Tag Archives: Entertainer Of The Year

Baggage Claim (Single Review) – Miranda Lambert

Baggage Claim - Single Cover - Miranda Lambert

Miranda Lambert is the current it-female country singer. So naturally, her newest single and upcoming album are both some of the most awaited country music releases this year. Set for a late August release, Baggage Claim, the debut single off Lambert’s upcoming album Four The Record, was rush-released to country radio after leaking.

My approach to Lambert’s music is one where enthusiasm and apprehension are mixed. I haven’t been a fan of all her releases but I’ve come to appreciate them. Her single The House That Built Me remains, to me at least, one of those timeless songs that make you happy about your life when you listen to them. The House That Built Me is also the single that made Lambert who she is today – two time ACM Female Vocalist winner and Entertainer of the Year nominee at the CMAs, regardless of how deserving she is of that.

So it is from that base – and it is such a high base – that you’d expect her to approach the lead single off Four The Record. What did she do? She went the opposite – and totally expected – lead single route.

What is the song about? Yes, you guessed it: guy bashing.

If people had worried her marrying Blake Shelton would soften her up, Baggage Claim is here to prove them all wrong – somewhat. “I have been dragging around your sensitive ego, making sure that your bags arrive on time for the dog and pony show,” she opens up the song after a guitar riff that remains throughout the song.

Baggage Claim is a song, which as the title implies, is about Miranda Lambert’s significant other being moved out of her life and home. And she doesn’t leave anything to the imagination as she angrily sings the chorus: “At the baggage claim, you got a lot of luggage in your name. When you hit the ground, check the lost and found cause it ain’t my problem now. I can’t carry it on, I’ve got a lot of troubles all my own. It’s all over the yard, in the trunk of the car,  I’m packin’ it in so come and get it.”

But it is in the second chorus that the song delivers its highlight – and its only one at that. Lambert is known for her lyrics craftsmanship. And while the baggage metaphor is not degrading to the song, it’s not exactly instant-hit material either. However, there’s one sentence in the whole song that’s lyrically highly intelligent: “If it ain’t obvious what has set me off today, behind every woman scorend is a man who made her that way…” and then Lambert continues explaining about what the man did on his business trip.

Repeat chorus, insert useless bridge, repeat chorus… and that’s your whole song.

The problem with Baggage Claim is that, even for Lambert, it feels quite overdone – both thematically and musically. She’s had many other singles dealing with the same topic and they’ve all been better songs than this. While her vocal delivery is quite on point, as is expected from someone of her caliber, the material she’s dealing with is quite weak – especially for a lead single.

The whole song feels like a paint-by-number guy-done-me-wrong Desperate Housewives-inspired song. It feels like the writers came up with the baggage metaphor and thought long and hard about how to make a radio-friendly song that might break Miranda Lambert’s poor streak with lead singles, instead of delivering a great song that would have definitely gotten airplay on radio, with all the hype Lambert has been getting lately.

You see, the reason why the great Dead Flowers, Miranda’s lead single off her critically acclaimed album Revolution, did not manage to become a radio hit is mostly because of its dark theme as well as Lambert’s weak radio performance at the time. She changed course with White Liar, Revolution‘s second single, which gave Lambert her first chart-topping single (or top 2 on Billboard). But at the end of the day, the song that made Lambert is The House That Built Me. And with that song, Lambert took a risky decision to release a not very radio friendly song, but a deep song with meaning. And it worked for her – as evident by The House That Built Me almost winning every award it got nominated for and spending four weeks atop the country charts.

That’s the route she should have taken. Baggage Claim is not a bad song in itself. After several listens, it catches on. But it’s representing a follow up to a highly critically acclaimed album. Hopefully the rest of Four The Record is better than this.

Listen to Baggage Claim here.

The Carrie Underwood Authenticness

I was browsing the web when I came across this article, posted by the LA Times.

The article wonders (if you don’t feel like reading it) if Taylor Swift will finally beat Carrie Underwood at this year’s ACM awards.

The thing that bothered me the most about the article was its title:

Can Taylor Swift finally beat Carrie Underwood at the Academy of Country Music Awards?

