Did you watch last night’s Billboard Awards? I would not have watched it if I hadn’t been contractually obligated — in sense of my contract to myself, anyway — and with a few bright exceptions, like the tremendously wonderful Mari Copeny, whom we’ve already covered, and the always great Mary J Blige (who I love regardless), it was kinda…a dud? I can’t really explain why, but even musical acts that should have banged — like Elle King and Miranda Lambert’s fringe-y performance of “Drunk (And I Don’t Want to Go Home)” — felt a bit flat. To the point where I was wondering if maybe the audio mix was bad. Is it possible that an awards show that is literally based on sales just is always going to feel inherently somewhat soulless?
