Party Pack
All the red-carpet action at and around Grammys’ weekend.
Now we know: The arrival of the Grammy Awards in New York equals more leopard print, gold-dipped palm leaves, executives in boxy suits — with their decidedly younger dates in decidedly more minuscule clothing — than the party scene is accustomed to seeing.
The stream of pre-awards parties kicked off Thursday night at the Grill Room, where Warner Music Group threw its annual pre-Grammys party, this year featuring a performance by the musical act Warner executives are surely counting their blessings they signed: Cardi B.
Gucci Mane was swarmed by schmoozers as soon as he entered the VIP area. Ciara, Janelle Monáe, Ashley Graham, Rita Ora, Lil Uzi
Vert, Ben Platt and Kelly Clarkson made their way into the venue ahead of Cardi's performance.
“Everybody looks rich so I'm gonna watch what I say,” Cardi said from the stage. “It's a Warner party so everybody here got a purpose, you know what I'm saying. Might find me an investor. What's good?”
Downtown at Skylight Clarkson Sq, music's least likely pair came together Thursday night at Spotify's Best New Artist party: Sting and Shaggy. The two revealed earlier in the day that they are working on a joint album — news that subsequently prompted many questions of the “how did this happen?” variety.
“We sang together a few years ago, but we didn't really know each other until about a year ago, when we started to do this song together called ‘Don't Make Me Wait,' which just came out today, and that was the beginning of this friendship,” Sting explained from the red carpet. “Then we started to make an album together probably because we decided to, just ‘cause it sort of hap- pened. We're almost finished it.” “Are we?” countered Shaggy. “Well no, but we have to,” Sting said. “You don't really finish an album, you abandon it at some point.”
Spotify's annual pre-Grammys bash celebrated the nominees for Best New Artist: Alessia Cara, Khalid, Lil Uzi Vert, SZA and Julia Michaels. All five performed during the party, which drew a mixed crowd of Hailey Baldwin, Justine Skye, Ansel Elgort, Martha Hunt, Nick Cannon and Alesso.
At the ninth annual Essence Black Women in Music event at the Highline Ballroom, the night was all about Missy Elliott. The singer was being honored for her decades-long contributions to the recording industry.
“I feel blessed and so honored,” said a visibly humbled Elliott, who kept cool with the help of a battery-operated handheld fan.
But the show-stopping moment of the night came when Janet Jackson surprised the crowd — including a tearful Elliott. “Some women sing, some produce, some rhyme, some rap, some act, some choreograph, some write hit songs, some create whole new sounds. Some are able to make their mark on these fields, but there's only one woman who has made her mark in all of these fields,” Jackson told the room.
Wiping tears from her eyes, Elliott took the stage to accept her award.
“I wouldn't want to be any other color but black,” said Elliott. “I'm black and I'm proud. There's something about our DNA that can't be taught.”
On Friday night, the Jonas brothers — Nick, Joe, and yes, even Kevin — rolled into Cadillac House close to 11 p.m. cloaked in leather jackets with significant others on their arms, ready to party. The trio was fresh from John Varvatos' show earlier in the evening, and had come to celebrate Grammys weekend in New York at the party thrown by their label, Republic Records.
Nick's girlfriend, model Georgia Fowler, was nowhere to be seen, but Kevin's wife Danielle and Joe's fiancée Sophie Turner came to support their JoBro men. Joe separated off to stand for photographers at the step and repeat, while a bodyguard waited with Turner. When approached by a photographer, she sweetly replied, “I don't know if I'm supposed to be here,” before said guard leaped to her rescue.
Indie rocker James Bay admitted to a relatively low-key Grammys weekend.
“I'm not doing a lot… it's not quite my party this year,” said the musician, who was nominated for three Grammys in 2016. “I've been showing a few people my new music, which has been really exciting, but, you know, when it's my party I'll come back and I'll go to the whole bit.”
Bay is in favor of the Grammys' arrival in New York City. “As fantastic as L.A. is, it's New York… you just can't beat it. The pulse keeps going and it just never stops,” he said. “Maybe it's a better place to hold the Grammys.”
