This past Sunday CBS hosted the 68th Grammys Awards. Along with all the awards given, viewers were also eager to see the 18 performances held that night. Here are my recapped thoughts on each, ranking the performances based on stage presence, set design, vocals, creativity, and if it lives up to the expectations given from the studio recordings.
Honorable Mention: Alex Warren
For this performance, even though it wouldn't have been too high on the list to begin with, an honest review can’t be given, so Warren lands an honorable mention. His performance showcased his most streamed song “Ordinary.” However, during this performance his in-ear monitors had issues, leading to the reference tracks being played multiple times on different times in his ears. Due to this he was out of sync with the music and the backup vocals for most of the performance.
Despite this, he still made a good recovery, taking his in ears out all-together for the second half. As for stage direction, at the final chorus the platform he was on raised into the air with wires and brought him high above the audience, giving a satisfying conclusion to the performance.
17. Lola Young
Lola Young’s performance fell flat compared to the rest. In a change from the upbeat, guitar-heavy studio version, she played her song “Messy” live with just her and a grand piano. This change in instrumentation made the song feel more like a ballad than the original, which just didn’t have the same impact, especially in the chorus. Overall, her vocals were good and the piano was nice, but compared to the grandiose nature of the other performances it felt more like a talent show act than a high budget Grammys performance.
16. Addison Rae
As part of the Best New Artist medley Addison Rae performed her song “Fame is a Gun”. Now despite how low this is on my list, that song is my favorite on her new album. However, I just think this song is not great for a live performance given its Techo synth-pop nature. To start off the production, Addison rides into frame on the back of an 18-wheeler, sneaking around it while singing. This part of the set was fine, but getting into the chorus is where we started to have issues. Her vocals are not as supported in the live version as opposed to the studio version. This is mostly due to the use of filters to get the techno feel of the song, so without it the song loses some important structure. For some positives, near the end she had an interesting dance break with multicolored backlighting, backup dancers, and a costume change.
15. Reba
This performance was the first of three that honored those in the industry who had passed away. She performed an altered version of her song “Trailblazer” alongside Brandy Clark and Lewis Nelson. This performance was not flashy by any means, and it wasn’t supposed to be. It did what it was supposed to do and it achieved its goal very well. As for set design, they were up on the center stage with orange candles and flowers, during the performance, photos of passed artists were shown on the back screens. Overall, the performance was great for a remembrance ceremony, but was outshined by flashier shows throughout the night.
14. Sombr
For his performance, sombr did his disco inspired track “12 to 12”. He entered the stage from a descending platform, calling for the audience to get up and dance. His performance was very energetic in both his movement and his strong vocals. Towards the last chorus he went into the audience and danced with fellow artists. His costume also tied into the style of the song, he sported a mirror plated set reminiscent of a disco ball. Despite all the good in his performance, it didn’t feel very creative. To put it in words he would relate to as a self-proclaimed “Chronically online” person, it just felt like he was reheating Benson Boone’s nachos, that is to say redoing it but worse.
13. Justin Bieber
Off his new album “SWAG” he played the song “Yukon”. This performance was very stripped down in every sense of the word. For this set he did all of the instrumentals live, using a looper to create the track as he went. Once all the backing was done, he singing, bringing a cozy feel to the whole performance. This was also complimented by the simple warm spotlight on the stage. After finishing the song he left the stage with the loop still running. It’s hard to know if this was intentional but the abrupt ending when he came back to turn off the looper felt very in line with the rest of the performance.
12. Leon Thomas
For Leon Thomas’ first Grammy performance, he played “MUTT” off his newest album of the same name. His rendition of the song differed drastically from the studio version. First it used the intro to his song “HOW FAST”, cleverly including the line “Feel like I just got off the stage at the Grammys.” In addition to this, he also swapped the calm strings in the opening of MUTT for a more screamy electric guitar feature. The rest of the show featured slight alterations making the song have a more funky feel, including vocal riffing to show off his full range. He ended it with an impressive guitar solo bringing the performance full circle. Overall, this was a very good performance all-around and is what I would consider a good baseline for a Grammys show to hit.
11. The Marías
The Marías might have had one of the simpler performances of the night, however it also encapsulated the feel of the music and their entire aesthetic as a band. They performed “No One Noticed” opting for the extended Spanish version instead of the regular version most viewers would recognize, providing context for the groups Hispanic heritage. The set design paid homage to their newest album with the stage covered in a layer of smoke and lit in blue lighting, and the backdrop showing an ocean horizon, based on the albums name “Submarine”. The ambiance along with smooth vocals and dreamy instrumentation made for a very cohesive show, and a great introduction to the group.
