Country stars salute George Strait as ACM's 'Artist of the Decade'
George Strait sat by and watched a new generation of country musicians take top honors Sunday night at the 44th annual Academy of Country Music Awards, but Monday night was all his as most of those performers tipped their hats to the veteran Texas troubadour, singled out as the ACM’s "Artist of the Decade."
Strait, his wife, Norma, and son George Jr. watched from a booth set up at the side of the stage for nearly three hours as a parade of stars including Keith Urban, Taylor Swift, Alan Jackson, Toby Keith, Faith Hill, Tim McGraw and even Jamie Foxx expressed their admiration for Strait’s nearly three decades of country hits. The event was taped and will be edited down to two hours for airing May 27 as a CBS-TV special.
ACM Awards: A big night for Carrie Underwood and Julianne Hough
Underwood takes entertainer of the year; Hough wins best new artist.
The 44th Academy of Country Music Awards swung political, personal, playful and patriotic on Sunday and ultimately opted for popular in bestowing its top honor on "American Idol" winner Carrie Underwood, naming her entertainer of the year over veteran male performers George Strait, Kenny Chesney and Keith Urban.
"I've had a lot of good moments in the past four years," the Oklahoma-born Underwood said at the climax of the three-hour event at the MGM Grand Arena, "but this one takes the cake."
The award was determined for the second year by popular vote during the show at CBS.com instead of being determined as it had been in past years by the performer who sold the most concert tickets during the previous 12 months, which would have given a fifth title to Chesney.
But the ACM, in striving to boost ratings and make the event more interactive for fans, opened the voting for entertainer and new artist to the public. That helped TV-friendly faces such as Underwood and former "Dancing With the Stars"-turned-country singer Julianne Hough, who took home the new artist trophy.
It was a big night as well for Internet-savvy teen phenom Taylor Swift, who sold more albums in 2008 than any other artist in any genre, passing 5 million. Her overwhelming success contributed to her sophomore album, "Fearless," which has topped 3 million since its release in November, being named album of the year.
Grading the ACMs: Taylor Swift, Miley Cyrus, Miranda Lambert and more. Who got an A?
Pop & Hiss brought you insta-reviews of all the ACM live performances, typos and all.
1. Brooks & Dunn & Taylor Swift & Sugarland & Carrie Underwood & Rascal Flatts. Here's one for those with short attention spans. Nearly everything the ACMs have to offer in a tidy little seven minutes! Host/country royalty Reba McEntire introduces the show by informing us that duo Brooks & Dunn is one of the most acclaimed acts in the history of the awards, but what follows isn't their time to shine. Instead, Brooks & Dunn become the anchor for whizz-bang medley. Swift rocked out with "Picture to Burn," looking more assured than ever. Underwood showed off her near-perfect vocals with a brief turn at "All-American Girl," Sugarland was delightfully poppy and Rascal Flatts represented some country good ol' boys. "That's what I call a stimulus package," McEntire said. We'd rather have cash, but it was a solid opening. B+
2. Kenny Chesney's "Out Last Night." The lead single from his upcoming greatest hits package is a pleasant enough up-tempo rocker, representing immediately how country award shows are different from the Grammys. Less than 15 minutes in, and we have an ode to being drunk. Rather than approach anything dangerous or reckless, Chesney spins this tale of hangin' at the local bar into a neat little slice of nostalgia. B.
Snap judgment: Keith Urban's 'Sweet Thing'
It's not a huge stretch to connect some of the energy and sense of discovery in Keith Urban's new single, a familiar first-date scenario, to his new role as a first-time dad.
It’s already the second country single of the season, on the heels of Taylor Swift’s “Love Story,” that draws its romantic inspiration from “Romeo and Juliet.” Well, they did call Hank Williams the Hillbilly Shakespeare, right?
Like Swift’s equally upbeat tune, Urban doesn’t venture anywhere near tragedy in this bubbly tale of love in the embryonic stage. He paints the scene of that adrenaline-laced first date, where expectation and excitement rein:
I held open the car door for you
Then you climbed inside and slid on over
To the other side
I thought “My, oh, my”
It’s quintessential Keith Urban -- a funky country-rock beat under electric guitar strings, ticking like a clock on the guy in the song who’s under the gun to return his buddy's borrowed Mustang. But not before he spends a little smooch time on the front porch swing with his girl.
“I’m standing here like a love-struck Romeo,” he confesses.
It's nothing we didn't already know, but it’s a pose that Urban strikes exceptionally well.
