Critic's Notebook: The Grammys were set for change, but that's not what happened

Bruno Mars was the big winner at Sunday night's Grammy Awards in New York.

By Mikael WoodPop Music Critic

Jan. 28, 2018 10 PM PT

Pop Music Critic

Reporting from New York — The Grammy Awards giveth, and the Grammy Awards taketh away.

When the Recording Academy announced nominations in November for music’s most prestigious prizes, the notoriously fusty industry group raised the tantalizing prospect that its members finally got it.

With multiple nods for the likes of Kendrick Lamar, Jay-Z and the Puerto Rican duo of Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee (whose song “Despacito” was 2017’s biggest), the academy seemed to be acknowledging that, in a rapidly changing world, great pop should strive to embody new values instead of merely upholding the old ones.

Well, maybe next time.

At Sunday night’s 60th Grammys, broadcast live on CBS from New York’s Madison Square Garden, the major winners — and many of the performances — largely reflected a reversion to type.

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Bruno Mars, center, accepts album of the year for “24K Magic” with his production team onstage.

(Kevin Winter / Getty Images)

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Khalid, from left, Logic and Alessia Cara perform “1-800-273-8255” as the suicide hotline prevention number appears on screen.

(Kevin Winter / Getty Images)

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Alessia Cara performs her part in “1-800-273-8255” during an in memoriam tribute.

(Matt Sayles / Invision / AP)

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Logic performs his suicide-awareness anthem “1-800-273-8255.”

(Matt Sayles / Invision / AP)

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Chris Stapleton and Emmylou Harris perform “Wildflowers” during an in memoriam tribute to Tom Petty.

(Matt Sayles / Invision / AP)

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Alicia Keys presents the award for record of the year to Bruno Mars for “24K Magic.”

(Matt Sayles / Invision / AP)

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Sza performs “Broken Clocks.”

(Matt Sayles / Invision / AP)

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Patti LuPone performs “Don’t Cry For Me Argentina” during a tribute to Leonard Bernstein and Andrew Lloyd Webber.

(Matt Sayles / Invision )

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Ben Platt, right, performs “Somewhere” during a tribute to Leonard Bernstein and Andrew Lloyd Webber.

(Matt Sayles / Invision / AP)

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Sir Elton John, left, and Miley Cyrus perform his “Tiny Dancer.”

(Kevin Winter / Getty Images)

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U2 appears via satellite as they perform “Get Out of Your Own Way” on the Hudson River.

(Matt Sayles / Invision / AP)

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Kesha (unseen) is hugged by Bebe Rexha, Cindy Lauper, Camila Cabello and Andra Day after performing her song “Praying.”

(Timothy A. Clary / AFP / Getty Images)

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Kesha performs “Praying.”

(Matt Sayles / Invision / AP)

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Chris Stapleton, left, accepts the award for best country album for “From A Room: Volume 1” from presenters Donnie Wahlberg and Hailee Steinfeld, who donned cowboy hats before calling his name.

(Matt Sayles / Invision / AP)

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Janelle Monáe told the audience that “time’s up for pay inequality, discrimination or harassment of any kind and the abuse of power.”

(Timothy A. Clary / AFP / Getty Images)

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Maren Morris, left, and Eric Church perform.

(Matt Sayles / Invision / AP)

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The Brothers Osborne perform as names of victims of tragedies appear onscreen.

(Matt Sayles / Invision / AP)

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Rihanna performs “Wild Thoughts.”

(Matt Sayles / Invision / AP )

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Shaggy, left, and Sting perform “Englishman in New York.”

(Matt Sayles / Invision / AP)

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Comedian Dave Chappelle, left, accepts the comedy album Grammy for “The Age of Spin & Deep in the Heart of Texas” from Trevor Noah, right.

(Kevin Winter / Getty Images)

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Cardi B, left, and Bruno Mars, right, perform “Finesse.”

(Matt Sayles / Invision / AP)

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Cardi B performs “Finesse” with Bruno Mars.

(Matt Sayles / Invision / AP)

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Bruno Mars performs “Finesse.”

(Matt Sayles / Invision / AP)

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Pink performs “Wild Hearts Can’t Be Broken.”

(Matt Sayles / Invision / AP)

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Joe Saylor, left, Jon Batiste and Gary Clark Jr. perform a tribute to Chuck Berry and Fats Domino.

(Matt Sayles / Invision / AP)

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Alessia Cara accepts best new artist Grammy Award.