10. KATSEYE
Transitioning out of Addison Rae’s segment, KATSEYE delivered a high energy performance of their song “Gnarly”. Their performance was one of the few that included transitions from backstage to the main stage. This led to them having one of the more exciting entrances, getting to see them start on Addison’s set and make their way through the greenroom to emerge on the main stage in a shroud of smoke. Going into the most known part of the song they showed off an impressive display of their dancing abilities as well as their vocals.
One fault in their vocal performance was that, at times, whoever was on lead vocals didn’t seem to have the breath support to give their best. In the back half of the song, instead of going for the third verse as on the studio version, they went for a more dance focused ending underscored by a remix of the song. This ending really showed off their dancing skills as a group and had lots of good partner work with the backup dancers. After their performance, a clip went viral on social media of one of the members saying “Remember how everyone used to hate this song. Now we’re playing it at the Grammys, b*tch.”
9. Olivia Dean
Olivia Dean gave a stunning performance of her song “Man I Need,” proving she was worthy of the “Best New Artist” Award she would win later in the night. She brought incredible energy to the stage, her expressiveness making it obvious how happy she was to be performing at such a huge event. The song was mostly unchanged from the original except for slight instrumentation changes. These shifts in backing gave the track a slight funkier feel, which fit with the set design perfectly. The stage was designed with a shimmering gold backdrop, a massive mirrorball and a glowing dancefloor giving a sort of 70s, disco aesthetic.
8. Clipse & Pharell
Alongside a full choir, they performed their song “So Far Ahead”, using incredible staging and lighting to transition between parts of the song. The performance consisted of four parts, and intro by Pharell, two verses from members Pusha T and Malice, and ending with a finale of all three. With Pharell the choir sang in a gospel style alongside bright white lighting illuminating the performance. Very abruptly to start the two verses, the stage goes red matching with the transition out of the melodic section to the rap rection, with even the chorus changing choreo to match. The white suits in the red lighting also gave the illusion of a costume change. Going into the final climax, snow fell onto the stage giving a perfect backdrop to the last lines of the song. Despite the contrasting nature of the song, the lighting and staging made the performance flow smoothly.
7. Bruno Mars
In his second performance of the night Bruno Mars performed his new single “I Just Might” live for the first time. He and his band The Hooligans gave a great show for it being the first time the song was performed. As usual, Bruno gave stunning vocals matching the energy of the studio recording and showed great stage presence. This is where my bias might be showing through a little, but since I have seen him perform live and I know what he is capable of, I expected a little bit more on the dancing front.
As for the song itself, it did have slight differences from the original. In the entrance to the second verse, the band slowed down with a bass line reminiscent of “My Girl”, pushing both the message of the song and his older aesthetic. In a funnier change, along side the line “If your booty can’t find the beat,” the band cuts off with a stinger and the lights turn a bright white to emphasize the line. It also would be a disservice to not mention the set for this performance. As one of the largest set pieces of the night they were backlit by a giant illuminated heart, as well as lights covering the stage platforms.
6. Lady Gaga
Changing from the club music style featured in the original, Gaga performed a rock-esqe rendition of her hit “Abracadabra”. Immediately getting into the energy, she screams for the Grammys to “put their paws up.” The performance included incredible camera work, swinging around the stage first giving the spotlight to the instrumentalists in the intro. Gaga’s strong vocals matched the intensity of the new style, with her stage energy being at an extreme high. While the camera swept around her, she followed it as she performed, giving a sense of eerie awareness of the viewers. This was especially creative when they used a mirror on the floor to give a more commanding presence as if she was looking down at the viewer. The show also featured synth played by Gaga and a dance break backlit by strobe lights and blazing pyrotechnics. Her costume also served as a highlight of her performance, featuring a wicker headpiece that appeared to be clawed through to create the opening.
5. Miss Lauren Hill & Guests
As another section of the remembrance portion of the show, Lauren Hill performed a medley of songs honoring D’Angelo and Roberta Flack. This medley contained 14 songs by the two artists featuring guests, Lucky Daye, Raphael Saadiq, Anthony Hamilton, Leon Thomas, Bilal, Jon Batiste, Alexia Jayy, Lalah Hathaway, October London, John Legend, Chaka Kahn, and Wyclef Jean. It would be nothing short of ridiculous to call this performance anything but incredible. All of the artists featured showed off stunning talents and served as a beautiful memorial to an artist who redefined the soul and R&B genres. Alongside the performers was a full band providing great backing. Visually this wasn't the flashiest performance of the night, but the emotional power behind it made it one of the most memorable.
