The 56th annual Grammy Awards, which took place on Sunday, Jan. 26, was hosted by two-time Grammy winner and actor LL Cool J. LL Cool J has been the Grammy’s host since 2012 and was brought back by CBS for a third year because of his charisma and presence held on the stage.
Pop diva Beyonce gave the first and most standout performance of the night. She performed “Drunk in Love” from her new album “Beyonce,” and Queen Bey had fans in an uproar of happiness. Her smoke-filled, dim-lit chair sequence seduced viewers, and fans were in for a surprise when Beyonce’s hubby Jay-Z took the stage alongside
“Beyonce’s ‘sexy’ is so much more acceptable than Miley’s or anybody else’s attempts at ‘sexy’,” said senior Christine Soderman. “It’s something about the way she holds herself in everyday life. She’s not constantly trying to say, ‘Hey everyone look I’m hot and sexy!’ She lives her life like a normal person and then puts on this amazing persona when she performs. I feel like certain other celebrities never could have pulled off her performance without looking desperate.”
Another exceptional performance of the night was 16 year-old Lorde’s “Royals” from her first released studio album titled Pure Heroine. Lorde opened the stage singing acapella, engaging the audience immediately. Lorde also took home her first two Grammys for Song of the Year as well as for Pop Solo Performance.
Macklemore and Ryan Lewis also took home several Grammys for the night. Their debut album, The Heist, was nominated for an extraordinary seven awards, but only took home four: New Artist, Rap Performance, Rap Song and Rap Album.
With a breathtaking introduction by Queen Latifah, Macklemore and Ryan Lewis sang “Same Love” alongside Mary Lambert, with a performance that also wed 33 couples who attended the show. Rings were exchanged, and by the power invested in Queen Latifah, the couples were pronounced married. Madonna came out shortly after, closing the performance with her hit “Open Your Heart.” This production moved its viewers and gave the Grammy Awards something special to look back on for years to come.
Though Macklemore’s “Same Love” performance was a stunner, a lot of fans were disappointed that Kendrick Lamar didn’t win the Grammy for Best Rap Album.
“Macklemore had his moments, but if you take the time out to listen, Kendrick’s album needed to win,” said Jonathan Menna, a Ramapo graduate. “The album portrayed his passion and love for what he does, and it would’ve been nice to see him win.”
Macklemore himself agreed that Lamar should’ve won for Best Rap Album. He posted a picture on Instagram of a screenshot that he took of a text message to Kendrick Lamar, which read, “You got robbed. I wanted you to win. You should have. It’s weird and sucks that I robbed you.”
Other performances of the night included a not-so-surprising song by Taylor Swift, a trippy show by Katy Perry singing “Dark Horse” and a pitchy performance by Sara Bareilles and Carole King singing “Brave.”
Other winners of the night included Daft Punk with Album of the Year as well as Record of the Year and Pop/Duo group Performance with Pharrell Williams and Nile Rodgers, Bruno Mars with Pop Vocal Album and Jay-Z and Justin Timberlake with Holy Grail for Rap Collaboration. A full list of the Grammy winners and performances can be found on ABC News.
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dcookson@ramapo.edu