2015 CMA's review

I watched this show the day after, but after the huge opening music act of Hank Williams and Eric Church, and John Mellencamp and Keith Urban the show took a huge dip and I just had to comment. So much so that I had to look back on the Internet and on Twitter to see if I was the only one that had awful things to say about it. If it weren't for the NY Times agreeing with me I would have thought my sound was off.

Worst (or should I just label this Terrible Singers):

1. Zac Brown - What happened here? First of all, what is with that look he has going on? Please, Zac put the hat back on. Secondly, what was under his eye? Online it looked like teardrop. Lastly, though, his voice was so off key and flat. Very un-Zac Brown like.
2. Kenny Chesney, - Another terrible performance, but then again I don't find that Chesney is that great of a singer. His songs, however, are flashy, snappy, and happy, but last night's performance sucked.
3. Sam Hunt - He looked lost. His singing was pitch-y and low enough that I had to turn up my volume just to hear him. That's the problem with these award shows. A lot of these singers actually don't sound good without all the studio additives. 
4. Star Wars - Yeah, what did that have to do with Country Music?
5. Jason Aldean - Another terrible, flat performance despite all of the pyrotechnics shooting up in the background. 
6. Dirks Bentley - Ugh. He looked like a kid whose mom made him get up on the stage to perform. Flat. Boring. Ugh.

Best:

1. Opening Music Act - John Mellencamp at 64 blew those guys above out of the water by MILES. Adding in Keith Urban? That was just extra sugar and jimmies (sprinkles to those who don't know better) on the cake. Too bad it all went 
2. Chris Stapleton - Who? The guy was the hit of the night winning Male Vocalist of the Year, Album of the Year, and a couple of other big ones, but seriously, the guys COULD SING. After watching all of his male counterparts sing before him I thought hell, yeah, no wonder he won. He blew them all out of the water.
3. Blake & Miranda Joke - The two country superstars are divorced. It's all the media can talk about, and since Shelton's rep confirmed earlier in the day that he was dating his Voice co-star Gwen Stefani, I was okay with the Kermit/Miss Piggy joke and with Brad Paisley calling out to Blake Shelton. Get it all out of the way. But I also felt like Paisley sided with Shelton so I loved when after Miranda Lambert sang Carrie Underwood gave her a shout-out. Solidarity sisters!
4. Justin Timberlake & Fall Out Boys - Without these non-country singers, this show would have been an embarrassment. After they both performed the performances started improving and the performers started trying.
5. Women - Cheers to the gals of country music! Carrie Underwood, Kelsea Ballerini, Maddie & Tae, Miranda Lambert, and the Queen of Country, Reba McEntire.
6. Brad Paisley's Performance - With an introduction by ESPN's College Game Day hosts Lee Corso and Kirk Herbstreit, Paisley rocked out his new single Country Nation with a slew of NCAA mascots dancing behind him.  
7. Blake Shelton - I love Blake. I love his humor and his ah, shucks, attitude. I think his songs are basic, juvenile. and chosen for market value only, but he did a good job for a change singing and performing.
8. Pentatonix - Beautiful a cappella rendition of The Oak Ridge Boys' Elvira. No tricks needed here because those singers could SING.