The 68th Grammys will be remembered as a night of music, of surprises, but above all as the night when much of the music world stood up against President Donald Trump and his immigration policies. Whether based on off-color jokes, as in the case of presenter Trevor Noah, or , the culture was upset by the terror sown against migrants in the last year, and especially in , the political and social epicenter of the United States.
Politics and protest were mixed with the awards. They were distributed, and with surprises. The most important of the year, album of the year, was won by him; he couldn’t even get up from his chair or stop crying when Harry Styles said his name. His album is the first in Spanish to achieve this recognition. He went on stage seriously, very seriously, to receive the sixth Grammy of his career. He had already done it a few hours ago for another award, in a great denunciation speech. This time, he said everything in Spanish, except for a few words. “Puerto Rico,” he began, to applause, “believe me when I tell you that we are much bigger than 100×35,” he said, referring to a popular way of referring to his native island due to its approximate measurements in miles. “There is nothing we cannot achieve. Thank God, thanks to the Academy and thanks to the people who have believed in me throughout my career, to all the people who worked on this album; I love you.” “I want to dedicate this award to all the people who have had to leave their country,” he said, in a phrase, the only one, that he repeated in English. “For all the people who have lost a loved one and have had to move on. I love them. For all the Latinos who deserved to be on this stage, collecting this award.”
In the previous gala, where most of the awards are given, Ocasio already won the best global song with his song EoOand at the gala itself the best Latin urban album, for I SHOULD TAKE MORE PHOTOS. That’s where the most powerful moment of the night took place. , with the Los Angeles stalls on their feet and bursting with applause: “We are not savages, we are not animals, we are not aliens. We are humans. We are Americans.” And he assured: “The only thing more powerful than hate is love. Please, we have to be different. If we fight, we have to do it with love. We do not hate them. We love our people, we love our families, and that is the way to do it.”
Minutes before him, Kendrick Lamar won the award for best recording of the year for lutheralong with SZA, which they collected together and accompanied by collaborators such as Jack Antonoff, the star producer of the moment. He dedicated it to him, one of his favorite artists, he said. For her part, SZA said on stage: “I know it’s a difficult time. Don’t give in to despair.” The singer ended with: “We need each other. The Government does not govern us, God governs us.”
from before starting the ceremony. Already in the pre-gala, he won the best rap song for TV Offthe best melodic rap performance by lutherwith SZA, and rap performance for his participation in Chains & Whipsfrom Clipse. At the gala, he won the first of the night, presented by Queen Latifah and Doechii, for best rap album, thanks to GNX. Lamar, dressed in an elegant tuxedo and with the usual comb of African-American communities stuck in the middle of his hair, thanked God and everyone present. In total, he has 27 gramophones in his career, and therefore surpasses Jay Z, who has 24, as the rapper with the most Grammys.
with an ICE OUT badge, presented the award for best song of the year. It ended up at Wildflower of Billie Eilish, with enormous surprise, because she was competing against giants like I SHOULD TAKE MORE PHOTOS de Bad Bunny, luther by SZA and Kendrick Lamar or the viral Golden. Not even she herself seemed to understand the award. In the dedication, he stated: “No one is illegal on stolen land.” Numerous applause followed. “It’s very difficult to know what to say and do right now, I hope we continue to fight with the music.” After her, Tyler the Creator gave a spectacular performance in which he made a car jump into the air.
won the award for best new artist, without stopping crying and remembering the immigrants. “I think these people should be celebrated. We are nothing without each other,” he said. Since 2017, all winners of this award, by Dua Lipa.
Even the president of the Recording Academy, Harvey Mason Jr., referred to the situation, although more discreetly. “We come together at a time marked by uncertainty, division and drama. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed and breathless. But the music doesn’t go away: it moves, it pushes us forward. It’s time to remember that it helps us,” he said. “When the world fails, music helps us, restores us. And when we regain hope, music improves us.”
