Best performances from the 67th Grammys

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During the 67th Grammy Awards held on Sunday evening, it appeared that The Recording Academy was emphasizing youth participation. Out of the 19 acts that performed, only five were born before Ronald Reagan’s first term as president. (In other words, more than half of the performers were under 40 years old, for those who may have struggled with American Government in high school.)

Apart from a few exceptions like Brad Paisley, Sheryl Crow, and the guitarist from Khruangbin, no artist over the age of 40 made an appearance on stage until the Quincy Jones tribute during the third hour.

Fortunately, the kids were up to the task.

Best performances from the 2025 Grammy Awards

Following a delightful introductory number by Dawes, Los Angeles-based, setting the tone for the night with “I Love L.A.”, the main acts truly packed a punch. Billie Eilish, Sabrina Carpenter, and Chappell Roan each showcased blockbuster hits from 2024. Interestingly, Chappell Roan’s “Pink Pony Club” is actually almost five years old at this point, but it gained significant popularity last year. Her performance was truly spectacular.

Following Carpenter and Roan taking their respective sets, the rest of the six Best New Artist nominees took the stage, delivering an electrifying medley. Each artist passed the baton to the next performer. Benson Boone showcased his signature backflip during “Beautiful Things,” while Doechii impressed with a mix of “Catfish” and “Denial is a River.” Shortly after winning Rap Album of the Year for “Alligator Bites Never Heal,” Doechii performed. RAYE concluded the New Artist set, displaying her diva prowess on “Oscar Winning Tears.

A significant moment followed as the Recording Academy paid homage to the late music legend Quincy Jones, who tragically passed away the previous year. Will Smith served as the narrator for this tribute, during which Cynthia Erivo, Lainey Wilson, and Stevie Wonder (performing a chromatic harmonica rendition of Jones’ “Bluesette”) were involved, with Herbie Hancock and Jacob Collier lending their support.

On a night specifically honoring emerging artists, it was perfectly suitable for the previous year’s New Artist award recipient, Victoria Monet, to end the Quincy Jones segment by embodying Michael Jackson’s spirit through her rendition of “Don’t Stop ’til You Get Enough.” She certainly left an impressive impact.

Chris Martin paid tribute elegantly during the “In Memoriam,” and Shakira engaged the audience in her signature style before the night’s grand finale performance. Charli XCX started her act outside, emerging from an SUV, eventually making it to the stage where she was joined by Julia Fox, along with a large group of performers dressed in lingerie, putting on a show for “Von Dutch” and “Guess.

Charli excelled alongside her fellow artists, yet there were still some imperfections. It appeared as if the Academy was overzealously patting itself on the back by inviting The Weeknd back onto their stage again. On the other hand, Trevor Noah, who is an exceptional host, frequently seemed to be hosting a fundraiser for disaster relief efforts rather than a regular awards show.

Most of the aid provided to those affected by the recent disaster was effectively managed, yet there were instances where it felt overly intense. Additionally, Noah had an unusual tendency to persistently urge the crowd to keep clapping following numerous acts, although it appeared unnecessary as the artists were capable on their own. For future reference, it seems the artists did not require additional assistance.

From a die-hard music lover’s perspective, the most disheartening part of this event was the lack of rock and roll performances on stage. Given that the Academy decided to honor the Beatles and the Rolling Stones with significant Rock awards this year, it wasn’t entirely surprising, but it doesn’t exactly fill me with optimism about the genre’s future. It was especially disappointing considering one of the year’s standout young rock artists, St. Vincent, was there, holding her guitar.

As a diehard music enthusiast, I was thrilled to witness St. Vincent (Annie Clark) team up with Brittany Howard for the opening act, supporting Dawes. This dynamic duo truly rocked the stage! On a personal note, it felt like St. Vincent deserved her own solo performance that night. Her Grammy wins for “Best Rock Song” (“Broken Man”) and “Best Alternative Rock Performance” (“Flea”) were well-deserved accolades, and I couldn’t help but feel a spark of excitement thinking about what a standalone show from her might have offered to rock fans everywhere.

It could have been enjoyable if Beyonce and/or Kendrick Lamar had taken the stage. While it was uncertain who would be taking home the major awards, their wins seemed quite likely (I correctly guessed two out of the Big Three). Unfortunately, we missed out on the Song and Record of the Year performances, as well as any music from the Album of the Year.

But we did get to hear quite a bit, and most of it was fantastic.

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2025-02-03 20:30