Roots, Toots n' Hoots Blog

The future of Lady Antebellum

Jeffrey Remz  |  February 14, 2011

Lady Antebellum was a huge winner Sunday night at the Grammys, but despite that, don't expect a big impact in terms of record sales. However, the trio's outing certainly will help their already fast moving career.

"Need You Now," both the CD and song, won country CD and overall and country song. Charles Kelley, Dave Haywood and Hillary Scott also scored trophies for record and song of the year.

You can add Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals to the list of Grammys.

It is extremely common for an artist enjoying a spike in CD sales immediately after an awards show, but that may not be the case this year with Lady Antebellum. The reason is that "Need You Now" was released slightly more than one year ago. Therefore, a large chunk of the music buying public (what few of them that are left) may already have the CD.

Of course, winning such awards (and remember folks, I have never been big on these awards shows) can't hurt one's career. Taking a slew of Grammys means that these guys are assured headlining status at least for a while (the bands seem to make their living by touring) and result in built-in CD sales when their third CD is ready to roll.

But ultimately this band - just like any artist or group - must not rest of their laurels. These days, a band is often about as good as their last hit. For Lady A, at least, they have enjoyed two albums filled with hits, which goes a long way towards some sense of career stability.

I was not a big fan of "Need You Now." Some of the songs are excellent, particularly the title track, but there's too much middling material on there as well. Here's hoping that Lady Antebellum takes the necessary time to put together an album that doesn't stand still artistically.

Haywood, Kelley and Scott have enjoyed a great ride thus far. At least in some part, whether that will continue is dependent on their artistic vision.