It’s been a week since the Grammy’s and while there may haven’t been any onstage slaps or censored soundbites, but that didn’t make music’s biggest night any less riveting this year.
After being postponed from January 31st, the long-awaited Grammy awards finally happened on April 3rd, 2022. Four-time nominee duo Silk Sonic opened the night with an electric performance of “777,” complete with the powerful vocals of Bruno Mars and the charisma of Anderson .Paak on drums giving the song its heartbeat. They were dressed in matching bedazzled white ensembles and sunglasses, and the high-energy performance couldn’t have been more perfect to start off the show.
Olivia Rodrigo came next, giving an emotional rendition of her hit song “driver’s license” that showcased her tear-jerking lyricism and voice that has soared her into international fame over the last two years. And the Gen-Z performances didn’t stop there! Billie Eilish and her brother Finneas made it rain (literally) with a compelling performance of Happier Than Ever. Eilish also became a positive talking point when she adorned a t-shirt with a photo of the late Taylor Hawkins, the beloved Foo Fighters drummer who died suddenly on March 25th.
Lady Gaga gave an elegant, heartfelt tribute to her long-time friend Tony Bennett with “Love for Sale” and “Do I Love You.” Bennett made a rare, taped appearance to introduce Gaga before her performance, and she rounded it out saying, “I love you Tony, we miss you,” while the camera focused in on the tears forming in her eyes. It was one of the sweetest moments of the night; a celebration of the undeniable talent that is Bennett.
Carrie Underwood, Chris Stapleton, and Brothers Osbourne represented country music with bluesy, acoustic guitar charged performances. Nas performed a medley of hits in a grey suit and gold chains. His younger counterpart, Lil Nas X, gave another epic performance in a variety of glittery outfits with best friend and rapper Jack Harlow. Harlow and Lil Nas X were legendary as always, their signature spicy dance moves were met with equally thrilling lighting and special effects.
By far my favorite performance of the night was the completely random but insanely legendary trio that was H.E.R, Travis Barker, and Lenny Kravitz. They were probably the three people anyone would be least likely to put together ever, but everyone ended up obsessing over in the end. One person even tweeted, “I’m now convinced that H.E.R., Lenny Kravitz and Travis Barker should form a supergroup. I will be the first to buy their album.” SAME.
The big winners of the night were Silk Sonic, taking home four out of four awards they were nominated for including Song of the Year, Record of the Year, and Best R&B Song of the Year for “Leave the Door Open.”
Jon Batiste was the most nominated artist of the night with 11 nominations, and he took home five of them– including Album of the Year. He gave a joyful, colorful performance of “Freedom,” and became the first Black artist to win album of the year since 2008. During his acceptance speech he remarked, “I believe this to my core, there is no best musician, best artist, best dancer, best actor. The creative arts are subjective, and they reach people at a point in their lives when they need it most. It’s like a song or an album is made, and it almost has a radar to find a person when they need it the most.”
Olivia Rodrigo ended the night with three awards, making her Grammy debut anything but sour (get it?). Doja Cat hilariously almost missed her Best Pop Duo/Group Performance win– breathlessly running onstage to meet SZA at the mic after going to the bathroom a few minutes prior. She sweetly ended her speech in tears, saying how she hopes the audience can feel how big of a deal this was for her.
Overall, the 64th Grammy’s was an uplifting, feel-good night that was solely focused on music and the power of music. A taped appearance by Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy put things into perspective for everyone. He spoke about how his people have “traded their tuxedos for body armor,” and was followed by an emotional performance of “Free” by John Legend. It was a reminder of the powerful messages held in music, how artists can use their voices–figuratively and literally–to shed light on different issues and bring people together for a common good. It was definitely one of my favorite award shows in recent years.