Town’s “Better Man,” and Paisley’s “Today.” These and previously mentioned live segments were Country artists doing what they do so well, thanks to many days on the road playing before live crowds most of the year, and being just plain talented.
Final Argument
John Shomby summed up the show with a common piece of feedback hitting my inbox, Facebook, and text messaging today: “It was the best CMA Awards show I’ve seen in the 14 years I’ve been in the format.” Added one of my anonymous watchers, “I think it was a great mixture of our legends, the new class of Country, and everything in between.”
Wednesday night’s musical moments – and even the non-musical ones – provided an open-and-shut case bolstered with incontrovertible evidence that the recent practice of manufactured moments – of summoning artists with no connection to, and no feel for Country music, artists and fans to somehow make this genre hipper and cooler – has finally, once and for all, jumped the shark. We may face musical ebbs and flows. We may lack a defined identity. We may have the dilemma of two groups of artists – the ones who fly in and out of the charts and the ones who linger for months on end. We still need a stronger female presence. But the ultimate solutions are right under our nose and readily available amongst ourselves. Country music, radio, artists, songwriters – all of you: We got this. To quote Randy Travis and Maren Morris from Wednesday night, can I get an “Amen?”
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