4. Bruno Mars & Rosé
Serving as the opener for the Grammys, Bruno mars and Rosé performed a high-octane rock rendition of their hit “APT”. The change in style made the song feel completely different from the studio version in the best way possible. Starting with a chuggy guitar by Bruno and high impact drums the ceremony started on a incredible high note. Both performers brought engaging energy and great chemistry to the stage that was only improved by the change in instrumentation. Before the final push of the song, the lights dimmed and smoke surrounded the two while Bruno performed an almost Jimi Hendrix- esqe solo. The camera-work for this performance also was a standout, with Rosé following a sweeping camera towards the end similar to Gaga’s performance.
3. Post Malone, Chad Smith, Duff McKagan, Slash & Andrew Watt
To honor the late Ozzy Ozbourne Post Malone alongside Chad Smith, of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Duff McKagan and Slash of Guns N Roses, and Producer Andrew Watt performed the Black Sabbath song “War Pigs”. Post Malone gave an impressive vocal performance, going far outside of his typical style. This show featured great solo work from everyone involved, giving each performer a chance to be in the spotlight and honor Ozzy’s legacy. During the performance, portraits of other passed rock artists showed in the background to honor their legacies as well. Throughout the performance, the camera cut to Ozzy’s family in the audience, brought to tears by the celebration of his life. Complete with pyrotechnics and a smashed guitar, this performance was something he would be proud of. To quote Yungblud in his acceptance speech earlier in the night, “God bless rock music, and god bless f*cking Ozzy Ozbourne.”
2. Sabrina Carpenter
Flying in on SCA, that is “Sabrina Carpenter Airlines,” she delivered an incredible performance of her hit song “Manchild.” Her performance came with the largest set of the night, including baggage claims, the front of an airplane, and massive flight information display systems. Keeping in line with her past concerts she wore a theme-appropriate jumpsuit, this time inspired by a pilots uniform, taking the stage as “Captain Sabrina.” Alongside her were many backup dancers depicting different professions, including a priest, and astronaut, and a magician, the last of which would make a dove (who was later revealed by the handler to be named Tina) appear out of his hat for Sabrina.
To further the airport experience, when moving to the other side of the stage she gave an announcement to the audience to get up and dance using a PA microphone. After a more creative choreography using baggage carts and marshalling wands, she ended the song being raised to the top of the airplane on a lift, where she was then given back the dove to accompany her in her final pose. After the performance during the celebration with her team, she was quoted saying “guys it sh*t on my hand.” Her vocals brought just as much energy as the studio recording, and the choreo between her and the backup dancers was very well put together. This performance was full of the usual Sabrina charm, making for both an impressive and funny show.
1. Tyler, The Creator
As the only performing artist to release 2 albums in the past year, Tyler, The Creator had the monumental task of finding a way to combine these two contrasting albums into one cohesive product, and he did it perfectly. To start the performance off, Tyler, in his St. Chroma persona marched through the audience leading a construction crew set to his song “Thought I was Dead”. He directs his crew to get to work and gets into an alternate version of the song. The songs lyrics were changed to call out the people who still judge him for his past mistakes and refuse to look at how he’s changed, with lines like “Y’all mind made up I’m the bad guy” and “How many lives I changed, Millionaires made”. Along with this he employs a creative use of construction sounds to act as a censor. Throughout the section he brought the same iconic energy that he gives for his sold-out shows.
The scene then transitions to a repair shop where, backed by a new arrangement of “Like Him,” Actress Regina King plays his mom, giving him advice just like she does throughout “CHROMAKOPIA”. She tells Tyler, now in an outfit more aligned with his “Big Poe” persona from “Don’t Tap The Glass”, to “watch out for them potholes. And don't ever, ever, look back in that rearview mirror. They just tryna remind you where you been, ignorin' where you goin'.” This casting was especially emotional for Regina, as she had lost her son in 2022. He then gets into his newly fixed Ferrari F40, which he promptly crashes just out of frame.
Upon starting his next number “Sugar On My Tongue,” it’s shown that what he hit was actually his other St. Chroma persona, who is later carried off in a stretcher. This segment of the performance was filled with extras giving a sense of chaos to the rest of the scene. During the instrumental break at the end of the song, he gets two of the extras, who would do some impressive contortion and breakdancing soon after, to light a stick of dynamite. He goes into the gas station aptly named the “St. Chroma Fuel Station,” where it soon explodes with live pyrotechnics. To end the performance off Tyler stumbles out of the gas station, complete with tattered, burned clothes and a bloody face, goes to the end of the stage, and collapses on the ground.
Alongside being an incredible performance, this act also provided development to the overall narrative of Tyler’s albums. Coming from his 2023 album “Call Me if you Get Lost” the music video for “SORRY NOT SORRY” features Big Poe killing all of Tyler’s past alter egos after being let in by St. Chroma. This performance serves as a narrative ending for both of those characters, killing them off leaving an opening for the next character.
