Last night’s CMA Awards definitely started out flat and uninteresting, but there were several highlights throughout the evening, especially in the second half of the show. Here are some random notes and observations, in no particular order.
1. Despite the historic, record-breaking, ludicrous run of “Meant to Be,” the CMA chose Chris Stapleton’s “Broken Halos” as Single of the Year. Despite the Stapleton wins becoming considerably stale, the refusal to reward “Meant to Be” for “jumping into country” is a mark of leadership by the CMA, a mark that Billboard has failed to set. This is the CMA drawing a boundary, similar to its denial of Sam Hunt’s “Body Like a Back Road” in 2017. It’s good to see at least some gatekeeping still exists in the industry.
2. And about Chris Stapleton–I am starting to feel like a broken record about this, and I like Stapleton, but he has become a token name just like Miranda Lambert. “Broken Halos” won both Song and Single of the Year, and it’s a fine song, but honestly not worthy of either distinction. Stapleton is becoming an automatic winner for Male Vocalist in the same way that Lambert has been for Female vocalist.
3. Speaking of which, Carrie Underwood won Female Vocalist of the Year, and although her new album is definitely her worst so far, she deserved this over Miranda Lambert.
4. In a victory for women, artists ignored by radio, and songwriters of substance, Kacey Musgraves’ Golden Hour is your 2018 CMA Album of the Year. This is well-deserved, and although controversial for many, it still symbolizes a victory regardless of your thoughts and feelings on the record itself.
5. Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood are great, but this year brought us their most boring, flat monologue to date. “A star is Bored” just bored me. One memorable moment during the monologue, however, came when Paisley remarked that 2018 has been a “great year for men in country music,” and Underwood responded with, “yeah, finally!” It’s good to see this issue at least being addressed by the CMA, if only in comedic fashion.
6. Old Dominion, Dan + Shay, and Thomas Rhett are all still useless and added nothing to the evening.
7. Say what you want about Midland, but they turned in one of the best performances of the night, paying tribute to the Bandit with “Eastbound and Down.” Rare, lovely moment of traditional country on the CMA stage.
8. Pistol Annies brought another actual country moment, with a fun rendition of “Got my Name Changed Back.” Hopefully, this will help the radio single.
9. Good to see Brad Paisley return with new music, and again, to see actual country, with “Bucked Off,” which sounds like a George Strait tribute.
10. Maren Morris managed to hold her own well in the Stapleton collaboration, and as someone who criticized her 2017 CMA performance, I will say she pleasantly surprised me.
11. And speaking of collaborations, Ricky Skaggs arrived on the stage to school everyone about true country and bluegrass. Probably the best moment of the evening.
12. Garth brooks’ love song to Trisha, world premiered on the CMA stage, is boring. Good on Garth for getting the CMA to allow him his own choice of song, and points for coming out with just his guitar as well. I just wish I enjoyed the actual song.
13. Your 2018 CMA Entertainer of the Year is Keith Urban, which is ludicrous on many levels–Keith seemed as shocked by the pronouncement as I was, and I am disgusted that he is being rewarded for something as horrible as Graffiti U.
Please feel free to share your thoughts and comments on the CMA Awards below!
Don’t you think that the whole sad event is simply owned by the major record labels? Granted there are more palatable winners but your views on Chris Stapleton are accurate in that he’s wearily tedious now. The ‘love’ for Kasey is a bandwagon. The album is the best Country music has this year? Or is it a good cross over album supported by an astonishing budget? Maybe along with the major record labels the other media controls this annual jamboree and it rolls on as a quaint Tennessee ritual: historically interesting but frankly obsolete?
Yes, I think the labels have some to do with it. The CMA has traditionally been less about block voting and such than the ACM. As far as Kacey Musgraves, I happen to feel this is a very good album, not the best in country music this year but one of the best in the mainstream and deserving of the distinction. However, I understand the many different controversies this album has sparked, and the lack of country compared to her previous efforts. I’m not sure in all my time reviewing that I’ve ever seen an album produce so many different, mixed reactions. I was on the side that thought this to be a great album, but that’s just me, and certainly in all of country music this year there were better ones. However, I feel that Golden Hour deserved this win.
Hello! Are we going to get any new content soon?! I love reading your reviews and we haven’t had anything in almost 3 months! Hope to read something soon!
Hey Steven,
Thanks so much for reading and for commenting! Yes, content is coming soon. I have had some pretty significant things happening in my personal life these past several months that have taken too much of my time and rendered me unable to keep up with releases at all, let alone write about them. But things are slowing down, and CE will be alive and well again very soon.
Thank you Megan for responding! I understand and look forward to your return! I have to say, I never was a Country Music fan growing up, not until the last 4 years or so have I truly started to respect the gene and quiet honestly listen to it 24/7 usually during the summer months. I discovered your site because it helps guide me in what might be good, and what might be worth skipping over! Thank again!