Why would a reputable publication decide to name one of its few articles about this award show this way? Not only does it show some juvenile attitude towards the matter but it’s also uncalled for and shows some ignorance regarding this award show.

Taylor Swift and Carrie Underwood are competing against each other in one category, female vocalist of the year, but anyone would tell you that they’re both longshots to win, amidst what is expected to be a Miranda Lambert sweep.

The ACMs air in a few hours. Taylor Swift, with the help of her fans, has unleashed a massive twitter campaign to help her win the fan-voted portion of the coveted Entertainer Of The Year title. And if that wasn’t enough, she also has a camera up for grabs to those who vote for her. Also, people who have been to her concerts in international countries have found pamphlets on their seats inviting them to vote for her.

Brad Paisley, on the other hand, is offering a free iPod and a free download to those who vote for him and invite others to do so.

Carrie Underwood has never done that. She has won Entertainer of the Year twice in a row at the ACMs, the only country female singer ever to win it twice (let alone in a row), and she has never asked her fans to vote for her via a massive-online campaign or by giving out free downloads and goodies.

Continue reading →

Carrie Underwood Fans Should Vote For Brad Paisley For Entertainer Of The Year

Starting March 11th, voting will open for this year’s ACM Entertainer Of The Year category. It seems as if our attempt to get our disdain across has gone unnoticed – as expected.

Regardless of Carrie’s clear snub (check here and here), we, as one of country’s biggest fanbases, need to  support one of the nominees and cast our votes in his or her favor. While we all won’t have the same enthusiasm in voting for that nominee as we have for Carrie (new emails, many computers, emailing people who might be interested), we should at least cast one ballot for one of the nominees to get him or her on top and let him win.

Who that nominee should be is Brad Paisley, for a multitude of reasons.

First, Brad is probably Carrie’s closest friend on the nominee list. She was his opening act for one of his tours and he was so impressed by her that he asked her to sing an awesome duet with him: Oh Love. I’m sure as well that Carrie wants Brad to win over the other five nominees, even though she won’t publicly admit it. Just look at how happy she was for him when he won this year’s Entertainer Of The Year at the CMAs, even though she should have been nominated and win.

Second, Brad is country’s leading male vocalist. He has the longest standing number one streak among all country artists and his songs always resonate with the public. Always. His latest single “This Is Country Music” is racing up to the top of the charts in country music.

Third, Brad has confirmed that he has went to the studio with Carrie to record a song that he felt was unfinished prior to her touch. This is how much Brad Paisley thinks of Carrie. Also, this duet might be his next single: check here.

Fourth, while the other nominees are also deserving, none of them has worked as hard as Brad Paisley to get this award. We, Carrie’s fans, have known firsthand how horrible it is when Carrie works really hard for something and gets snubbed. Brad has been shut out from winning the Entertainer Of The Year category too many times. This is his best chance to win. Why not help him out?

Fifth, Brad’s four year old son has a crush on Carrie. Enough said, right?

Also, in case Brad releases the duet as his upcoming single, a win would boost the hype for this single even higher – if that is possible – benefiting both Brad and Carrie for their upcoming albums.

So for all these reasons, we need to cast our votes on March 11th for Brad Paisley, hopefully next year will be Carrie’s year again.

The link to vote is here.

Miranda Lambert: Country’s New Queen? Nope.

I was intrigued by an article I saw posted on Twitter about how Miranda Lambert might be the current queen of Country Music. I wouldn’t normally feel the need to reply to such articles but the writer specifically took a jab at Carrie Underwood by saying the following:

She’s not taking a Louisville Slugger to anyone’s car, à la Carrie Underwood.

There is nothing personally I don’t like about some healthy competition in Country Music, especially among the female artists. After all, queen or no queen, they are all underdogs in this overwhelmingly patriarchal industry.

However, I felt that I need to point out somethings to the writer of the article, concerning Carrie Underwood. I will make point them out succinctly.

– Both Carrie Underwood and Miranda Lambert have started from reality TV-shows. The difference between them is that Lambert’s show is especially designed for country artists: it takes less to be noticed. Carrie’s show is broader, granted, but it makes it especially difficult for a female singer to be noticed. Carrie won her show, Lambert did not.

