This year marks the 67th annual Grammys, and as usual, it is one to remember. From the beautiful performances to the upsetting snubs, this award show was a rollercoaster of emotions as celebrities and singers came together after the devastating impact of the L.A. fires.
Because the home of the Grammys is in Los Angeles, the show was obviously the biggest donator with an overall contribution of $120 million from the week of the Grammys, $9 million just from the telecast on Sunday night. The fires became a recurring theme for the Grammys, and many of the performances were dedicated to their love for L.A. One such performance came from the band Dawes, along with Sheryl Crow, John Legend, Brad Paisley, and Brittany Howard singing the classic song “I Love L.A.” by Randy Newman.
In between the outstanding performances, more than 25 awards were given out to talented musicians. The biggest winners that night were Kendrick Lamar, who won 5 awards including song of the year for his hit, “Not Like Us;” Beyonce, who finally won album of the year for “Cowboy Carter;” and Sabrina Carpenter who won her first 2 Grammys for her album “Short n’ Sweet.”
Amidst the exciting winners and joy from the performances, a moment was taken to acknowledge the musicians we have sadly lost this past year. Quincy Jones, Liam Payne, Toby Keith, Rich Homie Quan and Cissy Houston were all memorialized by a piano edition of Coldplay’s “All My Love” performed by Chris Martin. There was not a dry eye in sight or from the viewers at home, especially when videos of the One Direction member, Liam Payne, were played.
These touching moments were followed by outstanding performances from many big names in the industry including The Weeknd. Despite previously being vocal about his disdain for the academy, The Weeknd made his return for this show performing his hit songs “Cry for me” and “Timeless.”
However, he was not the most impressive performer of the night; our personal favorite was Sabrina Carpenter. Carpenter’s performance was humorous and well-put together with a 50s inspired old Hollywood twist. Chappell Roan also performed her hit song “Pink Pony Club” whilst wearing extravagant clown makeup and performing in front of a large pony statue.
The Grammys are always a good time for fans to gush over their favorite artists, and for those artists to stand out with their outfits, performances, and dramatic reactions. These moments feed us fans until our favorite artists get recognized again at next year’s Grammys.
