Comments on: CMA Live Blog 2011

By: highwayman3

highwayman3 — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 01:04:12 +0000

The only category where I was rooting for someone to win was for either Zac Brown or Band Perry to win in the group category. Not for the award title itself, they don’t matter, but to witness the first signal that Lady Antembellum has run their course. Are we still caring about them? Let’s move it along and get their success over with. I feel they’ve entered Rascal Flatts mood, it’s going to be the same bland music for the next 10 years and their marketers will be doing all the work. Bombarding us with greatest hits, greatest hits live, limited edition hits, year long anniversary celebrations and tours, new record labels that promise new sounds, but it will always be the same exact formula trying to recreate Neeed You Now. We just went through this with Rascal Flatts and here we go again. At least Ricochet sensed when it was time to go away, but these bands today keep clinging on.

What people forget is the CMA’s are first and foremost an entertainment special, award show second. The main objective is to get the most viewers possible, the awards are just a tactic to get the artists to show up. The marketers come up with nominations that will attract the most viewers. This year they used Blake Shelton to sell the show. He was the most popular so he had to have the most nominations regardless if he deserved them. His name had to have the most nominations on the press release so they went down and filled him in all eligible categories. The disconnect is he didn’t become popular this year because of his music, and there’s no categories for twitter feeds. Musically he had out a 6 pack and Honey Bee. If Craig Morgan released Honey Bee, do you think it would have been nominated? No. You’re not supposed to win awards for judging a singing competition or marrying Miranda Lambert but this is country music and we do.

By: Kevin John Coyne

Kevin John Coyne — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 20:46:19 +0000

I wanted Evans to win for prosperity’s sake, and I would’ve understood if she’d won this year as an acknowledgement of her entire career.

But I do have to say that this is the first CMA awards in memory where I wasn’t actively rooting for anybody to win any category. It was kinda like watching election results come in for a foreign country.

By: Tom

Tom — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 17:38:15 +0000

…there are no chinese in chinese noodles either, gloria.

By: Gloria

Gloria — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 16:13:14 +0000

I agree with Vance. She is the fartherest from being a country act than anybody. Take a look at all the people she had joining her on stage…mostly pop artist and the songs she covered are mostly pop too! She’s won all the awards possible, now go on over to the pop world. She only hangs with artist in the Pop industry. Nothing country about her….just her label!

By: Jon

Jon — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 18:21:03 +0000

@leann: Of course, coming back is not just enough. But for me, Sara didn’t just come back, put out an album and a single and called it a day. Sure, the album could have been better, and there should have been stronger songs for Sara’s caliber, but it still cannot be denied that ALBS is one of the biggest singles the past year, and if I’m not mistaken, may end up as one of Billboard’s top singles at its year-end charts. That’s pretty amazing considering radio’s allergic reaction to women older than 35 years old. This comeback may all have been a moot point had radio not played Sara, had listeners not wanted to hear her and had her album not sell decent numbers. Then she’ll just be another footnote like Trisha Yearwood was with her last album.

Miranda may have had a better year, numbers-wise, or hits-wise, or maybe even Taylor. But Sara fought against the odds, and made a pretty successful comeback by standards for women her age. And that’s for someone generally considered a tier below her peers like Martina and Faith. For me, that’s FVOTY-worthy.

By: Ben Foster

Ben Foster — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 17:23:07 +0000

In my ideal version of reality, Sara Evans would have won a Female Vocalist trophy back in the Real Fine Place era (which she did at the ACMs, but not at the CMAs). She definitely didn’t have the biggest year of the nominees, but I would have been happy for her anyway had she won, even if the recognition didn’t come necessarily at the perfect time. (The same could have been said for Brad winning Entertainer last year)

By: Vance

Vance — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 17:14:49 +0000

Taylor Swift should be barred from winning any of these awards.

By: Leeann Ward

Leeann Ward — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 16:37:08 +0000

I would have been confused if she had won this year.

By: Leeann Ward

Leeann Ward — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 16:35:43 +0000

I think Sara would have had to come back with a much better album and single to deserve female vocalist after being gone so long. Just coming back isn’t enough for me, especially if Miranda had had a better year.

By: Jon

Jon — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 16:19:19 +0000

I would have given the FVOTY to Sara Evans. I think even if Miranda had more radio hits, and probably more sales, the return of Sara is more impactful than what Miranda has done for the past year. It would have been a really nice story. I really thought Sara would take it since she had a lot of goodwill around the industry, and all of them seemed genuinely happy she’s back.