– The alluded Carrie Underwood track, “Before He Cheats,” is not her only hit. It might be her biggest hit overall, but she has 13 other hits under her belt, 12 of which have gone to #1. Lambert has 2 #1s.

– Unlike Lambert who followed up her biggest hit “The House That Built Me” with a song that was even referenced in the article as one pertaining to Lambert’s beauty, “Only Prettier”, which barely made the top 10, Carrie Underwood followed up “Before He Cheats” with a song that spent 3 weeks at #1: “Wasted.”

– The writer made a big deal of how Miranda Lambert’s debut album spawned a hit and was certified Platinum. Need I mention what Carrie Underwood’s debut album managed? 7x Platinum and 4 #1 singles, is it?

– Carrie won Best New Artist at the Grammys, Lambert did not.

– Carrie has brought legions of new fans to the country music genre, I don’t believe Lambert has had that effect – or at least as broadly.

– Carrie has won Entertain Of The Year twice. No other female has ever done that. And Lambert doesn’t look close to doing so. The writer boasts about her selling out an arena for her tour. Well, Carrie sold out hundreds of those arenas for her Play On tour. Millions of fans attended. I don’t need to cite sources for this, right?

– Revolution might have been the more critically acclaimed album but does the certification of “queen” involve a bunch of critics or the fans? Play On (2x platinum) has outsold Revolution (1x platinum).

– Miranda Lambert has won the CMA and ACM Female Vocalist Of The Year this past year. But let’s not forget who won those awards three times so far.

– The writer mentions how Lambert shows “no signs of stopping.” Does Underwood show any signs of stopping? She is busy writing her fourth album right now.

It’s nice when country artists start to get recognized, especially after struggling. And I personally have nothing against Miranda Lambert. I really appreciate her music. But no one came out and declared Carrie Underwood the new country queen when she won her first CMA Female Vocalist or when her album was having record breaking sales or when she won her first Entertainer Of The Year. She was always viewed as the country girl from Oklahoma who got lucky on that outsider show called American Idol. But what really makes a true country queen is the love fans have for her. And we, the fans, have shown our dedication for Carrie over and over again. I’ve taken time to write this, haven’t I?

The awards might have stopped pouring in. But they will come. Just wait… I have faith that Carrie will deliver a breath-taking fourth album. I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again. Carrie Underwood is vastly taken for granted in the Country Music scene. And she just doesn’t seem to care. She seems unfazed, continues to smile and give out her best. And for that, she is a true queen.

Open Letter to the ACMs

Dear ACMs,

(and other Country Award shows)

According to Country Aircheck, the ACMs have opted out of the eight nominees for the category “Entertainer Of The Year” because they “felt that, on TV, it got to be too cumbersome. It took a long time in the monologue to address eight artists and required more time when the category was mentioned during the show.”

I understand that your show has time constraints. After all, it’s admittedly difficult to run a three hour long broadcast and not exceed times, especially when you cannot account for the emotional reactions that could be exhibited on stage. But do time constraints mean that you do not honor one of your most deserving artists?

I understand that this particular artist, Carrie Underwood, does not really feel the need for all the awards she’s been getting. She’s been having consistent sales, chart topping singles and, the least you could say, a devoted fan-base that will never accept see injustice happen to her. And this is precisely what this post is about.

As a follow-up to my heavily viewed previous post about a possible reason for the snub, which can be viewed here, I have been asked by many people to provide links and proof to my claims. And here it goes.

For those who doubted the critical-acclaim Carrie Underwood’s Play On Tour has gotten, these are a few excerpts from the many glowing reviews that her sold-out shows have received.

The Oakland Tribune:

More musical mediocrity has been spawned by TV’s “American Idol” than from any other single entity in history.
The biggest exception continues to be Carrie Underwood, the 2005 “A.I.” champ that has totaled 10 No. 1 country singles, three platinum-plus-selling albums and numerous music awards during her relatively short career.
Her one weakness has traditionally been her live show, but now that has become a strength as well.

