CMT Music Awards: Notes On A Cellphone

While watching the “CMT Music Awards” last night, comfortably situated in the La-Z-Boy Command Center at home, I tapped out the following observations on my iPhone:

Flip the script and make Keith Urban/Carrie Underwood's "The Fighter" a power ballad? Damn.

Gave the song a whole new feeling; a whole new meaning.

Brilliant. The best, and most daring live performance of last night's (6/7) "CMT Music Awards" telecast.

Because, while radio always screams for more tempo, there's sometimes a fine line between energy and frenetic energy. The former gives a radio station momentum and spirit; the latter tends to fatigue listeners after a while. And, what little push back has been voiced on "The Fighter" it's more about over-intensity than the song's Pop lean. Underwood and Urban's individual, and collective, format equity makes that a non-issue.

By slowing it down, and letting both Urban and Underwood shine vocally, the song was re-imagined – and re-interpreted from a record to a song. And often, there's a big difference between the two.

If I were in radio, I'd have been recording last night's entire "CMT Music Awards" show and would, for sure, be playing this slowed-down version of "The Fighter" all morning today. Why? Because Keith Urban was the big winner on the night with four awards. Because Carrie Underwood and Keith Urban won an award for the song's video – one of two trophies for her. And, because they turned an already huge "event" song into a ginormous natural TV moment – the kind many Country awards shows in the past have tried way too hard to manufacture by pairing the latest flavor-of-the-month, shiny, Pop music object with core Country artists, relegating them to background vocalists. As Underwood and Urban demonstrated last night, all the tools necessary for great TV moments are right under our noses, and are fully at our disposal.

Charles Esten as host? This had to have been a "Why didn't I think of that?" V-8 moment several months ago at CMT HQ in Nashville. Sign him up for next year, and the year after that. CMT, I know you covet the "not the ACMs or the CMAs" position, but use that blueprint – of finding the right host or hosts – and run with it.

Right now, Esten is the rare guy who women want to do and men want to be. He's great looking and has established himself as the most popular and layered character on the TV series "Nashville." That was a surprise, because Connie Britton was supposed to be the star of that show, but he's a way better singer than Britton. And, here's what served Esten and the "CMT Music Awards" incredibly well last night: Years of doing improvisational comedy. Remember "Whose Line is It Anyway?" Esten did that show for six years. Though I've never done it personally, here's what I know about improv. Performers are tasked with making something out of nothing – and, if by chance that something turns into a lemon, they pivot and start making lemonade.

Was it all perfect? No. Might it have been worse in the hands of say, Erin Andrews or JJ Watt? 100%. That romper bit, in the middle of the show? It could have gone horribly wrong, but it didn't. Esten didn't stay too long on it. A man, wearing a black romper on national TV, is funny-looking on its own – not much needs to be said. So, Esten didn't, and quickly introduced Brett Eldredge. Boom. Then the callback, after Eldredge, when Esten said, "That's hard to pull off. I mean it really is, I'm still wearing it [underneath my suit]." I bet that wasn't scripted.

His presence was in-and-out on segments, only staying a tad too long on the "oversold" bit near the show open. But Esten was the show's glue, just like effective imaging and the voice of a radio station; the mortar between the bricks. Again, ink him for 2018, CMT.

Luke Bryan and Jason Derulo together, plausible? Yes. Absolutely. That may sound surprising, coming from me. As I alluded to earlier, I've hated some of the odd, forced pairings we've all suffered through on past Country awards shows. But here's the thing: Derulo and Bryan have actually met each other before – and, worked together – unlike previous efforts where the Pop star and the Country star appeared to have seen one another for the first time only when they hit the stage live on TV. If you haven't seen the Bryan/Derulo "CMT Crossroads" show, check it out. You wouldn't expect that to work, but it did – and very well. So well, in fact, that Bryan and Derulo picked up a CMT Award last night for their "Want To Want Me" performance. Accepting the award together, you saw mutual admiration and respect; they have fun together. And, Derulo came off like a good guy, who genuinely values Country music as a genre. Later in the show, the pair teamed for Bryan's 2015 hit, "Strip It Down," then segued into a reprisal of "Want To Want Me." Fun. Infectious. Real.

As a perfect bookend to how the night began, with The Brothers Osborne joined by Rock icon Peter Frampton on a sizzling rendition of "It Ain't My Fault," CMT ended things by tearing a page from the FGL-Backstreet Boys playbook, and one that worked so well on the ACMs in April. Lady Antebellum and Earth, Wind & Fire sang Lady A's hit "You Look Good," then seamlessly transitioned to EWF's "September." We can talk all day about targeting 18-34s, and/or 25-54s for this format, but at the end of the day, the rubber meets the road among 25-44s. And that is why, if you want to create a fun, memorable TV moment on a TV awards show, you have to merge two musical elements appealing to both ends of that demo.

Earth, Wind & Fire released "September" in 1978 – nearly 40 years ago! It was, and has since been, played on a ubiquitous level at weddings, graduations, parties, bar Mitzvahs, spring break, reunions, on the radio, streamed – hell, you name the occasion. It's comfortably ensconced in the consciousness of anybody 25-44, and represents exuberance, fun, celebration, happiness, nostalgia, and feel-good for generations of music fans – just like Backstreet Boys' "Everybody" at the ACMs with FGL.

Collaborations like these make more sense, and work better, because adult Country fans have more of a history with BSB and EWF music than, say, Ariana Grande, Fifth Harmony, or other shooting stars. I'm not saying that in 15-20 years, an entire generation of music fans will not wax nostalgic when hearing Grande, Fifth Harmony, or Pitbull music. I'm just saying we don't know that right now. But we do with acts like EWF and BSB – because they both received massive radio airplay, and sold a shit-ton of music to young people in the midst of those fans’ music-intensive (a.k.a. teen) years back in the day.

Best Line of the night? Hands down, Keith Urban, accepting Video Of The Year honors (for the third time in his career), gracefully expressing gratitude at being recognized and appreciated. He wouldn't ever say it – or think it – but social media was buzzing about his four awards serving as redemption after he was shut out at the ACMs despite leading all nominees with seven nominations. Herein lies the difference between fan and membership voting. When accepting his fourth trophy on the night, Urban expressed a heartfelt thankfulness and joy at being able to make music for a living, reminding all of us, "It's called 'playing' music, not 'working' music." I posted that quote on Facebook, and naturally, a record rep replied, "Well, some of us work it." Actually, it's hard to argue both points.

Finally, a shout out to CMT? Yes. Hell yes. The best "CMT Music Awards" show ever. And, think about the daunting logistical challenge they were faced with: moving the venue – from Nashville's Bridgestone Arena – to the Music City Center next door, due to the Nashville Predators’ Stanley Cup Finals run.

The show was tight, entertaining, and moved fast. Production was classy, snazzy, and slick, but never cheesy. I looked up, and suddenly it was over, but I was still wanting more. I've bitched about things done in the past on this and other awards shows that, in my view, compromised the dignity and significance of Country music. Nobody should ever do that, least of all, those of us who are part of this incredible genre. On the radio alone, Country is the THIRD highest-cuming format in America, with 68 million listeners weekly, close behind ac AND Top 40. Country radio boasts 1,851 AM/FM stations and another 1,600 "digital" stations (HD and stream). We don't need to import acts, or moments, or cache from anybody to be the shit. That's because we ARE the shit, and we must never, ever forget that. Last night's "CMT Music Awards" were a great and powerful reminder of that fact, and the entire team at CMT should be applauded for demonstrating it with class.