REVIEW: The Good, The Bad, The Bizarre - Highlights from the 2020 Grammy Awards
If you didn’t watch, you missed quite a bit, so here’s the highlights.
The night started out on a grave note, with everyone mourning the loss of Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna. Naturally, it made sense to hang Bryant’s retired numbers high up within the Staples center and spotlight them all night in remembrance.
Lizzo opened with a beautiful rendition of “Cuz I Love You”. A true artist, she managed to bring the energy of the room up and get everyone on their feet during a time of unfathomable sadness. Soon thereafter, she segued into a version of “Truth Hurts”, complete with ballerinas and backup dancers galore (and a whole-ass orchestra in the back!).
Alicia Keys hosted, looked beautiful as always, and reminded us all to be kind to one another and hold each other close in the way that only Alicia Keys can.
Following Lizzo’s smashing opening, Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani debuted their new song, “Nobody But You”. It’s a strange pairing to begin with, but it’s especially noticeable when they’re performing with one another. Nonetheless, I wish them the greatest happiness, but I am willing to argue that Gwen Stefani’s voice is simply not suited for the type of music Blake Shelton writes, and I’ll take that one with me to my grave.
Billie Eilish and her brother Finneas made their official Grammy debut with a minimalistic performance of “when the party’s over”, complete with Finneas on the piano and singing background vocals, and Billie sitting on a lone stool in the middle of the stage.
Their perseverance within the music industry has paid off, however, because they absolutely swept the Grammy Awards, and ended up taking home a total of 10 golden gramophones between the two of them. Eilish took home titles for the biggest awards of the night, including Song of the Year (“bad guy”), Best New Artist, Best Pop Vocal Album, and Record of the Year (also for “bad guy”). Considering that she had some pretty stiff competition for these categories (Ariana Grande, Lizzo, Lil Nas X, Lana Del Rey, etc.) it’s pretty remarkable that she was able to claim the four biggest titles in the Grammy Awards.
Eilish also beat Taylor Swift’s record, who won back in 2010 at age 20 for her album “Fearless”, and at 18, is now the youngest person to win Album of the Year. ¹
Following Eilish’s haunting performance, Aerosmith took the stage to perform “Livin’ On the Edge” before reuniting with Run - D.M.C. for the first time since the 1990s to perform “Walk This Way”. It was a bit of a hot mess, but that’s to be expected when Steven Tyler is performing. It was entertaining nonetheless, and provided a nice dose of rock and roll to an evening that is typically centered around pop music.
Tyler, the Creator performed “EARFQUAKE” in a very bizarre, loud arrangement that included dancers wearing the same bobbed, blonde wig as the leading man, and background vocals from Boyz II Men and Charlie Wilson. Bizarre, indeed, and worth a watch if you’re a Tyler fan or you’re entertained by out-of-the-box live performances.
In another wildly unexpected mashup, Lil Nas X performed nearly every single remix of “Old Town Road” and pulled up with K-pop group, BTS, Billy Ray Cyrus, Diplo, and Mason Ramsey (the yodeling kid, remember him?). The performance took place on a rotating stage separated into four rooms, which Nas walked through, stopping for a verse in each to perform with each respective guest. Also, Diplo was there playing the banjo.
Demi Lovato made an emotional return to the Grammy stage for the first time in two years to debut a new song, “Anyone”. Lovato wrote the song prior to her overdose in July of 2018, but debuted it to the world last night. Her performance was nothing short of ethereal, and it’s no surprise that she managed to bring everyone (both in the audience and at home) to tears.
John Legend, Meek Mill, YG, Roddy Rich, and others took the stage together to perform a tribute to the late rapper, Nipsey Hussle. DJ Khaled was also there, but considering that he didn’t do anything other than shout his own name and tell people to put their hands up, I’m refusing to count him as a valuable part of this tribute.