The Orange County Register:

It usually takes a mighty big voice to fill a big place like the Hollywood Bowl, but Carrie Underwood was definitely up to the task: the third American Idol champ and her band, accompanied by the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, made a highly satisfying debut at the famous venue Saturday night.

AZ Central:

The sounds of fireworks that kicked off Carrie Underwood’s Play On Tour at Jobing.com Arena in Glendale Sunday, Oct. 3, held the promise of a night filled with interesting sets, sparkling costumes and larger-than-life vocal acrobatics. And the show delivered all

Kansas City:

With no apologies to Taylor Swift, we can now crown Carrie Underwood the reigning queen of country music.
She can also claim the title of the most successful “American Idol” contestant ever.
Saturday night, Underwood headlines a sold-out show at the Sprint Center. Yes, she is sold-out-arena caliber these days, and not just in places close to her Oklahoma hometown, like Kansas City. Earlier this month, she sold out the Hollywood Bowl, where more than 17,000 fans came to see her.

CMT:

Without a hitch — or a drop of sweat or a hair out of place — Underwood brought Music City two hours of dynamic set and wardrobe changes to her performance. Throughout the entire evening, she managed to tastefully and effectively intertwine love, lust, nostalgia and vengeance along with a passionate dose of spirituality.

This is only but a fragment of the accolades Carrie has gotten for her Play On Tour. And as this fragment clearly illustrates, the tour was a resounding success. She goes over the crowds on a blue truck… if that’s not enough for an award, what is?

Now I won’t compare these reviews with those of other nominated Country starts, but I will ask this: how could a tour of this magnitude, having played for over 1 million fans across the United States and Canada not have the artist responsible nominated for it?

After all, isn’t the award “Entertainer Of The Year” supposed to be given those who have showed excellence in the field of entertainment?

And if concerts aren’t enough for the ACMs (and other Country Award shows for that matter), Carrie has even tried her hand at some acting.

Her debut movie, Soul Surfer, comes out this April. It’s a movie about the power of faith and love. This artist decides to break into Hollywood and the first movie she decides to undertake is not one of those commercial blockbuster flicks that are sure to bring her buzz, but a subtle role in a movie about the healing power of faith… isn’t that what country music preaches? Belief in God, in yourself and in others?

Moreover, Carrie’s “Play On” album has been recently certified 2x Platinum. Out of all the current Entertainer Of The Year nominees, only Taylor Swift has surpassed Carrie’s sales. But Taylor isn’t even a cornerstone for comparison: she has outsold everyone in the music industry today, which makes Carrie’s total even more remarkable.

In addition, Carrie has shown remarkable faithfulness to the country genre, having refused to remix all of her songs to cater to other radio formats. Even her smash hit “Before He Cheats” was not remixed, which goes to show how much this artist really cares about the overall improvement of her genre, not some passing moment of multi-platform success. Of course, we, the fans, want to see another Carrie single crossover, and we feel that some of her songs are able to do just that if only the label were to help.

I’ve also come across people saying that Carrie not winning or being nominated is only natural as other female artists have had this happen to them when Carrie came to the country scene. My only reply to them is: those female country artists were not having a fragment of the success Carrie has been having since the moment she set foot in the country music industry. How many of those female artists can boast that they have had a 12 #1 streak on country radio, including an astonishing 6-week run with their debut single? How many of them can boast of having sold over 7 million copies of their debut album and how many of them can say that they are the only female country artists that have won Entertainer of the year twice?

So for all matters and purposes, Carrie was deserving of every award she got. Sure, her label might have helped her a little bit here and there but can you imagine the response had Carrie not won those awards?

Dear ACMs, you shunning out Carrie Underwood is a disgrace. Not only is she the most deserving artist of the bunch, but to give her only one nomination that she will most probably not win is really shameful…

To other Carrie Fans I say, Carrie will always be a winner in our hearts. We might have thought a win this year is a lock, but the politics of country music have proven even more barbaric than allow the most deserving to be recognized. We cannot do anything regarding that except make our voices heard. And this is me making my voice heard. Now it’s time to make yours.

Sincerely,

A disgruntled Country Music fan.