The Brit Awards 2012

The annual Brit Awards ceremony took place in London this Tuesday night. Despite a questionable reputation, the occasion marks the high point in the British musical calendar, particularly recognising the achievements within the British industry as well as those worldwide. Here, I givesa run-down of the 2012 awards and the winners.

British Male was taken home by Ed Sheeran, who also bagged British Breakthrough. The singer-songwriter has had a fantastic 2011, with his album + going platinum and his gig tickets becoming something akin to gold dust. Whilst predictable, Ed deserved the recognition, particularly within the contenders from the British Male outlet (but Jessie J and The Vaccines were worthy nominations in the breakthrough category that merit recognition).

British Female was awarded to (dramatic pause, as if you couldn’t possibly guess), Adele. Without a doubt, the award ceremony was to belong to Adele’s triumphs in what has been a whirlwind twelve months for the star, starting with her performance of ‘Someone Like You’ at the Brits 2011. In addition, she bagged the British Album of the Year, the big Brit. If she hadn’t have won there would have certainly been a public outcry of sorts, which we shall come back to later when reviewing the show.

British Group was handed over to “We won’t win any Brits” Coldplay, the third time they have snatched the award. Yet this was an opportunity for the Brits to be edgier, with Chase and Status, or Elbow or even Kasabian having released material that, for me, interests the listener more than an enjoyable, but predictable, Coldplay album.

The real and most terrible shock of the night, however, came from the British public themselves. Hang your heads in shame, voters of the Brit awards 2012. British Single of the Year – One Direction: ‘What Makes You Beautiful’. The preppy, sickly pop number fended off the likes of ‘Someone Like You’ (which admittedly a number of people may now be bored of), ‘The A Team’, ‘Changed The Way You Kissed Me’ and even ‘Price Tag’. As a shameful moment in a Brit Awards ceremony, it is possibly only eclipsed by blundering over Adele’s British album (more later).

Elsewhere, Rihanna won International Female for the second year running, which reflects her achievements selling the most records of any foreign artist in the UK last year, and becoming the most watched artist on Youtube. Lana Del Rey picked up International Breakthrough and was wooden as ever in her acceptance of the award.

International Male went to Bruno Mars, which was generally a poor category for mainstream artists, but had the potential to give a voice to some largely unknown people (Bon Iver, Aloe Blacc). Alas, the Brits bosses voted for sales over substance in this case.

One of the toughest categories was probably International Group, which was claimed by the Foo Fighters. Thankfully one rock outlet won an award, otherwise it could have been some over the top sweet-pop fiasco affair. Most people thought Maroon 5 would blag it thanks to their inescapable ‘Moves Like Jagger’. A surprise Brit award, deserved nonetheless.

Outstanding contribution was awarded to Blur, and Critics Choice to Emile Sandé.

As far as the 2012 ceremony went, there had obviously been some effort to make the event seem polished and relevant. The awards were given a Union Jack lick of paint and the event was stylised around rainbows, flowers, suns and flags. All feeling very optimistic in the year of jubilees and Olympics.

However, James Corden received mixed reviews, his comedy appearing somewhat forced and based around song lyrics.

Many performances were bland alongside Corden’s presenting. Coldplay certainly went overboard with pyrotechnics, but that was about as elaborate as the staging was for any act. Adele dutifully performed the same song ('Rolling In The Deep') in the same set up as she had ten days prior at the Grammys. Rihanna blasted out ‘We Found Love’ for the umpteenth time on an award show, though at least she brought colour to the proceedings.

Blur’s performance in particular has divided opinion following the event. Some took to social networks in a frenzy slating the live set, saying they were past their best, drunk, shouting, loutish like a karaoke at a bar. On the other hand, a number, myself included, feel that the Blur set is unduly criticised. Fair play, the act wasn’t the best the band have produced, but there was some 90s pop-punk revival charm about their set that really captured the spirit and reason behind the band being awarded outstanding contribution. It was hedonistic; both reminiscent of inebriated summer evenings and a head pump of adrenaline at festivals.

Of course, stealing the light from all of the above was the shocking moment James Corden stepped over to the podium and cut Adele off as she was making her acceptance speech for British Album of the Year. How do I even begin to vent my spleen on this musical atrocity?

To begin, any sport related telebroadcast would be allowed to overrun by significant amounts of time: I'm pretty sure you could have spared an extra 30 seconds. This woman has made British music en vogue single handedly and continues to break records worldwide, let alone scooping six Grammys. Just a week before the Brits, she talked of her love for the ceremony. She began by saying she was proud to be British, and the organisers didn’t have the patience to let her prove what it means to be British.

