“A once in a lifetime show,” is often how the Grammys are referred to, and this year the award’s show lived up to its name. The Grammys were held Feb. 4 in the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. Not only did the show have outstanding performances, but the show also had countless unexpected moments and made sure to keep the show lively.
Host Trever Noah added an element of humor to the show, with a joyful disposition that Howard Stern calls “cheerleading.” Artists such as Miley Cyrus and Taylor Swift were the big winners that night. Cyrus won her first and second Grammy that night for her hit song “Flowers,” before also taking home Record of the Year. Swift officially became the only artist to ever win the Album of the Year four times, beating the likes of Stevie Wonder, Frank Sinatra and Paul Simon, each with three.
Swift also won her thirteenth Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Album for her album “Midnights.” As 13 is Swift’s lucky number, she rewarded her fans by announcing her brand-new album, “The Tortured Poets Department,” during one of her acceptance speeches. This album is speculated to be about her relationship with actor Joe Alywn, which ended in 2021 after six years.
Following Swift’s win, Jay-Z took to the stage, bringing along his daughter Blue Ivy to accept the Lifetime Achievement Award, and used his time to promote the Recording Academy reform. He asked for hosts to realize that his wife has not received Album of the Year yet, despite her countless previous wins. Jay-Z calls for the Academy to truly recognize those who deserve recognition, especially minorities who have struggled to break into the industry.
However, the stars of the Grammy’s were truly the performances. Tracey Chapman and Luke Combs sang “Fast Car” together, Chapman’s famous song that Combs recently covered and earned a Grammy nomination for. This was Chapman’s first performance in years. Another key performance was Stevie Wonder’s tribute to past singers such as Tony Bennett and Tina Turner.
However, the most powerful performance came from Joni Mitchell’s return to the stage. The Grammy’s were Mitchell’s first televised performance, and was her first performance following her near-fatal brain aneurysm in 2015. Mitchell’s performance brought many, including Swift and Beyonce to tears.
Other performances by Miley Cyrus and Olivia Rodrigo added flare and fun to the show. Rodrigo’s performance was full of emotion and scenically beautiful. Her blood-red dress complemented the backdrop full of tears and dead roses from past loves. When Rodrigo hit the crescendo of her hit ballad, “vampire”, she had some (fake) blood drop over her, covering her hands in blood. Contrasting Rodrigo was Cyrus’s energetic performance of “Flowers,” filled with many ad-libs including “I just won my first Grammy!” Cyrus spun around the stage in a silver flapper dress, showing her true glee in being able to perform and win in the Grammy’s following years of work in the music industry.
To close off the show, Celine Dion made a surprise appearance after battling her neurological disease, stiff-person syndrome, which often prevents her from performing. She presented the Album of the Year award to close the show.
The Grammy’s hosted many events for pop stars on the red carpet, including one-on-one interviews and a glam bot for nominees to pose for future promotion. Many of the Grammy outfits their year were muted in color and tone, with many dressed in tan, white and black. (Photo/@recordingacademy)
Miley Cyrus performed for the first time at the Grammys following her win. (Video/Bagus Andhy)
