Award show season has officially begun with the commencement of the 59th Annual Grammy Awards (yeah, the Golden Globes could be considered to be the starting point, but it’s really just the Oscar/Emmy’s lamer cousin). From the second the lights revealed Adele belting the later-revealed song of the year (which was definitely for good reason ) to the politically charged visual and audible statements throughout the show and the conclusion to the powerful moment between Adele and Beyoncé that brought on the waterworks, the 2017 Grammy’s were a great indication of what’s in store this season. Here are the top five best moments:
1. Adele Doing Anything
Adele completely and utterly stole the show this year. Performing twice and winning the award for Song, Record, and Album of the Year, she accepted her success graciously and made the audience love her just a little bit more with every word and lyric that came out of her mouth. From shamelessly restarting her George Michael tribute to accepting her Album of the Year award in a lemon broach paying tribute to a fellow artist, she was a genuine role model.
2. Chance the Rapper Accepting His Awards
Chance won big and made Grammy history. Winning a Grammy for Best New Artist, Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Album is more than impressive in its own right, but what is so amazing is that his winning album, Coloring Book, was streaming-only — as in, it wasn’t even sold digitally or made into a tangible record. The rules for what can be included in this category changed this year, and with this win, we are seeing a shift in how much credit we give these types of albums in mainstream music culture.
3. A Tribe Called Quest’s Performance
With the most politically charged 90s throwback rap piece of the night, A Tribe Called Quest was joined on stage by Busta Rhymes, Consequence, and Anderson .Paak to deliver an unforgettable performance. From knocking down a physical wall on stage to addressing the immigration ban, to singing “We the People” and going out chanting resist, this was the type of musical activism everyone was waiting for.
4. Beyoncé’s Performance
Yes, Beyoncé was expected to knock it out of the park. That doesn’t make it any less impressive when she does. Visually recreating the last supper and tipping over on a chair while 5 months pregnant had everyone gasping and watching in awe as Beyoncé sent about 100 messages at once. Dressed like an ethereal goddess with a halo in front of a screen full of images of herself and generations of the women in her family, this performance adds to a long list of Beyoncé’s greatest shows.
5. The Moment Between Adele and Beyoncé
Adele and Beyoncé deserved their own spots on this list for their respective performances, but the moment they shared at the end constitutes a new level of respect. When accepting Album of the Year, Adele, with no trace of condescension, genuinely stated how monumental a piece of work Lemonade was, to which she started to cry, and Beyoncé mouthed back from the audience “I love you,” crying as well. It was a moment for the books as two artists took the time to move beyond a competition and acknowledge what matters: the music.
All in all, the Grammy’s were thoroughly engaging and one of the best ones in recent years. Can’t wait to see what the Oscars will bring.
Gifs courtesy of giphy.com.