Cate shares her thoughts on the annual event

Note: On occasion, we like to publish stories that expand past the halls of “The Hall”. This is one of those stories!

By Cate Cannon

On Sunday, Jan. 26, the 62nd annual Grammy Award show commenced.

The biggest artists in music arrived in flowing gowns and designer tuxedos. Amidst rumors of sexual harassment from the Academy, reported by music sites like Rolling Stone, a vast majority of nominees, presenters, and lucky onlookers attended the famous event. While viewers missed the familiar faces of Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, and Beyoncé, fan favorites Ariana Grande, Billie Eilish, Shawn Mendes, Camila Cabello, and Lil Nas X, amongst others, took the red carpet by storm.

As there must be for every event, there were the best and worst dressed artists. Ariana Grande failed to impress, wearing an unattractive grey dress that appeared to swallow her. Gwen Stefani dressed all in white, looking a little too much like a country barbie doll. Bebe Rexha stunned in a sleek black pantsuit. Alicia Keys dazzled in silver, a beautiful contrast to her glowing skin. Lil Was X wore a hot pink cowboy that can only be described as flamboyant. And, of course, everyone’s favorite theatre kid, Ben Platt, dressed in a diamond pattern tunic and black pants.

The award show opened with an energetic performance by rising star Lizzo, as she sang two of her top hits, “Truth Hurts” and “Cuz I Love You”. The pop phenom won her first Grammy with Best Pop Solo Performance, along with later receiving Best Traditional R&B Performance, and Best Urban Contemporary Album. Her performance was a hip-hop workout that showcased her talent, as she switched from singing to dancing to playing the flute. The presentation was visually appealing and was a great way to hook viewers for the rest of the night.

Holding back tears, host Alicia Keys took to the stage. Keys asked for a moment of silence to honor basketball legend Kobe Bryant, who passed away early Sunday morning in a helicopter crash, along with his 13-year-old daughter Gianna “GiGi” Bryant and seven others. Rest in Peace to those lost in the crash and whose legacy will be honored forever.

After mourning the loss, which included a cameo from Boyz II Men singing their hit “It’s So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday”, Keys sang a description of the major events in music throughout the past year to the tune of Lewis Capaldi’s “Someone You Loved”. Following her ballad, country power couple, Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton, sang a duet. Usher and FKA Twigs came together to pay homage to Prince, singing his famous song, “Little Red Corvette”. 

Camila Cabello gave a highly emotional performance with her song “First Man”, a tribute to the love she and her father share. Watching the performance with my dad by my side, I was brought to tears, and realized just how grateful I am to have such a loving and hardworking role-model to look up to. Time is not guaranteed, as seen with recent tragic events, and it is important that we hold our loved ones close and cherish the time we spend with them.

18-year-old Billie Eilish, who received five Grammys including Album of the Year, Best New Artist, and Song of the Year, gave a stunning performance of her hit song, “When the Party’s Over”. Eilish is the youngest person to have been nominated for all four of the core Grammy awards, and thus, the youngest to win all four. Though her style and personality are an acquired taste, her music is undeniably impressive, and people of all music genres can respect her clear talent. Demi Lovato returned to music after her hospitalization last year due to an overdose, singing her new song “Anyone”. Her tearful performance has gained recognition across all media platforms, and her single was released on all streaming platforms directly after she exited the stage. 

Notably, country duo Dan + Shay picked up the award for Best Country Group Performance for their star single “Speechless”. Tyler, the Creator collected the Grammy for Best Rap Album for “Igor”. Lil Nas X took home the awards for Best Pop Duo Performance and Best Music Video. Beyoncé won Best Music Film for “Homecoming”. 

Congratulations to all artists who took home awards. Viewers look forward to another great year of music production.