(Kevin Winter / Getty Images )

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Karen Fairchild, left, Jimi Westbrook, Kimberly Schlapman and Philip Sweet of Little Big Town perform “Better Man.”

(Matt Sayles / Invision / AP)

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Rihanna and Kendrick Lamar accept best rap/sung performance for “Loyalty.”

(Kevin Winter / Getty Images)

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Sam Smith performs “Pray.”

(Matt Sayles / Invision / AP)

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Host James Corden opens the 60th Grammy Awards.

(Kevin Winter / Getty Images )

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Lady Gaga plays piano as she performs onstage.

(Kevin Winter / Getty Images)

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Mark Ronson and Lady Gaga perform at the 60th Grammy Awards.

(Matt Sayles / Invision / AP)

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Comedian Dave Chappelle speaks onstage in between Kendrick Lamar’s performance.

(Kevin Winter / Getty Images)

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Kendrick Lamar, center, performs at the 60th Grammy Awards.

(Matt Sayles / Invision / AP)

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Kendrick Lamar opens the 60th Grammy Awards.

(Matt Sayles / Invision / AP)

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Paul Shaffer, left, presents the award for traditional pop vocal album to recording artist Tony Bennett, center, and audio engineer Dae Bennett for “Tony Bennett Celebrates 90,” at the pre-telecast show Sunday.

(Theo Wargo / Getty Images)

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Left to right, recording artists Zachary Scott Carothers, Eric Howk, Jason Wade Sechrist, Kyle O’Quin of Portugal. The Man, winners of pop duo/group performance for “Feel It Still,” accept the award at the pre-telecast show.

(Theo Wargo / Getty Images)

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James Fauntleroy accepts the award for R&B song during the pre-telecast show.

(Theo Wargo / Getty Images)

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Dwan Hill accepts the gospel performance/song award for “Let Them Fall in Love” at the pre-telecast show.

(Matt Sayles / Invision / Associated Press)

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Chris Stapleton accepts the country solo performance award for “Either Way” at the pre-telecast show.

(Matt Sayles / Invision / Associated Press)

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Members of Ladysmith Black Mambazo, winners of world music album for “Shaka Zulu Revisited: 30th Anniversary Celebration,” accept the award at the pre-telecast show.

(Theo Wargo / Getty Images)

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Jason Isbell accepts the American roots song award for “If We Were Vampires” at the pre-telecast show.

(Matt Sayles / Invision / Associated Press)

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Ice T performs with Body Count during the Grammy Awards pre-telecast show.

(Timothy A. Clary / AFP / Getty Images)

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Jazzmeia Horn performs during the 60th Grammy Awards pre-telecast show.

(Theo Wargo / Getty Images)

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Justin Hurwitz accepts the compilation soundtrack for visual media award for “La La Land.”

(Matt Sayles / Invision / Associated Press)

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Stile Antico performs at the 60th Grammy Awards pre-telecast show.

(Matt Sayles / Invision / Associated Press)

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Reba McEntire accepts the award for roots gospel album for “Sing It Now: Songs of Faith & Hope.”

(Matt Sayles / Invision / Associated Press)

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Residente accepts the Latin rock, urban or alternative album for “Residente.”

(Matt Sayles / Invision / Associated Press)

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India Arie performs during the 60th Grammy Awards pre-telecast show in New York.

(Timothy A. Clary / AFP / Getty Images)

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Paul Shaffer performs at the 60th Grammy Awards pre-telecast show.

(Matt Sayles / Invision / Associated Press)

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Paul Shaffer and the W.M.D. Band perform at the 60th Grammy Awards pre-telecast show.

(Matt Sayles / Invision / Associated Press)

FULL COVERAGE: Grammys 2018 »

Instead of Lamar or Jay-Z taking album of the year with one of his bold works about race and masculinity, Bruno Mars won the flagship prize with “24K Magic,” his impeccably realized homage to the funk and soul music of several decades ago.

And instead of record of the year going to “Despacito” — a Spanish-language love song that became something of an anthem in the face of President Trump’s harsh rhetoric regarding immigrants — the trophy went to Mars again for his album’s throwback title track.

In fact, Mars swept the Grammys’ highest-profile categories with a win in song of the year for “That’s What I Like.” The achievement called to mind a similar sweep in 2017, when Adele, the proudly traditional British singer, beat the more adventurous Beyoncé for album of the year.

