Everyone has learned by now the Grammys isn’t an award show — it’s a performance show.
Hosted by Trevor Noah, the 63rd Grammy Awards saw a bunch of firsts, a whole lot of good and a whole lot of bad. It’s time to honor the performances that shined during the night as well as the ones that should’ve stayed in the draft folder.
But first, here are some honorable mentions for the best: Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak, aka Silk Sonic, singing their smooth hit, “Leave The Door Open,“ Harry Styles and his huge green scarf kicking off the show with the irresistible “Watermelon Sugar” and Taylor Swift, sporting a medieval-esque dress and keeping cottagecore alive, giving it her all with her mashup of “cardigan,” “august” and “willow.”
Here are the best five and the worst three performances of the 63rd Grammys:
BEST
“Rockstar (feat. Roddy Ricch)” by DaBaby
DaBaby became the classical composer of our time with the reimagining of his smash hit “Rockstar.” As soon as viewers saw him dressed in all white and sporting bedazzled gloves, it looked like we were about to get a remake of Michael Jackson’s “Smooth Criminal,” but DaBaby made the performance his own. With the help of a choir (that went off!) and Roddy Ricch, DaBaby created one of the most memorable Grammy performances in recent memory.
“I Remember Everything” by Brandi Carlile
Of the tributes dedicated to music’s best who died this past year, Brandi Carlile’s version of the late John Prine’s “I Remember Everything” was the most stunning. Donning a shimmering blackish gray fit, Carlile’s tender, silky voice awakened the heavens, where Prine was definitely spotted smiling.
“Levitating”/“Don’t Start Now” by Dua Lipa
This year’s winner for Best Pop Vocal Album furthered her case as to why she was the deserving winner with her double feature performance. Dua Lipa’s pink dress was not only gorgeous — it was life-changing. DaBaby returned for his verse in “Levitating,” but Dua Lipa rightfully had everyone’s attention the whole time. Not to mention, her choreography was mesmerizing.
“Body”/“Savage” by Megan Thee Stallion
Megan Thee Stallion’s feathery outfit was a vibe, but the strip-down to the sparkly bathing suit was something no one knew they needed until it happened. Her choreography basically stole the show and proved how her confidence exudes in everything she does. Her verse as she joined Cardi B for “WAP” was killer as well, but the constant bleeping out was too distracting.
“The Bigger Picture” by Lil Baby
The most breathtaking performance of the night undoubtedly went to Lil Baby for his performance of “The Bigger Picture,” his protest song surrounding the police brutality that unfolded this past summer. The performance began with a depiction of the death of Rayshard Brooks, an unarmed man who was killed by an Atlanta police officer last June.
Guest vocalists included rapper Killer Mike and Tamika Mallory, the latter of whom alluded to poet Amanda Gorman’s speech at President Joe Biden’s inauguration. The performance was a lot to take in, but it was everything people everywhere needed to see and hear.
WORST
“Bluebird” by Miranda Lambert
If Miranda Lambert was vying for the “least enthusiastic award,” she won with flying colors. She spent most of the performance moving stiffly back and forth, looking unamused. Halfway through the song, the camera panned to John Mayer disassociating, and honestly? That was the rest of us, too.
“Bones (feat. John Mayer)” by Maren Morris
Speaking of John Mayer, he absolutely carried Maren Morris’ performance of her hit “Bones.” While Mayer was sweetly playing his guitar without a care in the world, Morris was delivering a mediocre performance. This wasn’t the worst performance ever by any means, but compared the other 20-or-so performances, it didn’t live up to the hype.
“Say So” by Doja Cat
Just when you thought Daft Punk broke up, Doja Cat emerged as a robot and confused people everywhere. Of course, she had to do the dance to her song that took over TikTok and disintegrated everyone’s sanity during quarantine. The performance was near creepy and nowhere the night’s nor her best.