The most coveted ticket for Grammy Awards weekend may have been for Clive Davis' annual gala on Saturday night. Brooklyn native Jay-Z, born Shawn Carter, was on hand to receive the Industry Icon award from the Recording Academy and was surrounded by a who's who from the world of music including wife Beyoncé.
During the program, which included musical sets from
Khalid, Gladys Knight, Barry Manilow, Migos, Luis Fonsi, Alicia Keys and Jennifer Hudson, Davis drew attention to the achievements of the talented artists scattered throughout the lengthy ballroom. “I try to give you a feel for who you're sharing the evening with,” explained the 85-year-old Davis.
As a spotlight scanned the crowd, industry power players ranging from Quincy Jones, Tina
Fey and Jerry Seinfeld to Pink and Cardi B. were among those given a brief tribute by Davis. Other famous faces included Ivana Trump, Dick Cavett, Sean Combs, Tony Danza, Jamie Foxx and Katie Holmes. The singer and actress have publicly dodged romance rumors for years, prompting Davis to remark, “If you're going to sit together, what better night than tonight?”
Alicia Keys gave a heartfelt tribute to Jay-Z before launching into a rendition of their 2011 Grammy-wining song “Empire State of Mind,” written about their mutual hometown.
“There was this moment when we were talking and [Jay] was like ‘is this record too New York?'” recalled Keys from behind a grand piano. “We were both like, ‘yeah,' but the thing we didn't realize [was] it would resonate with people in a whole other way because of the hope that it represented and the possibility that it represented.”
Following Keys' performance, which consisted of a medley of Jay-Z songs, he took the stage as the crowd chanted “HOVA,” a self-claimed pseudonym. In his acceptance speech, the rapper recalled boycotting the Grammy Awards after the Recording Academy failed to recognize fellow rapper DMX, who released two albums in 1998. “My first time coming back was six years later for the ‘Crazy in Love' album from the great Beyoncé,” he explained, directing attention to his wife. “I realized that art is supersubjective and everyone's doing their best and the Academy are human like we are and it's subjective.”
Apparently having had enough of the limelight, come Sunday
Jay-Z and Beyoncé skipped the red carpet at the actual awards (as did Rihanna), though plenty of others posed for photographers leading into Madison Square Garden.
Lady Gaga arrived on the earlier side, trailed by a team of people carrying her long Armani Privé train. Cardi B was also equipped with a squad, including stylist
Kollin Carter, to direct her and position her Ashi Studio gown for the cameras. A pregnant Chrissy Teigen sparkled down the carpet in a silver gown next to husband John Legend, while Jaden Smith showed up in patchwork denim and Syre merch in support of his album.
“[I'm] celebrating music in general, being able to sing in Spanish and on stage and watching all those amazing performers that I look up to, all the different collaborations,” said Luis Fonsi, whose song “Despacito” scooped up nominations for Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance. “This is historic for Latin music, so I'm just happy to be a part of it.”
When the Grammys nominations came out, there was a noticeable lack of female nominees in the top categories. Rapsody became the only woman nominated in the Best Rap Album category, and also snagged a nod for Best Rap Song. “[It's] exciting to show we [women] don't need our own category, we can compete with the men,” she said. “I'm only one of five [women] in history to ever be nominated
[for Best Rap Album], so I hope it inspires women to show that we can be recognized for our art and to show that we can compete with the men and that I won't be the only one, there will be six, seven, eight, nine and more to come.”
After watching actors and actresses wear all black and Time's Up pins to the Golden Globes, many wondered what — if anything — Grammy goers might wear in support of the movement. In an e-mail sent out during the red carpet, an organization called Voices in Entertainment said it would stand in solidarity with the Time's Up movement by encouraging Grammy attendees to wear a white rose, “which has historically stood for hope, peace, sympathy and resistance.”
Indeed, many celebrities — including Gaga, Cardi B and Nick Jonas — either wore or carried white roses to show their support. Some opted for the actual Time's Up pin first seen at the Globes.
It was music's biggest night, but on Sunday, the entertainment industry was as united as ever.