The first few months of a new year in the world of the arts is known as Awards Season and this week it was the turn of the Grammys to give out their prizes for outstanding achievements in music. Unlike with our homegrown Brit Awards, I don’t often recognise the names of those nominated, but we usually have a few artists from the UK who do well and this year was no exception. Incidentally, the reason the trophy depicts a gilded gramophone, is because at their inception back in 1959, they were called the “Gramophone Awards”. I don’t think many of today’s winners will have ever seen a gramophone in real life but if you ever look at the HMV (His Master’s Voice) label you will see one there too.
A Grammy trophy and the painting used for the HMV label (featuring Nipper the dog from Bristol)
A year and a half ago I knew nothing of what was current in the world of music and even made a faux pas here in 2024 when I said that DD had asked for an album by someone called Messy for her Christmas present. Once I did a bit of research I realised there was no contemporary artist called Messy but there was an album of the same name by someone called Olivia Dean and a song of the same name by someone called Lola Young, both Brits. It was the Olivia album that DD wanted and it seems she was ahead of the curve as this 2023 Messy album didn’t hang around in the charts for long, but it did set Olivia up for her second album called the Art Of Loving which has done really well for her. This week she won the Grammy for Best New Artist. Here is an example of what Olivia does best – So Easy (To Fall In Love). I don’t think I ever wore a dress like that to the office!
But back to my faux pas. The song called Messy that I found out about when trying to discover DD’s elusive artist, ended up giving Lola Young the Grammy for Best Solo Pop Performance. By the time we headed into 2025 I did get to know this song quite well as Lola ended up being Mr WIAA’s favourite new discovery of the year. We both have our own computers in our little office and often sit side by side. During our tea-breaks we show each other YouTube clips of new music we love and whilst my favourite artist at that time was definitely Chappell Roan, his was always Lola with her song. (Warning: some swearing in this video.)
Lola explained the song in an interview, saying Messy is an ADHD anthem. It showcases everything she felt during her last relationship but also about how she feels about herself in general – being too messy one day then too clean the next, struggling to find a balance in herself. It’s about embracing imperfections and finding strength in who she is, scatty or not.
Brian Denney of Atwood Magazine wrote: “Messy is a beautiful display of Young’s gritty vocals and world-class lyrical storytelling. As a listener, it plays out as if you are watching the singer leave an angry voicemail to her lover, simply fed up with the irrationality of trying to please a partner who will never be satisfied.”
For anyone interested in who the other British winners were at the Grammys, here is the lowdown.
Best pop duo/group performance
Cynthia Erivo & Ariana Grande – Defying Gravity
Best dance/electronic album
FKA Twigs – Eusexua
Best rock performance
Yungblud ft Nuno Bettencourt, Frank Bello, Adam Wakeman, II – Changes (Live From Villa Park) Back To The Beginning
Best alternative music album
The Cure – Songs Of A Lost World
Best alternative music performance
The Cure – Alone
How great that a band who have been around since 1976 won its first ever awards. The Cure won both the categories they were nominated for. Sadly they were absent from the ceremony due to their attendance at the funeral for their bandmate Perry Bamonte, who died in December.
Here’s a conversation blogger Jez once shared over at his wonderful place, and I’ve never forgotten it. Hope you don’t mind if I use it Jez?
Meg: I passed Robert Smith in a corridor at the BBC once, and he was dressed as Robert Smith…
Jez: Sorry, what do you mean, ‘dressed as Robert Smith’?
Meg: You know, his hair was all over the place, loads of mascara, slightly wonky lipstick…
Jez: But you’re describing Robert Smith to me. Are you saying he doesn’t always look like that?
Meg: Well, yes. He can’t look like that all the time, or he’d always be getting stopped. He must dress like Robert Smith out of The Cure only when he’s being Robert Smith out of The Cure, surely?
It was something which had never occured to me before, but the more I think about it, the more I think Meg’s probably right. Much as I’d like to imagine Robert Smith popping to the shops to buy some toilet roll dressed as Robert Smith out of The Cure, he probably doesn’t. He probably just wears the eyeliner and passes on the lipstick.
Thanks Jez – I still find that exchange quite funny but also makes you think about the delineation between the artist and the man.
Robert Smith sans makeup
Until next time…
Messy Lyrics (again some swearing)
(Song by Carter Lang/Scott Zhang/Lola Young/Conor Luke Dickinson)
You know I’m impatient
So why would you leave me waitin’ outside the station
When it was like minus four degrees?
And I, I get what you’re sayin’
I just really don’t wanna hear it right now
Can you shut up for like once in your life?
Listen to me, I took your nice words of advice about
How you think I’m gonna die lucky if I turn 33
Okay, so yeah, I smoke like a chimney
I’m not skinny, and I pull a Britney every other week
But cut me some slack, who do you want me to be?
‘Cause I’m too messy, and then I’m too fucking clean
You told me, “Get a job, ” then you ask where the hell I’ve been
And I’m too perfect ’til I open my big mouth
I want to be me, is that not allowed?
And I’m too clever, and then I’m too fucking dumb
You hate it when I cry, unless it’s that time of the month
And I’m too perfect ’til I show you that I’m not
A thousand people I could be for you, and you hate the fucking lot
You hate the fucking lot
You hate the fucking lot
You hate, you hate
It’s taking you ages
You still don’t get the hint, I’m not askin’ for pages
But one text or two would be nice
And please, don’t pull those faces
When I’ve been out working my arse off all day
It’s just one bottle of wine or two
But, hey, you can’t even talk
You smoke weed just to help you sleep
Then why you out gettin’ stoned at four o’clock?
