Yidio Question of the Day: Did Bieber get screwed at the Grammys?

In the aftermath of a Grammy let down, Justin Bieber is living up to his “U Smile” philosophy.  However, when the Grammy for Best New Artist went to Esperanza Spalding, Bieber appeared on the smaller split-screen, simply blinking and looking graciously stunned.

Appearing Monday on “Chelsea Lately,” Bieber admitted to Chelsea Handler, he was disappointed but gave Spalding credit for working hard. Some could argue the point that he has worked rather hard, too, which brings us to The Yidio Question of the Day:

What do you think?  Did Bieber get screwed at The Grammys?

Yes:

In a popularity contest, the 16-year-old Bieber blows Spalding away.

As the current joke goes:

Justin: Knock knock.
Esperanza: Who's there?
Justin: Esperanza Spalding.
Esperanza: Esperanza Spalding who?
Justin: Exactly.

Jokes aside, Bieber has an impressive following. “Baby” is the most viewed YouTube video with more than 400 million hits. His current movie, “Never Say Never” brought in $29.5 million in its first three days.He ranks 9th in terms of most “Likes” out any page on Facebook. And he has more than 7 million twitter followers. Bieber has 13 songs in Billboard’s “Hot 100,” with “Baby” peaking at number 5. Like Spalding, Bieber is not a one-instrument musician. He can play the trumpet, piano, and drums. Bieber has the backing of R&B singer/songwriter Usher and again, like Spalding, he has performed for the President and First Lady. Interestingly (continue reading) he sang Stevie Wonder’s “Someday at Christmas.”

No:

Esperanza Spalding, the dynamic bassist and singer, has been wowing the music world since 2005. While Bieber entered the scene in 2008 and was just 13 years old when signed, Spalding was also discovered at young age. She was 14 when she received her scholarship to the prestigious Northwest Academy. Interestingly, she did not exactly follow a “never say never” approach. She found high school “easy and boring” and dropped out, but she continued her love for music – especially the bass. Eventually (with GED in hand) she made her way to Berklee on scholarship. While a broke student, she again considered quitting and entering politics. She stuck it out to become Berklee’s youngest professor at age 20. Since then, she has recorded three albums and has been recognized by critics for fusing jazz, Brazilian style and even hip-hop. Praising her talents, music legends like Stevie Wonder on Herbie Hancock are assumingly on team Spalding - and perhaps, even the President is in her court; Spalding has been invited to the White House for various recital dates.

Judgment:

While the award sometimes goes to the most popular artist, it’s not a requirement. Regardless, popularity (and a mega-boost in sales) factors in as an outcome of the pize. Remember Norah Jones? Nobody had heard much of Jones in 2003. Since then, she has made a lasting impression on music lovers, introducing jazz to listeners who may not have otherwise given it a chance. Certainly Bieber deserves credit and given his fever-worthy quick rise to fame, he can be considered one of the best new artists of the year. He’s already on top; his sales are solid. Chances are, this talented teen sensation is not going anywhere. He will continue to woo and wow, and will have plenty chances for acknowledgement. In the meantime, America might learn a thing or two from Esperanza and her unique style. We imagine that the Grammy’s are banking on it.

Who are we to judge? What do you think? Tell us how you'd answer the Yidio Question of the Day on our Facebook page.