As with every year, the 55th Grammy Awards had its share of both cheesy and memorable moments. Here are some of the most memorable moments from Sunday night’s show, presented from Saxon Scope Reporters Alex De Thier and Abdullah Jamil.
Number #5: Taylor Swift’s clever quip
The night kicked off with the country pop superstar’s performance of her hit song ‘We Are Never Getting Back Together” to a weird staging theme that seemed to draw influence from Alice of Wonderland. During the spoken portion during the song’s bridge, Taylor put on a comical British accent that seemed a little out of place. Many assumed that this was a cheap shot directed at her ex-boyfriend, British boy band member Harry Styles, on music’s biggest stage.
Number #4: Tribute (so they called it) to Bob Marley
Before just about every commercial break, the show previewed a tribute to late reggae legend Bob Marley performed by multiple artists. When the time finally came, we were presented with Bruno Mars and Sting, both performing songs of their own. The only element of the ‘tribute” that was true to its name was the rendition of Marley’s hit ‘Could You Be Loved,” as performed by his sons Ziggy and Damian, joined by fellow Caribbean pop star Rihanna. Next time CBS, if you’re going to build up excitement for a tribute to one of music’s biggest icons, make sure it’s a proper tribute.
Number #3: What dress code?
Last week, headlines were made when CBS released a memo to celebrities, asking for those that will be attending the Grammys to cover up, barring any racy clothing or chance of a wardrobe malfunction; many didn’t listen. Rihanna, Kelly Rowland, and Alicia Keys wore practically see-through dresses; Jennifer Lopez bared an entire leg, and of course Katy Perry wasn’t too modest in her choice of clothing. These celebrities, among others, acted in direct defiance of CBS’s orders, leaving girls all over the nation talking about their bold fashion choices, and guys talking about….their bold fashion choices.
Number #2: JT’s return to the spotlight
Everyone remembers the last time Justin Timberlake was big; whether it’s his questionable lyrics in songs such as “SexyBack” or the always-memorable Super Bowl halftime show with Janet Jackson in 2005, Justin knows how to generate a buzz. However, Justin appears to be taking a more conservative approach this time around, rocking a suit and tie on Sunday night as he performed his comeback single of the same name. Justin was met with great enthusiasm, even more so when he was joined by Jay-Z to finish the song, and again when he presented another new song from his upcoming album, entitled “Pusher Love Girl.” Possibly more important than his return to the music scene, our Twitter feeds from last night have revealed that JT has returned to heartthrob status in the minds of teenage girls.
Number #1: Wide variety of winners
Let’s be honest, watching Adele win six Grammys last year (including Best Album, Best Song, Best Record) was boring. It is human nature to enjoy competition, in whatever form it may come in. This year’s Grammy Awards was far more exciting; although we saw multiple successes for groups such as Fun, The Black Keys, and Mumford & Sons, the three main awards were split; Gotye won Record of the Year (deservedly, albeit his one-hit wonder status), Mumford & Sons won Album of the Year, and Fun won Song of the Year. There were also some exciting competitions for lesser awards, such as the off-stage rivalry between Frank Ocean and Chris Brown culminating in Ocean’s victory in the Best Contemporary Urban Album category.
Now that football season is over, the world needs something else to watch on Sunday nights, and on February 10, the Grammys definitely filled that gap. Thank you Saxons, for reading our breakdown of music’s biggest night.