And then you come home to me
And don’t say hello, ’cause I got high again
And forgot to fold my clothes
‘Cause I’m too messy, and then I’m too fucking clean
You told me, “Get a job, ” then you ask where the hell I’ve been
And I’m too perfect ’til I open my big mouth
I want to be me, is that not allowed?
And I’m too clever, and then I’m too fucking dumb
You hate it when I cry, unless it’s that time of the month
And I’m too perfect ’til I show you that I’m not
A thousand people I could be for you, and you hate the fucking lot
You hate the fucking lot
You hate the fucking lot
Oh-ooh, and I’m too messy, and then I’m too fucking clean
You told me, “Get a job, ” then you ask where the hell I’ve been
And I’m too perfect ’til I open my big mouth
I want to be me, is that not allowed?
And I’m too clever, and then I’m too fucking dumb
You hate it when I cry, unless it’s that time of the month
And I’m too perfect ’til I show you that I’m not
A thousand people I could be for you, and you hate the fucking lot
You hate the fucking lot
You hate the fucking lot
You hate the fucking lot
You hate the fucking lot
What's It All About? 
I’m making a note to myself to listen to the latest Cure album. Smith is the only original member still in the band.
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I didn’t have you down as being a Cure fan but they’ve been around for 50 years and were quite big in the US, so makes sense. Yes, Robert the only constant – it seems he has decided to retire in 2029 when he is 70 but we’ll see.
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I love their album Disintegration.
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Thank you for the update on the Grammy’s. All I heard was that the Great Orange Idiot didn’t like them.
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Just an update on the British winners really but they did well.
Can’t imagine the Orange One is a fan of Kendrick Lamar or Bad Bunny!
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On the one hand, I feel really old looking at and hearing Olivia Dean and Lola Young here. On the other hand, I feel really….
…oh, damn it, yes still old…. ! looking at and hearing The Cure and remembering them so vividly in their early days too. There really is no getting away from it!
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Strangely enough, now that I’m following the UK Singles Chart again, it’s making me feel young again. I can have conversations with DD, and other people who follow contemporary music, about who the movers and shakers are. Around the turn of the millennium I kind of zoned out but now I actually get quite excited ahead of the new chart being released on Friday at 6pm.
Fantastic that the Cure won two Grammys after 50 years in the business but yes, watching that clip of them above, it hits home that we’re all getting old. Not sure how much longer Robert will be able to rock the wonky lipstick and eyeliner but as Jez’s friend said, when he does, he must be pretty incognito.
Well done on picking up the momentum over at your place. Since reaching my target of 500 posts in 10 years, I’m on a bit of a roll again, posting weekly. Enjoying doing it for myself mainly but nice when people drop by with comments.
PS – Do you remember reading that snippet about Nipper the dog at the M Shed in Bristol? Kind of thing you remember even if you forget most of what you read!
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Ah yes, I remember reading about Nipper, but not so good is that I had forgotten where!
It’s great that keeping up with all this helps you to feel young and have those conversations with DD. I think it’s easy otherwise to fall into the trap of just thinking things don’t apply to us and then that automatically ages us. Whilst I don’t tune into what’s happening in the charts there are certainly quite a few newer bands and artists who pique my interest at least, and I’m very glad they’re doing what they’re doing – I don’t want to lose touch either. Grateful to 6Music and our fellow bloggers too for some help with that!
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I kind of got into music blogging because of my love of following chart music in the 70s and then regularly buying the Guinness book of Hit Singles. As you know I love my facts and figures and plenty there to keep me amused. Now I’ve got into it all again which is probably quite unusual for someone of my vintage. I am aware I am an anomaly in the music blogging community as most of us find new music through other means – 6Music and live gigs – but it still works for me. I have learnt a lot from the rest of you in the 10 years I’ve been doing this though.
As for Nipper, that snippet stuck with me for some reason!
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Afternoon Alyson
I haven’t posted on your site for years….. I get the emails, but I guess life and to many distractions and grandchildren get in the way. Oh well, anyways, I have liked your posts and the batch of your most recent ones. I need to backtrack and pop a few comments on them.
I know I have very similar general taste in music to you, anyway, for the record I can’t stand The Cure, maybe one or two of their tunes an I can live with, just can’t get on with Smith, just something about him that rubs me up the wrong way!
Now as for the modern artists, Olivia is good, but I’ve got to admit that Lola (I do like that name) and Messy, is the tops for me! Messy is a real ear worm for me, I don’t get them very often now as via distractions and to many options, choices, for all type of media, film, TV, music, books, social, just don’t listen to as much music as I once did! So, when I first heard Messy, it got me, there’s just something about the beat, the rhythm, I can never put my finger on it, it just happens, but not very often now, being out of touch so to speak music wise, well I am old!
So carry on posting, I do love emails/threads when they pop in my inbox.
regards
Richard
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Thanks Richard for leaving this comment. I just never know if the people who follow and subscribe to this place still read my posts, so good to know someone is!
Writing about the Cure last weekend I just couldn’t get over how long they’ve been going but once I thought about it I only really know them via Lovecats, Boys Don’t Cry and Friday I’m In Love. All great pop songs that have stood the test of time. Watching the clip above I wonder how much longer Robert can rock his unique “look” but well done on him for going for it.
As for the song Messy, I know what you mean about it forming an earworm really quickly. It’s been going round and round in my head since Saturday. Glad I took the time to find out a bit more about the lyrics – makes a lot of sense now and the sanitised version for the radio just doesn’t work as well as the one with all the swear words!
I fully intend to carry on posting so please drop by with a comment when you have the time.
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