The 68th Grammy Awards graced our screens on Sunday, February 1st, with special appearances and performances from some of our favorite artists – from Bad Bunny to Justin Bieber to Olivia Dean. It was definitely a star-studded night that was once again hosted by comedian, Trevor Noah. One of the most anticipated nights of the year was filled with music, laughter, cries, tributes, and speeches, speeches, speeches!! A must-watch show indeed and if you missed it, look no further. Here are the highlights of the night!Â
Opening the ceremony, Bruno Mars and RosĂ© took the stage to perform their nominated song for record of the year, “APT,” and what an opening! It was an electric kick to the ceremony followed up by Sabrina Carpenter Airlines showcasing Sabrina Carpenter in a cute pilot outfit with a literal plane behind her; it was insane! I may be biased because I love Short and Sweet, but it was probably one of my favorite performances of the night.Â
Just like last year, performances for the nominees for “Best New Artist” trickled in. Great performances, though sadly, Alex Warren had some technical difficulties with sound during his performance, but he recovered swiftly. Other than that, all were amazing to watch but there could only be one winner, and that was Miss Olivia Dean, presented by past winner Chappell Roan. A deserved win indeed, so go stream “Man I Need” if you haven’t yet!Â
Another notable performance was Justin Bieber, performing after four years, singing “Yukon” alone on stage in his boxers and socks with his instruments. Unlike the rest of the performances, Bieber’s performance lacked background visuals, dancers and choreography, backup singers, musicians, etc. Hailey Bieber was there as his hype girl, swaying in the crowd as he sang. He presented a new idea for the Grammys: the simplicity of just sitting and enjoying the music playing.
Lady Gaga, on the other hand, put on an edgy, electric performance singing her hit song “ABRACADABRA,” the rock/metal version, which is one of the songs in her newest album Mayhem, which won “Best Pop Vocal Album.” I’m not the biggest Lady Gaga fan, but this performance was show-stopping!!Â
The ultimate winner of the night was, without a doubt, Bad Bunny. He had six Grammy nominations and three wins, including the most anticipated award of the evening, “Album of the Year” for his album Debi Tirar Mas Fotos. It was an emotional rollercoaster as he shed tears before accepting his award, stating, “I want to dedicate this award to all the people that had to leave their homeland, their country, to follow their dreams.” Heartfelt words that leave a resounding message in today’s world.
Bad Bunny was not the only person to touch upon the state of the current world. Billie Eilish took the stage for “Song of the Year” and ended her speech with “F*ck Ice.” On the other hand, silent protests were done by some artists who wore pins that read “Ice Out” – a sign of their support to the movement.Â