More to the point, James Corden should not have cut her off. It’s his second year presenting the awards and both times to mixed reviews. It’s unlikely he’ll get them again: but he’s a comedian staring in an award winning West-End play. He doesn’t need that gig. He should have stood on the stage and let her finish: it wouldn’t have hurt him one bit.

Then, my issue with ITV is that similar mishaps happen each year. The key is to delay broadcast the show by half an hour and get less advertisers. To add insult to injury, this particular year saw segments highlighting the ‘Album of the Year’ category throughout the show. It is nothing but poor foresight and planning should there not be proper fruition of what has been built up and up for two hours.

The Brit Awards 2012 then? Another mediocre set of largely predictable awards, eternally remembered as the year that the most awarded singer to come out of the UK was ignored on her home soil.

A + For Ed Sheeran

Both moody and mellow, the first album proper from Ed Sheeran has to live up to a great deal of expectations. Despite having released material for the better part of half a decade now, the young musician has only recently come to light and is now being hailed as one of the most inspiring and talented singer songwriters of his generation.

Broad and sweeping, the release tackles social issues, the idea of self-identity and the problematic twinges of love. 

Sheeran delivers haunting and wholly mesmerising vocals that seem somewhat haggard and worn by years of strife: the album is splattered with regret and retribution in equal measure. No more so is this obvious than the occasionally vicious pre-release ‘You Need Me, I Don’t Need You’, which showcases ability to rap at tongue-twisting, sizzling speeds. (By his own admission, when performing the aforementioned track, he normally is successful in snapping his guitar strings).

Yet, the album is much more interesting and notable once such bravado has been removed. Certainly, the long and difficult lessons of ‘You Need Me’ frame Sheeran’s growth, but the anguish of tracks such as ‘The A Team’ define the musician as coming to the pinnacle of bemoaned success.

For example, a great many of the featured tracks focus on the trails of love amidst attempts of a breakthrough. ‘U.N.I.’ talks of the differences that led to the end of a relationship, and yet with only “a hairband as proof you were here”, the regret hits like a ‘tsunami wave’, such its powerful force. ‘Grade 8’ has a slightly rockier edge granted by the various bouncing drums and piano chords, reflecting in the uncertainty of love: the affections of our musician are the attention of some playfully promiscuous paramour, that so induces “tears of a river filler”, need of “drink for a liver killer”.

Most compassionate and striking of these lost liaisons comes courtesy of ‘Wake Me Up’. In a-capella fashion, Sheeran both demonstrates the soft and hard vocals within his capacity, and delivers a performance that is such a postcard perfect representation of young and idol love, only foreshadowed slightly by the future problems in the breaking of the comedy fairytale ‘Shrek’.

Growing pains of ‘The City’ has the musician a stranger wherever he plays, and this the lesson of a singer who has travelled globally and slept on Jamie Foxx’ sofa. By contrast, the absent baby of ‘Small Bump’, once a map of future plans, taken too soon works in much a best laid plans of mice and men fashion.

Despite the fervent passion evident in Sheeran’s tracks and topics, the flaw of + is that by the close of the album, all this overwhelming onset of weary emotions becomes overbearing and somewhat repetitive, typified by the longing of ‘Kiss Me’. 

Shamefully, a great many of the tracks have their moments of pent up anger, where Sheeran spits and seemingly foams at his microphone, but the hatred lacks direction. Despite the best efforts of quirky ‘Grade 8’ and upfront ‘You Need Me’, there were a great many missed opportunities for inclusion of some rockier numbers: a feature piece for electric guitar, or dark rolling 80s synth would have added an additional dimension that not only would have interested a more diverse fan base, but would also have solidified Sheeran as a compatible artist from his first release and channeled those heavier, moodier vibes (consider features on records with Wiley and Wretch 32 as reason behind this opinion of latter lack of inspiration). 

Whilst the range of the album is also rather pleasantly surprising, there are occasions when lack of considered lyrics unbalances a song. ‘Wake Me Up’ cringingly fumbles through its second verse by recommending a back up VCR, due to lack of Blu-Ray. ‘Kiss Me’ suggests that whilst “falling into your eyes… I’ll forget I’m in love”, all too stereotyped and cheesy after other brash tracks on this release.

However, with continued success and recognition comes the opportunity to experiment in new areas and hopefully Sheeran will consolidate his achievements so far whilst delivering a sound equally as impressive and capturing next time. Indeed, with such an extensive back catalogue, this offering is merely but a taster of the man’s talents, finally being recognised after remaining an underground secret for so many years. There is no doubt that the elevator doors of ‘You Need Me’ will ping open in time for Ed to deliver an even superior 'load' when the follow up is released.