Artists remain PC at 46th Grammy Awards

With an ostentatious "purple" intro number performed by artists Prince and Beyonc‚, the 46th annual Grammy Awards began with gimmicky showmanship and a new-generation-loves-old motif that continued throughout the stolid award show.

After last weekend's Superbowl fiasco, CBS can rejoice in an utterly respectable, if somewhat predictable, airing of Sunday's prestigious event.

This is not to say that the network alone was responsible for the play-it-safe attitude of the evening. The show's artists also seemed to bow to the subdued, funereal theme, which was solidified by an extensive video montage honoring several past awards won by the deceased.

Despite the low key energy, the Grammys retained the well-loved, elaborate performances reserved for "music's greatest night." This year saw the arrival of hip-hop like never before as Outkast garnered the top honor of the evening, Album of the Year, for Speakerboxxx/The Love Below.

The group of nominees represents the changing direction of music in pop culture. R&B diva Beyonc‚ brought home five awards out of her six nominations. Performances were energetic and ornate, with characteristic antics meant to differentiate each individual artist. The White Stripes' trippy black and red light show and Outkast's future-tribesman jungle green performance are examples of the lengths artists are willing to take to set themselves apart.

Now that the man-made fog has cleared and there's been ample time to recover from the ubiquitous strobe lights, let's rehash Sunday's awards.

After Prince and Beyonc‚'s lively but unremarkable anniversary performance of his well-known "Purple Rain," the show unearthed another song from the vault. A quartet featuring Sting, Vince Gill, Dave Matthews, and Pharell Williams honored the Beatles with their own rendition of "I Saw Her Standing There." Meant to pay homage to the 40th anniversary of the Fab Four's first performance on the Ed Sullivan Show and the subsequent British Invasion, these random artists could do little justice to the contagious energy of the world-famous boys from Liverpool.

Justin Timberlake and Arturo Sandoval infused some vigor into the lagging evening at its halfway point. Performing a spirited, saucy version of "Se¬orita," the two were a welcome reprieve from the beautifully slow and sincere previous efforts of Martina McBride, Alicia Keys, and Celine Dion singing a tribute to Luther Vandross with the song, "Dance With My Father."

Timberlake also spiced up the evening with his acceptance speech for the Best Male Pop Vocal award. "It's been a rough week," he stated, in reference to last week's Superbowl "wardrobe malfunction."

"Unintentional, and completely regrettable. I apologize if you guys are offended," Timberlake said. He didn't mention Janet Jackson, who was not present at the ceremony, though she had been slated to make an appearance prior to the highly contested half-time peep show controversy.

Her presence was missed, seeing as the award show could have used a bit more controversy. The artists were cautious and obviously mindful of their careers and record contracts. Christina Aguilera was the only person on air to refer to Jackson by name. She remarked that she wanted to avoid "what happened to Janet," as she adjusted her dangerously low cut dress.

Queen Latifah remarked that sometimes "it is just about the music." However, this year's Grammys saw an interesting new addition which focused far more on the business: the introduction of a PSA to discourage teens from downloading music illegally.

So really, in the words of the Black Eyed Peas, "Where was the love?" The Grammys filled the evening with Lifetime Achievement Awards and tasteful video wakes for the artists of yesterday while the nominees remained hush-hush on recent issues. Hip-hop and rap busted out into the mainstream with the triumphs of Beyonc‚ and Outkast, but memorials lurked before every commercial break. The 46th Annual Grammy Award Show was as silent as the grave.