Grammy Awards: In the world of country album winners Lady Antebellum, all songs lead to ‘Need You Now’
This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.
Introduced as paying tribute to R&B/soul legend Teddy Pendergrass was none other than .... Lady Antebellum? Right-o, but Lady Antebellum isn’t really a country band -- more a pop band with an occasional country instrument thrown in. They’re stars on the crossover path, and they were awarded best country album. That’s the act’s third one tonight, and positions Lady A to upset Eminem.
Yet as far as the Pendergrass tribute went, don’t worry, as Lady A went rather quickly into its own ‘American Honey’ and then a more slowed-down performance of .... anyone wanna guess? ... ‘Need You Now’! Yes, the song the band performed at the 2010 Grammys, but most folks don’t know any other song, so may as well trot out this one again.
If anything, Lady Antebellum proved exactly why it did not deserve the top country album honors. Not only was the act upstaged by Miranda Lambert earlier in the night, but the band also has designs strictly on the pop marketplace, rather than dominating Nashville. Make no mistake, Lambert is no country rebel, but the girl can sing, and she has something Lady A doesn’t: a personality.
-- Todd Martens
Photo credit: Los Angeles Times