The host of the evening, Trevor Noah, started what was his sixth and last time at the awards with a certain grace, asking Pharrell Williams for discount codes for. But then he didn’t stop: in his opening monologue he commented that Nicki Minaj had missed the party because she was still at the party. And it grew: “Welcome to the Grammys, live, rigorously live, because if we edit this program in any way, the president will sue us for 16 million dollars,” he stated, in reference to Trump’s complaint to the program. 60 Minutes for editing an interview with Kamala Harris in a way that he did not find appropriate and suing her for an exorbitant $20 billion; . He went so far as to talk about why he believes: “Since Epstein is gone, he needs a new island to meet up with Bill Clinton.”
Noah not only thanked Bad Bunny for his speech, but also for making affordable prices for Puerto Ricans. And he asked him to perform at the gala. He said no. Then he came back and insisted, and even sang parts of his song in English and Spanish. He even brought out a band. But he did not succeed: the Puerto Rican has to take care of his voice
In French politics, the performances were also powerful. The first to go on stage, loaded with guitars and great vibes, with that viral song from last year that was Apt.and with which they put half Crypto.com Arena on its feet. He would return later with his I Just Might. Later, with Sabrina Carpenter, who—after being the absolute queen—sang Manchild in a great staging between airport belts and suitcases.
Then the nominees for new artists began to be heard one after another, such as the melodic pop of The Marías, with the hypnotic voice, in English and Spanish, of Puerto Rican María Zardoya at the helm, and Addison Rae, new pop star, who entered in a truck from the backstage. The Katseyes also started their performance there, and then went out on stage with their Gnarly. Leon Thomas, with electric guitars, sang from the center of the stalls (actually tables with drinks), and from the aisles, to sing with violins and choir and rise to the heavens on a platform. Then, on the piano in a very clean version (so much so that he didn’t say one of the many swear words in his song). The medley was rounded off by the elegant Olivia Dean with her Man I Needand Sombr, with 12 to 12the two most listened to.
Another of the most anticipated performances of the night. He appeared on stage half-naked, covered only by his tattoos and underwear, singing and accompanied by a guitar and a synthesizer. Much more spectacular was the Abracadabra Lady Gaga rocker, dressed in black and red feathers, with a giant eye-shaped grille as a hat, playing the piano with two hands and playing with the camera. Minutes later, he would take . “I have so much respect for every person in this room,” she said, dedicating it to her fiancé, Michael Polansky, and her producers. “When women are in a studio with many men it can be hard, so I encourage you to always take into account what you think and fight for your ideas.”
The award for best pop individual performance went to her, a surprise even for herself, as she competed against greats like Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber, Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan. Best Contemporary Country Album went to Jelly Roll for Beautifully Broken. With a Bible in his hand and as a televangelist, he began to proclaim that Jesus saved his life, that he is for everyone, that anyone has a relationship with him, and he thanked God infinitely.
The honorary award for global impact was collected by Pharrell Williams, who would later perform with a gospel choir. Then came the long and intense in memorydivided into three. The first part was performed by Reba McEntire, a country legend in the United States, who sang at the age of 70 for the first time at the Grammys, 18 nominations and three awards later.. It ended with a and from his hand came the second part, with a performance by Slash, Andrew Watt and Duff McKagan, accompanied by Post Malone, in his honor. The third was performed by Lauryn Hill and Jon Batiste, who sang by and by . Then there was another honorary award: the entire career award for Cher, who told how she had been up and down throughout her career. “What I want to tell you is that do not stop fighting for your dreams, because if it does not happen now, it will happen sooner or later,” he stated, presenting an award in which he stammered and gave rise to misunderstandings.
Among the most important awards that were presented at the previous, non-televised gala, stands out the one won by Steven Spielberg, the first of his career, for the best music documentary thanks to, about the nonagenarian composer. Thus, he becomes one of the few people, just 27, who have managed to achieve that unofficial recognition called EGOT: the one held by the holders of the Emmy, the Oscar, the Tony and, now, the Grammy. Doechii won best video for his AnxietyLady Gaga wins best pop recording for Abracadabra and Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo for best pop duo for the Defying Gravity, from the first part of Wicked. That in a three and a half hour event, followed by another three and a half hour gala, to present 95 awards that are already part of music history.
