ICYMI: READ A RUN-DOWN OF THE 2018 GRAMMYS
By Angelique Arintok, Staff Writer
The 60th Annual Grammy Awards took place at Madison Square Garden in New York City on Sunday night. This year’s broadcast of the awards show was surely a memorable night in the music and entertainment industry. Carpool karaoke entertainer, James Corden of “The Late Late Show,” hosted the Grammy Awards for the second year in a row.
Amid the star-studded performances, Corden inserted a pre-recorded segment featuring Cardi B, DJ Khaled and Hillary Clinton auditioning as spoken word artists reading from Michael Wolff’s “Fire and Fury.” The controversial new book centers on Donald Trump.
Although the show did not feature P!nk performing in mid-air or the infamous exchange between Taylor Swift and Kanye, artists such as Bruno Mars and Kendrick Lamar took center stage.
Mars won album of the year and record of the year for “24K Magic,” as well as song of the year for ‘That’s What I Like.’ Mars beat out fan-favorites such as Jay-Z, Childish Gambino, and Kendrick Lamar.
Kendrick Lamar, however, also had a night of recognition. Lamar took home best rap album for ‘Damn,’ best rap song and best rap performance for ‘HUMBLE.,’ as well as best rap/sung performance for ‘Loyalty,’ featuring Rihanna.
Awards were also presented to ‘Scars to Your Beautiful’ and ‘Here’ singer Alessia Cara for best new artist of the year, and Dave Chappelle for best comedy album with his Netflix special “The Age Of Spin & Deep In The Heart Of Texas.”
Artists like Sam Smith, Luis Fonsi, Daddy Yankee, Bruno Mars, and Cardi B also performed. A heartfelt performance of P!nk’s ‘Wild Hearts Can’t Be Broken,’ was simple, yet demonstrative of her raw talent and passion. Shortly thereafter, DJ Khaled, Rihanna, and Bryson Tiller performed their summer hit ‘Wild Thoughts,’ against a tropical background and colorful lights.
Kesha also made her comeback to the Grammys after an eight year absence with an emotional rendition ‘Praying,’ as she featured solidarity among singers like Camila Cabello, Cyndi Lauper, and Andra Day on the stage. Kesha’s conceptualization of ‘Praying,’ was incredibly reflective of her personal hardships in recent years.
In light of Logic’s dedication in raising awareness to mental health and suicide prevention, the show ended with him, Khalid, and Alessia Cara in a symbolic performance of ‘1-800-273-8255.’ Aside from the awareness Logic conveys, he brought a political message at the end of his performance in proclaiming “bring us your tired, your poor, and immigrant who seeks refuge, for together we can build not just a better country, but a world that is destined to be united.”
The performances, numerous awards, and even a camera shot of Blue Ivy calming down her parents Beyoncé and Jay-Z established the 2018 Grammy Awards as one with significant moments and heartfelt messages to viewers watching at home.
Photo Courtesy of GRAMMY.com
