Bruno Mars’ housekeeping staff will be earning serious overtime because there is a lot more to dust, shine, and polish. Specifically six (6!) new Grammy trophies. He was easily the big winner from this year’s awards, his 24K Gold cleaning up all night long.
DespacitNO
Grammy voters either really loved Bruno or really hated Despacito. The biggest song of the year never heard its name called during the big concert/awards show. But they did rock the house. Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee performed the song and even though you probably have heard it hundreds of times, they managed to make it feel fresh for the #GrammyMoment.
Girl Powerful
The #MeToo movement took center stage as well, and fueled the most impactful performance of the night. Kesha took the stage and performed Praying along with Cyndi Lauper, Camilla Cabello and others. Kesha has been on the front lines of the sexual harassment movement for years since she spoke out against producer Dr. Luke. Her performance was cathartic, the tears were soul cleansing. Others would touch on the subject during the night, but Kesha is the moment that should and must be talked about tomorrow.
Let’s Take A Moment
There were other powerful performances that will qualify as what CBS Marketing likes to call the #GrammyMoment. Elton John, who just announced he’s quitting touring (in three years), pulled out a classic. He performed Tiny Dancer with Miley Cyrus. She was beautiful in a classy gown and gorgeous makeup. Elton was in classic Elton form, sporting lots of glitter on his jacket and big shades. Gucci will be doing the costumes for his three year farewell tour, so look for more over-the-top elegance to come.
P!nk turned in another powerful Grammy performance, singing Wild Hearts Can’t Be Broken. But she sang it standing on a stage instead of hanging from the ceiling, so I’m not sure how impressed we can really be.
Lady Gaga did what Lady Gaga does best these days: Sing Beautifully, no over-the-top outfits or makeup needed.
And Kendrick Lamar? Well he was Kendrick Lamar. And that should be enough for anyone.
And leave it to the Theater guys to sing live. Ben Platt of Dear Evan Hansen killed it on the stage. We won’t comment on Patti LuPone, but suffice to say we won’t be crying over her (#MadonnaSangItBetter).
Host On Duty
And a big shout out to James Corden who helped move the show along, always setting the right tone for what had just happened or what was about to happen. Unlike at the SAGs and Golden Globes, where the host was virtually MIA after the monologue, James was always there to keep up the laughs and the energy.
The Critic’s Cocktail Recommendation
A shot of NyQuil. The show was three hours 35 minutes. It was so high energy and packed with performances we’re still running on adrenaline. So it’s a quick shot of the big blue syrup and off for a bit of a nap.
Cheers!
Critic's Cocktail 