Or maybe it reminded you of 2016, when Taylor Swift’s “1989” won over Lamar’s “To Pimp a Butterfly.” Or 2015, when Beyoncé also lost, in that case to Beck.

You get the picture.

Mars wasn’t the only talented but undaring artist who rode a familiar approach to Grammy glory on Sunday. Alessia Cara, the friendly Canadian pop singer, beat SZA and Lil Uzi Vert for the new artist award.

And Ed Sheeran’s “Shape of You” won pop solo performance over Kesha’s “Praying,” a stark piano ballad about abuse that has found resonance with the #MeToo movement.

When Sheeran’s name was called instead of Kesha’s, the energy in the room seemed to drain away, as though an opportunity for a moment had just been lost.

A few awards captured that sense of possibility, as when Lamar won rap album with “Damn” and rap/sung performance with “Loyalty,” his fierce but sensual duet with Rihanna. Accepting the latter, Lamar stepped aside at the microphone to let his collaborator take the lead — an encouraging sight at a moment of increasing respect for women’s voices.

And the show was hardly free of powerful performances.

Lamar opened the program with a stunning medley built around his song “XXX” that had him surrounded by dancers in combat fatigues and assisted by comedian Dave Chappelle, who told the audience that “the only thing more frightening than watching a black man be honest in America is being an honest black man in America.”

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Kendrick Lamar performs at the 60th Grammy Awards at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, Jan. 28, 2018, in New York City.

(Christopher Polk / Getty Images for NARAS)

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Kendrick Lamar performs at the 60th Grammy Awards.

(Matt Sayles / Invision / AP Photo)

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Kendrick Lamar performs with a group of camouflaged dancers at the 2018 Grammy Awards.

(Matt Sayles / Invision / AP Photo)

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The Edge, left, and Bono, right, of U2, perform with Kendrick Lamar, second from left, at the 2018 Grammy Awards.

(Matt Sayles / Invision / AP Photo)

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Kendrick Lamar, center, surrounded by hooded dancers.

(Timothy A. Clary / AFP/Getty Images )

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Kendrick Lamar performs among a group of cloaked dancers on the floor of the stage at the Grammys.

(Kevin Winter / Getty Images for NARAS)

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Kendrick Lamar performs at Madison Square Garden during the 2018 Grammy Awards.

(Matt Sayles / Invision / AP Photo)

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Kendrick Lamar, left, performs alongside a drummer at the 2018 Grammy Awards.

(Kevin Winter / Getty Images for NARAS)

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Kendrick Lamar performs with a group of camouflaged dancers at the 2018 Grammy Awards.

(Matt Sayles / Invision / AP Photo)

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NEW YORK, NY - JANUARY 28: Recording artist Kesha (C) performs with (L-R) Bebe Rexha, Cyndi Lauper, Camila Cabello, Andra Day, and chorus members onstage during the 60th Annual GRAMMY Awards at Madison Square Garden on January 28, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for NARAS) ** OUTS - ELSENT, FPG, CM - OUTS * NM, PH, VA if sourced by CT, LA or MoD ** (Kevin Winter / Getty Images for NARAS)

Kesha pushed her voice to the breaking point to do “Praying” with help from several other female pop stars, including Cyndi Lauper, Camila Cabello and Andra Day.

And though the song’s lyric happily chooses nostalgia over engagement, Mars and Cardi B’s exuberant run through “Finesse” had so much positive energy that it became a kind of showcase of black and brown joy — a beautiful thing on a weekend when Trump’s Twitter fight with Jay-Z illustrated how contentious race relations in America remain.

Lively and luscious performances of “Despacito” and “Wild Thoughts,” the latter by the trio of Rihanna, DJ Khaled and Bryson Tiller, put across similar ideas.

Still, the Grammys gave too much time to veterans like Sting (who turned up on no fewer than three occasions) and Elton John, whose “Tiny Dancer” with Miley Cyrus was handsome but had nothing to do with music in 2018 — unless you count the fact that the Recording Academy is putting on an elaborate tribute concert to him later this week.

Indeed, several parts of the show — including a lengthy Broadway sequence and an unfunny attempt by host James Corden to transfer his popular “Carpool Karaoke” bit to the subway — felt crassly promotional, as though they’d been arranged in cahoots with New York City tourism officials.

So the Grammys were back in New York for the first time since 2003. Big deal. Mention it once and move on.

Then again, how could we expect the academy to resist any chance to look back?

It’s what these folks do best.

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Twitter: @mikaelwood