2020 Grammys Highlights
With the devastating news of the Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant losing his life to a helicopter accident, Grammy nominees and celebrities alike honored him as a great influence who had changed the lives of many. The host of the award show, singer Alicia Keys, never failed to acknowledge Bryant and his daughter Gigi to commemorate the impact of their lives on others and the world. An acapella performance of “It’s So Hard to Say Goodbye” opened the night as a tribute to Bryant. In addition, several performers dedicated their songs to him out of respect and love. The first song Lizzo performed was titled, “Cuz I Love You” and before the song began, she gave a shout out to Bryant saying that the song was for him.
That Sunday night, many performances took place but there were some that stood out more than others. A great performance that left social media blowing up was Lil Nas X’s performance. To sing his widely popular song “ Old Town Road”, he invited worldwide-known Kpop group BTS, young yodeling artist Mason Ramsey, singer-songwriter Billy Ray Cyrus, and DJ Diplo. BTS fans were excited to her that BTS was attending and performing in the Grammys this year, and are hopeful that they will be nominated in the years to come. After singing Old Town Road, Lil Nas X performed another of his hit songs, known as “Panini”. History was also made on this memorable night because the second, youngest and first female artist since 1981 to sweep the Grammys by winning the “Big Four”. Billie Eilish at just 18 years old won Best New Artist, Album of the Year, Song of the Year, and Record of the Year. Throughout the show, Eilish surprisingly appeared annoyed at her success and believed that Ariana Grande should have taken home the Album of the Year award. Eilish also won Best New Artist that night. As well, her brother Finneas won a Grammy for Best Producer and three others. Together, the sibling duo took home 9 Grammy awards. Billie Eilish also was able to perform live with her brother Finneas with the song “when the party’s over” and was awarded with a standing ovation.
One of the most anticipated people to arrive at the Grammys was Ariana Grande. Right when the singer stepped foot onto the red carpet, in her pigeon blue tulle dress cameras began to flash as she posed cutely for them. This year’s Grammys marked her first time in 5 years that she has performed during this award show, and her performance was amazing. Starting her perform in a formal gown, she sang the song “Imagine” and later transitioned the song into another called “My Favorite Things” from the classic movie The Sound of Music, which shares the same melody to her trap styled song “7 Rings”. She then transitioned to her titular album hit “Thank U, Next” and included kind words about her father in this rendition as she did during her tour. Sadly, Grande did not win any awards in the 5 categories she was nominated in, but either way, she won with all the famous songs and wonderful tour she did in 2019. The Grammys this year was both a somber and uplifting experience for both the musical artists and for the viewers but the overarching message of music serving as a universal healer was achieved.
