The 66th Annual Grammy Awards show took place on Feb. 4, and lord, many historical moments occurred! It was a gilded evening with a star-studded crowd. Legends from all generations, from Stevie Wonder to Taylor Swift, were amongst the esteemed audience.
trevor noah
It’s official: Trevor Noah is a girl’s girl! His hosting was refreshingly respectful, especially after the misogynistic and crass jokes made by Jo Koy at the 2024 Golden Globes. Noah set an excellent celebratory tone through charismatic cracks and praises for the icons decorating the Grammys’ ground floor.
A comparative example is the now-traditional joke about Taylor Swift and her NFL presence (more on Swift soon!) “I think it is so unfair how NFL fans have been complaining about the cameras panning to Taylor Swift, like she’s controlling the cameras at the game. Just let her live,” Noah said.
firsts
This particular ceremony was also brimming with illustrious firsts. Miley Cyrus won her first two Grammys for her hit song “Flowers” (Best Pop Solo Performance and Record of the Year). She also performed the bop for the first time on live television. It was a soulful and dramatic rendition with rich vocals. Cyrus made the “flowers” bloom in a never-before-seen, fascinating way. She also added a fun personal touch with her glitzy outfit and lighthearted crowd interactions.
Karol G won her first Grammy for Best Musica Urbana Performance. Victoria Monet also bagged her first Grammys for Best New Artist, Best R&B Album, and Best Engineered Album (Non-Classical) for Jaguar II.
Billy Joel delivered a heartfelt ballad of his first single in over three decades, “Turn The Lights Back On.” It was also his first live performance of the single.
sza
Each award category packed a highly competitive pool of talented musicians. SZA dominated as the most nominated artist of the evening, her record-breaking album SOS competing in nine categories. The R&B princess took home three Grammys: Best Progressive R&B Album for SOS, Best R&B Song for “Snooze,” and Best Pop/Duo Group Performance for “Ghost in the Machine” featuring Phoebe Bridgers. Along with her trophy trifecta, SZA slayed the stage with a theatrical performance of her SOS hits, emphasizing “Kill Bill” — she literally put a guy in a chokehold!
‘barbie’
The Barbie movie continued receiving accolades for its groundbreaking soundtrack. Dua Lipa set the bar at an astounding height with her opening performance. In addition to her recent hits and the show’s sexy, illusion aesthetic, she featured her emblematic “Dance the Night Away.” Billie Eilish continued this spectacular streak with an intimate, vulnerable performance of “What Was I Made For.” The song also gave Eilish a well-deserved Grammy for Song of the Year.
olivia rodrigo
Between GUTS and “vampire,” Olivia Rodrigo was nominated in five categories: Record, Song, and Album of the Year. Astonishingly, she didn’t win any awards in this ceremony. However, the trophy-studded singer did deliver a bloody performance of “vampire” (yes, she was dripping in blood!), rumored to be inspired by Stephen King’s Carrie.
country music
In the country realm, Lainey Wilson won Best Country Album for her album Bell Bottom Country. Wilson’s win surprised many after Kelsea Ballerini and Zach Bryan were favored to win across leading social media platforms. Luke Combs and Tracy Chapman performed a nostalgic duet of her renowned song “Fast Car,” a heartwarming and full-circle moment for both Combs and the Recording Academy.
jay-z
Jay-Z accepted the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award for his decades of renowned accomplishments in music and business. During his speech, he threw some anger-fueled comments at the Recording Academy: “I don’t want to embarrass this young lady [BeyoncĂ©], but she has more Grammys than anyone and never won Album of the Year. So even by your own metrics, that doesn’t work.” Are the Grammys truly the Grammys without a sprinkle of dramatic shade?
taylor swift
Taylor Swift was arguably the most anticipated artist of the evening, with six nominations across major categories for her 10th studio album Midnights. She continued her years-long streak of making history at the Grammys and the entire music industry. First, she won Best Pop Vocal Album; not only was this her first win in this category, but it was also her 13th Grammy. As social media platforms currently boast, she celebrated this accomplishment by announcing her 11th studio album, The Tortured Poet’s Department. This surprise sent an ecstatic shock through millions of watchers, as the Swiftie fandom was theorizing and anticipating the announcement of Reputation (Taylor’s Version) at the Grammys for weeks.
But Swift wasn’t finished just yet. She closed out the illustrious ceremony by becoming the first artist in history to win Album of the Year four times, the most of all time. As coveted as Swift’s record is, many watchers favored Lana Del Rey to win Album of the Year for her melancholy masterpiece Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd?.
Overall, it’s safe to say that the 2024 Grammys will be a hot topic of conversation for weeks and the height of comparison for ceremonies to come. Congratulations to every nominee and winner this year, and I’m eager to see what the Grammy Awards hold for 2025!
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