The show went on with all wins and triumphs held with underlying moments of silences in honour of Kobe Bryant.
The biggest night of the music industry, The Grammy Awards, took place at the Staples Centre on Saturday night that saw the industry’s brightest stars come together. What had set out to be a jubilant night took on a somber note when news of Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna’s passing in a tragic helicopter crash broke.
From it all, the show went on with all wins, triumphs and rejoicing held with underlying tones and moments of silences in honour of the late Laker who had touched and inspired the world over.
Here are some of the most memorable moments:
Alicia Keys and Boyz II Men’s tribute to Kobe Bryant
“We love you Kobe.” @aliciakeys and Boyz II Men sing in tribute to Kobe Bryant and his family at the opening of the #Grammys https://t.co/kk0nIau0ee pic.twitter.com/v3KpXSkvyW
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) January 27, 2020
Host Alicia Keys made a teary opening speech in which she honoured the late Kobe Bryant by referring to the Staples Centre as “a house that Kobe built”. She wrapped her speech by inviting Boyz II Men to join her onstage and together they performed a rendition of ‘It’s Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday’ as a tribute to the late basketballer.
Ariana Grande’s return to The Grammys
WATCH: @ArianaGrande gives you a taste of her Grammy nominated album, Thank U, Next! #Grammys pic.twitter.com/MHkFIriQlD
— Opinionated Me (@opinion8dmecom) January 27, 2020
She skipped out on the award show last year due to a disagreement with the producers but Ariana Grande shows she’s back with a vengeance this year (in a tower of chiffon, no less!) with a powerhouse medley of tracks from her album, ‘Thank U, Next’, which was of course nominated for a Grammy itself. For her performance, she took over the stage effortlessly with her signature high ponytail and a black gown complete with white satin gloves that dripped of old Hollywood glamour.
Lil Nas X’s star-studded ‘Old Town Road’ remix
WATCH: Grammy Award Winner @LilNasX performs a new mix of his @RIAA Diamond certified, record breaking, history making song, #OldTownRoad. #Grammys pic.twitter.com/TkUpHibXUV
— Opinionated Me (@opinion8dmecom) January 27, 2020
The longest-charting No.1 song in the history of the Billboard Hot 100 chart and the go-to karaoke song since its release, ‘Old Town Road’ got a special remix by Lil Was X with some star-studded friends including Diplo, Mason Ramsey, Nas and South Korean K-pop juggernauts, BTS. Each of them took turns to belt out their rendition of the song before coming together for a big finale that had everyone watching also singing along.
Demi Lovato’s heartfelt return from an overdose scare
Demi Lovato performing her new single “Anyone” at the #GRAMMYs pic.twitter.com/XDlmLSQhZc
— Demi Lovato News (@demetriaaalove) January 27, 2020
July 2018 was a tough time for Demi Lovato, who came close to a drug overdose just days after concluding her ‘Tell Me You Love Me’ World Tour. Four days before her hospitalisation, she had written the song ‘Anyone’ with lyrics that were a clear cry for help. Saved from the brink of death, she returned to the stage for a powerful and brave performance, which was clearly not easy for the troubled songstress as she had to restart her performance after being overwhelmed with emotions after just a few bars into the song.
Billie Eilish’s record breaking win
“Thank you.” In one of the quickest acceptance speech of the night, @BillieEilish and @finneas take the stage to accept the award for record of the year https://t.co/cRGxKFUAFO #Grammys pic.twitter.com/LQmSay7ZpY
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) January 27, 2020
Seventeen-year-old Billie Eilish proved that age really is just a number by not only sweeping up awards in the five main categories of Best Pop Vocal Album, Record of The Year, Album of The Year, Song of The Year, and Best New Artist, but also becoming the youngest solo performer to ever win Album of The Year, beating former record holder Taylor Swift who won when she was 20. In addition, her brother and recording partner, Finneas O’Connell, also took home his own accolade as Producer of the Year in a non-classical category.