Lastly, Rosalía, who was a nominee for Best New Artist, took the stage. She shared the stage with a menagerie of dancers and flamenco guitarists to perform her songs, “Juro Que” and “MALAMENTE”. Rosalía didn’t go home empty handed; she won a Grammy for Best Latin, Rock, or Alternative Album, which is a category I believe should be separated out based on their respective titles, but that’s a discussion for another time.
Now, the airing of the 2020 Grammy Awards didn’t come without controversy. Earlier last week, chief executive of the Grammys, Deborah Dugan, was put on administrative leave. Very soon thereafter, Dugan came forward with allegations that the Grammy Awards are “rigged” and stated that she had evidence of some “serious irregularities” within the voting system. The timing, naturally, was suspicious, as Dugan chose to come forward after she was put on leave due to allegations of misconduct, but regardless of that, her statements strained the awards show on Sunday night.
In her interview with CBS, Dugan states that, “It's mostly white males that are in those rooms that make these decisions, and there's a conflict of interest,” and also said that "If you represent that artist, you have a financial gain if they get nominated for a Grammy”. ²
At this point, it’s Dugan’s word against the Recording Academy, which naturally denies these allegations and claims.
Regardless, the artists that performed at the Grammy’s last night put on an excellent show, and if you missed it, head over to YouTube to find all of the performances, because they’re worth a watch.
¹: https://www.insider.com/billie-eilish-mouthed-please-dont-be-me-winning-5th-grammy-2020-1
²: https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-51221137
The night started out on a grave note, with everyone mourning the loss of Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna. Naturally, it made sense to hang Bryant’s retired numbers high up within the Staples center and spotlight them all night in remembrance.
Lizzo opened with a beautiful rendition of “Cuz I Love You”. A true artist, she managed to bring the energy of the room up and get everyone on their feet during a time of unfathomable sadness. Soon thereafter, she segued into a version of “Truth Hurts”, complete with ballerinas and backup dancers galore (and a whole-ass orchestra in the back!).
Photo courtesy of @rollingstone on Instagram // Photograph by Rob Latour/Shutterstock
Following Lizzo’s smashing opening, Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani debuted their new song, “Nobody But You”. It’s a strange pairing to begin with, but it’s especially noticeable when they’re performing with one another. Nonetheless, I wish them the greatest happiness, but I am willing to argue that Gwen Stefani’s voice is simply not suited for the type of music Blake Shelton writes, and I’ll take that one with me to my grave.
Camila Cabello debuted her new song, "First Man" in a heartfelt performance and tribute to her father. Her dad, Alejandro sat in the front row, and Cabello descended the stairs while singing to him, bringing her father, and all of America, to tears.
Usher, FKA Twigs, and Sheila E. did a tribute to Prince. It has absolutely nothing to do with Usher, because he’s a very talented human being, but the performance was just okay. It just goes to show what a performer Prince was, and how difficult it is to even try to step into his spotlight. Also FKA Twigs danced, and looked amazing while doing it, but it seemed like a waste to me to have her there, but not have her sing at all. A pretty big missed opportunity.
Usher, FKA Twigs, and Sheila E. did a tribute to Prince. It has absolutely nothing to do with Usher, because he’s a very talented human being, but the performance was just okay. It just goes to show what a performer Prince was, and how difficult it is to even try to step into his spotlight. Also FKA Twigs danced, and looked amazing while doing it, but it seemed like a waste to me to have her there, but not have her sing at all. A pretty big missed opportunity.
Photo courtesy of @rollingstone on Instagram // Photograph by Rob Latour/Shutterstock
Billie Eilish and her brother Finneas made their official Grammy debut with a minimalistic performance of “when the party’s over”, complete with Finneas on the piano and singing background vocals, and Billie sitting on a lone stool in the middle of the stage.
Their perseverance within the music industry has paid off, however, because they absolutely swept the Grammy Awards, and ended up taking home a total of 10 golden gramophones between the two of them. Eilish took home titles for the biggest awards of the night, including Song of the Year (“bad guy”), Best New Artist, Best Pop Vocal Album, and Record of the Year (also for “bad guy”). Considering that she had some pretty stiff competition for these categories (Ariana Grande, Lizzo, Lil Nas X, Lana Del Rey, etc.) it’s pretty remarkable that she was able to claim the four biggest titles in the Grammy Awards.
