I have a love-hate relationship with award shows. I look forward to them every year, but I often find myself disappointed by the results of the awards. But this year, I was certainly not disappointed by the GRAMMYs. I had just gotten done with a draining chemistry final, and watching this show not only made my day, but it made my entire WEEK. Though the show was a bit lengthy, I found myself invested throughout the entire thing. The outfits were dazzling, the performances show-stopping and Trevor Noah’s jokes knee-slapping. Though 2020 was defined by numerous hardships, music really helped to carry everyone through. This show honored the insprising, entertaining, and life-changing music that created and inspired change. Here are my top 10 picks for the most iconic moments of the 63rd GRAMMYs:
- Beyoncé Makes History With 28 Grammys
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ARE. YOU. KIDDING. This definitely tops the list of iconic moments from the show. After receving the award for Best Rap Performance with Megan Thee Stallion, Trevor Noah kept Beyoncé on the stage to announce that she had just tied for the most Grammy wins by a female artist. After taking home the award for Best R&B performance for “Black Parade”, Beyoncé officially became the female artist with the most Grammy wins of all time. She now has 28 (!!!!) Grammy awards.
- Megan Thee Stallion Conquered
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Megan Thee Stallion DOMINATED these Grammys, and her wins are so well-deserved! She has had one hell of a year, coming out with smash hits one right after the other. It was so heartwarming to see her emotional reactions to each of her three wins. And don’t even get me started on her performance. One thing I loved about all the performances of the evening was how each artist switched up their music. Megan’s Grammy rendition of “Savage” had a sort of 1920’s vibe to it- with some of her backup dancers breaking into tap solos. She ascended a shimmering staircase in the most dramatic way, and it had me screaming the entire time. She then went on to perform her hit-single “WAP” with Cardi B, and Trevor Noah could barely speak after it. I loved what she had to say about how her focus as an artist and person is to empower women everywhere, and seeing her win with her childhood idol, Beyoncé, was amazing to see esepcially during Women’s History Month. I’m so excited to see what she’ll do next in her career!
- Harry Styles. Need I Say More?
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When I first heard that Harry was opening the GRAMMYs, I had to sit down for a minute. Can we talk about that leather suit? I mean, come on! His fit did not disappoint, and neither did his performance. Having been a Harry fan for so long (Directioner since 2011 here), I was so proud to see how far he’s come in his career. He genuinely looked like he was having the time of his life as he danced across the stage. On top of his magnificent performance, the music gods gifted him his first Grammy award for Best Pop Solo Performance for his single “Watermelon Sugar.”
- Silk Sonic’s Groovy Debut
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This performance was another one of my favorites. “Leave the Door Open” is an absolute banger, and I loved how Bruno Mars and Anderson Paak brought it to life on the Grammys stage. Their matching suits and coordinated spins made the performance a true delight. Bruno Mars has been a fan favorite for years, but he realy showcased his range in a way that I’ve never heard before. He was hitting high notes back to back effortlessly! And Anderson Paak took home his first GRAMMY, making the night a smashing sucess for the both of them. Check out their new song if you haven’t already!
- DaBaby’s Rockstar Performance
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DaBaby really blew me out of the water with this one! I absolutely loved how he reimagined the song; it was so creative. I especially enjoyed how he conducted the backup singers in choral robes. The song was overall more dramatic than its original, and Roddy Rich even made his own cameo. I was overall very much entertained and give the performance a solid 10/10.
- Taylor Swift Wins Big for Folklore
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I’ve never been the biggest Taylor Swift fan (please don’t attack me) but I’ve always had a lot of respect for her. I think she’s an incredibly talented songwriter and she really blew me away with Folklore this year. That’s why I was so happy to see this beloved albumn win the GRAMMY for Albumn of the Year. Her performance was also so beautiful, and I loved how her mask matched her floral dress!
- Billie Eilish Dedicates her Record of the Year Grammy to Megan Thee Stallion
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Coming off a record-breaking Grammy season last year, I think no one was suprised to see that once again, Billie came and conquered. This year, she grabbed two Grammys: one for her single “No Time to Die” and Record of the Year for “everything i wanted.” Though I think we can all agree that the latter was well deserved, Billie got up onstage and said she was embarassed to have won when she believed that Megan Thee Stallion deserved it for “Savage.” She used her speech to congratuale Megan on an amazing year and acknowledged all of the hard work Megan put into her work. Again, it was so nice to see female artists lifting each other up. Her performance of “everything i wanted” was also breathtaking; I barely had enough time to recover from her and Harry performing back to back.
- Lizzo Accidentally Cursing on Live TV
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Lizzo cracked me up while presenting the Grammy for Best New Artist. A Grammy winner herself, Lizzo was so happy to return. “Bitch, I’m back!” she said before realizing she had just cursed on national television. She couldn’t contain her giggles afterward, and neither could anyone in the audience. Also, her post with her BFF Harry practically broke the Internet. They’re the cutest duo!
- BTS’s Outstanding Performance
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This was the first time I had ever seen BTS perform, and I was thoroughly impressed. They’re so coordinated and confident, and really just overall top-notch performers. I do think that they were robbed of the Best Group Performance Award, though. Fans around the world have expressed their frustrations with the GRAMMYs for using BTS to gain more views. I’m sure BTS has lots more success ahead of them, so hopefully their talents will be more recognized in the future.
- The Representation We Saw
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The GRAMMYs has long been criticized for its lack of transparency in choosing nominees and winners, and there a long list of famous artists who continue to boycott the show for this very reason. However, I think that this year, the organization took a big step in the right direction in terms of representation this year. As I mentioned earlier, given that it’s Women’s History Month, it was so empowering to see so many female nominees and winners in the show’s biggest categories. Further, I was really happy to see an elevated black presence this year. Following H.E.R.’s win for Song of the Year, she urged auidences to keep the same energy that everyone had in the summer of 2020 when the world was focusing on racial injustice. Though the Grammys are far from perfect, I was pleased to see that they incoporated diversity into their show. I hope that this diversiy only grows in the future to reflect the diversity of today’s music industry.
Congratulations to all nominees and winners! If you haven’t already watched the show, what are waiting for?! Head on over to the Grammy’s official webiste and prepare to be amazed!