Women artists, rap big winners at Grammys
Women returned at the Grammys yesterday as female acts won album of the year and best new artist, while rap also triumphed, with Childish Gambino’s This Is America becoming the first rapbased song to win record and song of the year.
Kacey Musgraves’ Golden Hour picked up album of the year, and Dua Lipa won best new artist.
Gambino was the night’s big winner, picking up four honours, including best music video and best rap/sung performance.
Drake surprised the music world when he emerged on stage at the Staples Centre in Los Angeles to accept the best rap song trophy. Drake, who rarely attends awards shows, won the honour for his hit God’s Plan.
Rap has endured a longtime losing streak at the Grammys. The last time a rapper won album of the year was in 2004, with Outkast. Only a handful of rappers have won best new artist.
Cardi B made history as the first solo female to win best rap album (Lauryn Hill won as a member of the Fugees at the 1997 Grammys).
She was shaking onstage as she tried to give a thank-you speech with her rapper-husband Offset holding her arm. ‘‘The nerves are so bad. Maybe I need to start smoking weed,’’ she said as the audience laughed.
The Grammys kicked off with a group of powerful women, including Michelle Obama and Lady Gaga, describing the role of music in their lives – a display that came a year after female voices were somewhat muted at the 2018 ceremony.
‘‘Music has always helped me tell my story,’’ said Obama. ‘‘Whether we like country or rap or rock, music helps us share ourselves. It allows us to hear one another.’’
Gaga told the crowd: ‘‘They said I was weird, that my look, that my choices, that my sound wouldn’t work. But music told me not to listen to them.’’
Jada Pinkett Smith and Jennifer Lopez also spoke and stood in solidarity with Obama, Gaga and host Alicia Keys.
The opening contrasted with last year’s Grammys, where male acts dominated in nominations and the only woman competing for the top award, Lorde, didn’t get a chance to perform onstage.
But this year, Gaga, Brandi Carlile and Musgraves were multiple winners.
Gaga won best pop duo/group performance, a win she shared with Bradley Cooper, best pop solo performance for Joanne, while hit Shallow, from A Star is Born, was named best song written for visual media.
Musgraves performed Rainbow from Golden Hour during the show, and hit the stage for a second time to honour Dolly Parton. Musgraves and Katy Perry joined forces for Here You Come Again,
later joined by Parton herself. The icon sang a duet version of Jolene with Miley Cyrus, but the country music icon truly shined when she sang Red Shoes.
Yolanda Adams, Fantasia and Andra Day teamed up for a stirring performance of (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman in honour of Aretha Franklin, who died last year.
Diana Ross earned a standing ovation when she emerged onstage in a bright red dress to perform Reach Out and Touch (Somebody’s Hand) and The Best Years of My Life. She celebrated her 75th birthday early with the performance, saying afterward, ‘‘Happy birthday to me!’’ Her actual birthday is March 26.
Singer H.E.R. won best R&B performance for Best Part with Daniel Caesar. Ariana Grande won her first Grammy for best pop vocal album for Sweetener. Tori Kelly and Lauren Daigle won two awards each. Beyonce, Jay-Z, Ella Mai, Pharrell Williams, Hugh Jackman, Stingy, Shaggy, Dave Chappelle, ‘‘Weird Al’’ Yankovic, the late Chris Cornell, Greta Van Fleet and even former President Jimmy Carter also picked up early awards ahead of the live show.
There was a tie for best rap performance with Anderson Paak’s Bubblin’ and Kendrick Lamar, Jay Rock, Future and James Blake’s King’s Dead, from the Black Panther soundtrack. – AP