Photo courtesy of @finneas on Instagram
Eilish also beat Taylor Swift’s record, who won back in 2010 at age 20 for her album “Fearless”, and at 18, is now the youngest person to win Album of the Year. ¹
Following Eilish’s haunting performance, Aerosmith took the stage to perform “Livin’ On the Edge” before reuniting with Run - D.M.C. for the first time since the 1990s to perform “Walk This Way”. It was a bit of a hot mess, but that’s to be expected when Steven Tyler is performing. It was entertaining nonetheless, and provided a nice dose of rock and roll to an evening that is typically centered around pop music.
Photo courtesy of @rollingstone on Instagram // Photograph by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images
Tyler, the Creator performed “EARFQUAKE” in a very bizarre, loud arrangement that included dancers wearing the same bobbed, blonde wig as the leading man, and background vocals from Boyz II Men and Charlie Wilson. Bizarre, indeed, and worth a watch if you’re a Tyler fan or you’re entertained by out-of-the-box live performances.
Photo courtesy of @rollingstone on Instagram // Photograph by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images
In another wildly unexpected mashup, Lil Nas X performed nearly every single remix of “Old Town Road” and pulled up with K-pop group, BTS, Billy Ray Cyrus, Diplo, and Mason Ramsey (the yodeling kid, remember him?). The performance took place on a rotating stage separated into four rooms, which Nas walked through, stopping for a verse in each to perform with each respective guest. Also, Diplo was there playing the banjo.
Demi Lovato made an emotional return to the Grammy stage for the first time in two years to debut a new song, “Anyone”. Lovato wrote the song prior to her overdose in July of 2018, but debuted it to the world last night. Her performance was nothing short of ethereal, and it’s no surprise that she managed to bring everyone (both in the audience and at home) to tears.
Photo courtesy of @rollingstone on Instagram // Photo by Rob Latour/Shutterstock
John Legend, Meek Mill, YG, Roddy Rich, and others took the stage together to perform a tribute to the late rapper, Nipsey Hussle. DJ Khaled was also there, but considering that he didn’t do anything other than shout his own name and tell people to put their hands up, I’m refusing to count him as a valuable part of this tribute.
Lastly, Rosalía, who was a nominee for Best New Artist, took the stage. She shared the stage with a menagerie of dancers and flamenco guitarists to perform her songs, “Juro Que” and “MALAMENTE”. Rosalía didn’t go home empty handed; she won a Grammy for Best Latin, Rock, or Alternative Album, which is a category I believe should be separated out based on their respective titles, but that’s a discussion for another time.
Photo courtesy of @recordingacademy on Instagram
Now, the airing of the 2020 Grammy Awards didn’t come without controversy. Earlier last week, chief executive of the Grammys, Deborah Dugan, was put on administrative leave. Very soon thereafter, Dugan came forward with allegations that the Grammy Awards are “rigged” and stated that she had evidence of some “serious irregularities” within the voting system. The timing, naturally, was suspicious, as Dugan chose to come forward after she was put on leave due to allegations of misconduct, but regardless of that, her statements strained the awards show on Sunday night.
In her interview with CBS, Dugan states that, “It's mostly white males that are in those rooms that make these decisions, and there's a conflict of interest,” and also said that "If you represent that artist, you have a financial gain if they get nominated for a Grammy”. ²
At this point, it’s Dugan’s word against the Recording Academy, which naturally denies these allegations and claims.
Regardless, the artists that performed at the Grammy’s last night put on an excellent show, and if you missed it, head over to YouTube to find all of the performances, because they’re worth a watch.
¹: https://www.insider.com/billie-eilish-mouthed-please-dont-be-me-winning-5th-grammy-2020-1
²: https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-51221137
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