Last night, the music industry gathered at L.A.’s Staples Center for The Grammy Awards. Between the premiere show, the red carpet, the live broadcast main event — complete with performances and all major awards — it felt like it lasted forever. A total of 70 small trophies were given out during an evening of highs, lows, and political statements. In major categories it came down to a battle of the i-D cover stars: Adele vs. Beyoncé. FrOcean wasn’t there at all. Adele channelled Cady Heron in Mean Girls. Here’s what you missed.
Frank Ocean boycotted the whole event.
Making headlines before the big day, he took to his tumblr to explain exactly why he opted out of the awards this year. Solange supported him on Twitter.
Bowie won big from beyond.
David Bowie won five posthumous awards for Blackstar. It was the first year he has ever been awarded a Grammy and in all honesty, it was a real shame they had to wait until now. As five-time Grammy winning producer Kevin Killen, who has worked with the star before, pointed out backstage: “it’s kind of startling that it’s taken so long for an artist who’s been so magnificent in his career.”
Chance the Rapper dressed appropriately.
Chance won three Grammys (his first winning year ever) for best rap performance for “No Problem” feat. Lil Wayne and 2 Chainz and Best New Artist. (New?). Accepting the award, he took to the stage wearing a hoodie that said “Thank You,” and shouted out his love to his family, God, and music. For an unsigned artist with a streamed-only album, this was a huge moment for Chance.
CHANCE BROUGHT THAT GOSPEL TO THE #GRAMMYS pic.twitter.com/f8INyeBwyR
— SoundCloud Hip-Hop (@SoundCloudRaps) February 13, 2017
Drake got a reputation for himself now.
A reputation for winning multiple Grammy awards for one song, that is! The infuriatingly catchy, much-memed “Hotline Bling” won both Best Rap/Sung Performance and Best Rap Song.
Busta Rhymes called Donald Trump “President Agent Orange.”
Joining A Tribe Called Quest on stage for a performance of We the People in honor of protesters, Busta shouted out Trump/”President Agent Orange” for “perpetuating evil in the United States,” and told him that his Muslim ban had failed.
Paris Jackson used her platform for good.
On stage to introduce a performance by The Weeknd and Daft Punk, in response to the roomful of cheers she opened: “We could really use this kind of excitement at a pipeline protest, guys! #NoDAPL!” Nice one, Paris.
Katy Perry put a lot of thought into her wardrobe.
Performing new song, “Chained to the Rhythm,” the newly blonde KP wore a white suit — supposedly in homage to Hillary — accessorized with a “PERSIST” armband. Protest is very much in fashion.
Pregnant Beyoncé was not taking it easy.
Crowned with an epic gold creation, the omnipresent, omnipotent goddess of fertility and beauty appeared on stage for a moving performance of “Love Drought” and “Sandcastles.” Opening with one of Warsan Shire’s poem for Lemonade, in a reference to her recent Instagram reveal, Bey was surrounded by flowers and legions of powerful women as she reclined in a chair.
beyoncé’s full grammy performance
“if we’re gonna heal, let it be glorious” #grammyspic.twitter.com/U3OSH3fmCl— ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ (@gIowshawty) February 13, 2017
But she had more to say than just that.
Accepting the award for Best Urban Contemporary Album, Beyoncé told the room and world that Lemonade was made to “show images to my children that reflect their beauty,” and called for better representation. When she also won Best Music Video for “Formation,” two of the artists who worked on it were asked backstage to share an anecdote about a bad day on set. They gave what was surely the only answer to such a question. “There’s never a bad day with Beyoncé.”
Solange won, too!
Thanks to the incredible Cranes in the Sky, Solange took home the award for Best R&B Performance. It was a big night for the Knowles family, with Blue Ivy turning up dressed like a mini Prince and Mama Knowles, Tina, called on to introduce Bey’s performance.
Adele started her tribute to George Michael in the wrong key, swore on live television, and then started again.
And it just made everyone love her even more. Because that’s exactly what us regular people would be like if we were performing a tribute to a music icon live at The Grammys.
Then she told Beyoncé exactly what we’ve always wanted to tell her.
After first beating her to Best Song and Best Record, on receiving the award for Best Album, a crying Adele said she couldn’t accept it because Beyoncé’s Lemonade was “so well thought out and so beautiful and soul-bearing and we all got to see another side to you that you don’t always let us see and we appreciate that and all us artists here adore you, and you are our light. And the way that you make me and my friends feel and the way you make my black friends feel is empowering and I love you and I always have.” A solitary tear rolling down her cheek, Beyoncé mouthed “I LOVE YOU” right back.
Adele wins Album of the Year, dedicates it to Beyonce: “I can’t possibly accept this award.” #GRAMMYs pic.twitter.com/9Msjhz9Cj6
— Hollywood Reporter (@THR) February 13, 2017
And then she did a Mean Girls.
That’s right, like Cady Heron in the 2004 modern classic, Adele somehow snapped her award in two and gave half to Bey. The ultimate BBF necklace. It was the spring fling speech all over again — after all, why is everybody stressing over this thing? I mean, it’s just gold plated alloy in the shape of a gramophone. We should really just share it… a piece for Beyoncé… a piece for Adele… and peace for the world.
Credits
Text Frankie Dunn