BRITs 2009 took place last night, leaving us Americans super perplexed by some of the winners and the performance collaborations (Pet Shop Boys + Lady Gaga + Brandon Flowers? Estelle + Katie White of the Ting Tings? OK, that’s kind of awesome actually.) Ultimately we’re questioning if they’ve got different soundwaves across the pond. Or perhaps we’re just used to the Grammys and their oh-so-predictable trophy-takers, based on who sells the most at Starbucks. After the jump, we look a little deeper…
Best British Female Solo Artist went to Duffy, who also won three other awards, including Best British Album… sponsored by Mastercard. (We suppose the Grammys aren’t the only ones selling out.) Sure, the Duff-ster (not to be confused with Hilary Duff, mind you) has a cute voice and a few catchy songs, but she’s basically the American Idol version of Amy Winehouse. (She actually appeared on an American Idol-ish show before her rise to fame.) How could this tiny pipsqueak of a “soul” singer beat the powerhouse pipes of Adele, who is commonly compared to Etta James? She also beats indie-goddess M.I.A., Estelle, and Beth Rowley. We demand a recount.
While they might be an American obsession, Coldplay went home empty-handed despite four nominations, including Best British Group to Elbow, Best British Single to Girls Aloud (aren’t they the new Spice Girls?), and Best British Album to, er, Duffy (we kid you not!). That’s a burn. We guess the Brits aren’t so into Mr. Paltrow and the gang.
Perhaps more interesting is how American crooners Kings of Leon are a big ol’ fave in the UK. Scoring Best International Album and Best International Band over music heavyweights such as the Killers, Fleet Foxes, AC/DC, and MGMT, maybe they should think about a name change to Kings of the UK.
Time to gag. Katy freakin’ Perry (who chose to wear a Hello Kitty mess of a dress) won Best International Female. We’d even put a ring on it with Beyonce over this second rate Betty Boop . C’mon, did Avril Lavigne ever win Best International Female?! Santo/Santigold, or Pink, please. Kanye West took home Best International Male; look forward to an ALL CAPS ego-filled blog post.
Take a look at all of the winners here and let us know what you think of ’em in the comments.