Grammy stage’s thrills and thuds
Lil Nas X’s joyful “Old Town Road,” Demi Lovato’s stirring “Anyone” rise above the rest: We review every note.
The biggest night in music paid tribute to a legend in a different arena, one whose rhythm was the sound of a basketball hitting the court who heard a chorus of cheering fans.
At the Grammy Awardsat the Staples Center, home of the Los Angeles Lakers, former star player Kobe Bryant, who died Sunday at age 41 in a helicopter crash, was on the mind of attendees. His jersey and image appeared throughout performances.
The night also tugged on the heartstrings with a soulful tribute to Nipsey Hussle and moving performances from Camila Cabello and Demi Lovato. Ariana Grande returned to the show to perform after skipping last year’s ceremony and calling out producer Ken Ehrlich.
And newcomer Billie Eilish swept the four major categories – album, record and song of the year, as well as best new artist – for the first time since Christopher Cross in 1981.
Sunday’s must-know moments:
Stars remember Bryant: Alicia Keys, Boyz II Men perform musical tribute
At the start of the show, Lizzo announced “Tonight is for Kobe,” before kicking off the night with a performance of “Cuz I Love You.”
When host Alicia Keys took the stage, it was obvious she had something other than accolades on her mind, telling the audience about the “crazy sadness” she was experiencing.
“Earlier today, Los Angeles, America and the whole wide world lost a hero. And we’re literally standing here heartbroken in the house that Kobe Bryant built,” she told the crowd at the Staples Center.
“Right now, Kobe and his daughter Gianna and all of those that have been tragically lost today are in our spirit, they’re in our hearts, they’re in our prayers, they’re in this building, and I would like to ask everybody to take a moment and just hold them inside of you, hold
them inside of you and share our strength and our support with their families,” she continued.
“We wanted to do something that could describe a tiny bit how we all feel right now,“she said.
With Boyz II Men, Keys sang the group’s song “It’s So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday,” and afterward, the camera panned to Bryant’s Lakers jerseys hanging in the rafters.
A Bryant jersey also was featured during a performance by Aerosmith and Run-D.M.C. (except for Jam Master Jay, who died in 2002) of “Walk This Way,” and in the opening of a Lil Nas X “Old Town Road” performance.
Nipsey Hussle is celebrated with a star-studded tribute
Filmmaker Ava DuVernay introduced a performance by musicians honoring the Los Angeles-born rapper/activist, who was shot and killed last year.
DuVernay described Hussle as “an artist and a leader who made brave, brilliant strides to unite this (music) community here in Los Angeles and around the world.”
Meek Mill began the performance
with a rap reflecting on the loss of the artist. Kirk Franklin, YG and Roddy Ricch also paid tribute. So did DJ Khaled, who encouraged the Staples Center crowd to get out of their seats. He and John Legend performed “Higher.” A video played showing Hussle performing his part in the song, and large photos of Hussle and Bryant appeared on a screen.
“Higher” went on to win for best rap/ sung performance. “This is for Nipsey Hussle,” Khaled said accepting the trophy. “This is for hip-hop.”
Camila Cabello’s moves her father with performance of “First Man”
Camila Cabello sang the emotional tune about the loving relationship between a father and a daughter, while her dad, Alejandro, looked on from the front row.
“I know you’ll stay up late / Just waiting for me / You held me so tight / Now someone else can,” she sang. “But you were the first man that really loved me.”
Home videos projected in the background featured tender moments between the artist, 22, and her dad. And they shared an emotional moment when Cabello walked over to his seat.
Demi Lovato cries as she sings about desperate need for help
Demi Lovato put her powerhouse vocals behind a song with powerful lyrics. In her first live performance since being hospitalized in 2018 for an apparent drug overdose, the 27-year-old belted out “Anyone.” The song is a desperate plea for anyone to listen to and help her.
Early on, overcome with emotion, Lovato stopped and had to restart her performance. When she began again, a tear ran down her cheek.
Speaking with Zane Lowe for Beats 1 on Friday, Lovato revealed she wrote the song just days before her hospitalization. “You kind of listen back to it and you kind of think, how did nobody listen to this song and think, ‘Let’s help this girl,’ ” Lovato said.
At Sunday’s show, the artist received a standing ovation.
Billie Eilish sweeps top four categories
The 18-year-old came out on top in the night’s biggest categories, much to her own surprise. While accepting Album of the Year with her brother, songwriter/producer Finneas O’Connell, Eilish said she believed another nominee should’ve won.
“Can I just say that I think Ariana (Grande) deserves this …” she said before being censored.
“No, no,” Grande said from the crowd. “We didn’t write a speech for this ’cause we didn’t make this album to win a Grammy. We didn’t think it would win anything, ever,” said O’Connell. “We wrote an album about depression and suicidal thoughts and climate change and being the ‘Bad Guy,’ whatever that means. We stand up here confused and grateful.”
By the time they accepted the night’s final award, Record of the Year, the pair simply said, “Thank you,” in unison.