Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift

There is more to the 52nd Grammy Awards than its star-studded nominations list.

Fans, press people, and music insiders were caught in a hurricane of satisfaction/dissatisfaction on nominees Taylor Swift, Kanye West, and Lady Gaga, and even a non-nominee, Whitney Houston.

Taylor Swift’s bikini babe video

Does wearing a bikini make you a wild person?

Maybe not, but this is what some netizens seem to insinuate when they uploaded a video of Taylor Swift playing around in a beach wearing a black bikini. The video was uploaded on the same day Taylor’s eight Grammy nominations were announced.

Gossipers may have been trying to incite a fuss, but fans know better. The footage was merely ripped from her 2008 video for the song “I’m Only Me When I’m With You,” which is included in her self-titled debut album as a bonus track.

Whoever is the mastermind behind the uploading of the video should try harder next time if he is to upstage Kanye West’s stunt.

Kanye West’s Grammy ‘Heartbreak’

Speaking of Kanye, the rapper surprisingly did not snag any major nomination for his well-praised and commercially successful “808s & Heartbreak” album (which includes the popularly-covered track, “Heartless”).

This is quite a detour for the controversial musician as his three previous albums were all nominated for “Album of the Year.” Theory has it that the Grammy snob is attributed to his uncalled for behavior in the Video Music Awards involving Swift last September.

Kanye did get Grammy nods for his collaborations with different artists.  These are for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group (“Knock You Down” with Ne-Yo and Keri Hilson, “Make Her Say” with Kid Cudi and Common, and “Amazing” with Young Jeezy), Best Rap Song (“Run This Town” with Jay-Z and Rihanna) and Best Rap Song Collaboration (“Ego” with Beyonce, “Run This Town,” and “Knock you Down”).   

Lady Gaga’s ‘Best New Artist’ ineligibility

Kanye’s supposed tourmate, Lady Gaga, seems to have a bit of “Bad Romance” with the Grammy’s as well.

Fans and even non-fans were in limbo after the pop performer failed to grab the Best New Artist nomination, this even as her 1.5 million-selling debut, “The Fame,” yielded several LSS-inducing hits.

The deemed ‘culprit’ for this is Gaga’s “Best Dance Recording” nomination in the 2009 Grammy’s for her single, “Just Dance.”

Rules of the awards show dictate that artists who were previously nominated are not eligible to be honored as a “Best New Artist” nominee anymore.

People behind the Grammy’s might be contradicting themselves, however, after having bestowed the plum to not-so-new artists in the past. These were for American singer Shelby Lynne, who won in 2001 (beating the likes of Sisqo, Papa Roach, Jill Scott, and Brad Praisley) albeit after having released her debut way back in 1989; and rock artist Alanis Morissette, whose “Best New Artist” nod was believed to be late a recognition since she had already established a successful career in Canada prior.

President of the Grammy’s, Neil Portnow, said their rules, determined by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NASAR), are not absolute and are changed frequently.

However, as the nominations have already been released, “it would be extremely challenging to change the rules now.”

Added another Recording Academy Representative: “First-round ballots were due back in early/mid-October… Any changes to be made will be considered after this year’s show and therefore would not affect the current rule, which does disqualify Lady Gaga.”

Looking for Whitney Houston

Year 2009 is considered as Whitney Houston’s comeback year, after a long career-hiatus when she battled drug addiction and dealt with her divorce with Bobby Brown.

Music mogul Clive Davis even staged a well-publicized return for Whitney for her album, “I Look To You.” He had the singer on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” for a tell-all as well as having her perform at his pre-Grammy gala.

Arista Records, Whitney’s label, even moved her album’s release to make it to the Grammy's eligibility period.

All the hardwork did not pay off, though, as the “I Will Always Love You” diva did not earn any nomination in the Grammy’s.

Fans and people in the industry find the shut out odd, as the Grammy committee usually favors comeback artists, as they did with Mariah Carey, Natalie Cole, and Tina Turner.