Adele, Beyonce, The Weeknd with Daft Punk, and Lady Gaga with Metallica were among the performers at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards. The ceremonies included tributes to Prince, George Michael, and the Bee Gees.
As always, the televised portion of the Grammy Awards belonged to the performers. Who rocked the show? Check out videos below.
Adele got the show started with her chart-busting single “Hello.” The English songstress looked beautiful in her black gown with a red “stained glass” bodice. Appearing on stage alone with only a black and white video of her performance projected onto a screen behind her, Adele carried on in her simple but elegant signature style.
The Weeknd and Daft Punk gave a spectacular performance of “I Feel It Coming,” featured on The Weeknd’s latest album. Daft Punk, resembling Darth Vader understudies, electrified the crowd from an icy looking set, backed by videos of the Northern Lights. Considering The Weeknd’s Michael Jackson inspired sound, it seems appropriate that he was introduced by Paris Jackson, daughter of the King of Pop.
Carrie Underwood joined Keith Urban for a performance of their duet, “The Fighter”. Underwood looked incredible in her silver mini dress, dancing around Urban, dressed in head to toe black. The light show in the cube behind them complemented the song’s upbeat energy.
Ed Sheeran sang “Shape of You” from his upcoming album, Divide. Sheeran performed solo with the help of his Chewie II looper effects pedals. And like a true brand ambassador, Sheeran wore a HOAX t-shirt with black pants.
Kelsea Ballerini accompanied Lukas Graham in a mashup of their hit singles, “Peter Pan” (hers) and “7 Years” (theirs). For those who are tired of hearing “7 Years,” it was a nice change. (It’s okay to admit you’re sick of it. Even the band said they were.)
The moment many were waiting for….Beyoncé appeared onstage, appropriately introduced by her mother Tina Knowles. Looking like a fertility goddess, she was bejeweled and sparkling with a crown atop her flowing mane. The dazzling performance began with a recitation of a quote from Warsan Shire, one of many Beyoncé used on Lemonade. Behind her, melanin-blessed dancers moved in unison as Queen Bey belted out “Love Drought.” She followed it up with a moving performance of “Sandcastles” seated and surrounded by rose petals and her tribe of women. As she finished up with another Warsan Shire line — “if we’re going to heal, let it be glorious” — the audience reciprocated her gift with a standing ovation.
Bruno Mars serenaded the theater with “That’s What I Like” from his 2016 album 24K Magic. At the end of his soulful crooning, he wandered into the audience, addressing the ladies in the crowd.
Little Big Town took the stage with an a cappella version of “Teenage Dream” to introduce Katy Perry who sang “Chained to the Rhythm” dressed in a white suit with black lapels. Skip Marley, grandson of the legendary Bob Marley, joined Katy, matching her outfit with his own all-white suit. As the song came to an end, an image of the United States Constitution took over the screen behind the duo.
Soul icon William Bell and bluesman Gary Clark Jr. delivered a flawless rendition of “Born Under a Bad Sign.” The song, co-written by Bell, was made famous by Albert King in 1967 and by British rock group Cream a year later. Bell won a Grammy for Best Americana Album earlier in the evening for I’m New Here.
In a ballroom set straight from a scene in Beauty and the Beast, Maren Morris sang her heart out on “Once,” a single from her debut album, Hero. Alicia Keys, makeup free and wearing a disco-esque jumpsuit, joined Morris after the first verse. Morris was giving off Stevie Nicks vibes in her black sparkling leotard and tights under a sheer black cape.
Adele treated viewers with a new arrangement of George Michael’s song, “Fastlove” in a moving tribute to the late singer. Scenes from various George Michael music videos and other appearances were projected onto screens behind the orchestra accompanying Adele. Barely into the song, Adele abruptly stopped singing, apologized for messing up, and requested to start over so that she could sing the song appropriately, cuss words and all. Tears filled her eyes as she sang the last line…”I miss my baby.”
Lady Gaga, dressed like a backup dancer in a Guns N’ Roses video, took over the vocals for Metallica’s “Moth Into Flames” from their most recent album, Hardwired…To Self Destruct. Hetfield had mic issues at the start of the performance but he eventually shared a mic with Gaga. Hetfield delivered an energetic performance in spite of the fact that he was ordered by his doctor not to sing a single note. But someone had to keep the song going while Gaga was gyrating and stage diving. Even with the technical difficulties and Gaga’s overacting, it was still a fiery performance in keeping with what we’d expect from the metal legends.
Sturgill Simpson, accompanied by the Dap-Kings, performed his single, “All Around You,” from his A Sailor’s Guide album which was one of the Album of the Year nominees. Simpson was introduced by country music legend Dwight Yoakam who honored the late Sharon Jones who had spent much of her career working with the Dap-Kings.
Little Big Town, Tori Kelly, Demi Lovato, and Andra Day got the crowd moving with a medley of Bee Gees hits. In celebration of the 40th anniversary of Saturday Night Fever, Lovato sang “Staying Alive” followed by Tori Kelly with “Tragedy.” Little Big Town slowed things down with “How Deep Is Your Love?” as Barry Gibb, the only surviving Gibb brother, watched on. Andra Day picked the pace up again with “Night Fever”. The whole group sang along for a few final lines of “Staying Alive.”
A Tribe Called Quest honored their missing member, Phife Dawg, with a solitary, unmanned mic stand. Phife Dawg passed away just eleven months ago due to complications from diabetes. The hip-hop legends launched right into a performance of their hits, accompanied by Best New Artist nominee, Anderson .Paak. Busta Rhymes thanked “President Agent Orange” for his unsuccessful attempt at a Muslim ban which brought “we the people” closer together. In keeping with the political protest theme, the rappers raised their fists in a Black Power salute and ended with shouts of “Resist! Resist! Resist!”
Morris Day and the Time got the Prince tribute started off with a jumping mashup of “Jungle Love” and “The Bird”. The lights dimmed and Prince’s iconic symbol appeared as the beginning of “Let’s Go Crazy” rang through the air. The lights came up and there was Bruno Mars, dressed in a sequined purple jacket and white ruffled shirt, launching into a high energy version of the hit single as if he was channeling Prince Rogers Nelson himself. Yes, he even had the legendary white guitar and he made that baby squeal.
Chance The Rapper brought some gospel to the GRAMMY stage when he performed “All We Got” backed by a choir. The performance began with a vocalist singing “How Great Is Our God”.
The final performance of the night came from Cynthia Erivo and John Legend who delivered a beautiful In Memoriam tribute to honor those we lost within the past year. Legend played piano as Erivo sang the Beach Boys classic, “God Only Knows.” Among those honored were Leonard Cohen, Merle Haggard, Sonny James, Sharon Jones, Joey Feek, and Bobby Vee. Also included were Billy Paul, Malik “Phife Dawg” Taylor, Leon Russell, Debbie Reynolds, and Sir George Martin. Of course, Prince and George Michael were among those recognized.
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Which performance was your favorite?