As the clock strikes 8 pm on Feb. 5, singer Dua Lipa hits screens nationwide and debuts her new song, “Training Season,” followed by her hit song “Houdini.” The opening performance is filled with strobe lights, complex dance routines and lots of metallic set pieces, marking the first of many elaborate performances to come during the biggest night in music: the 66th annual Grammy Awards.
Following the opening performance, four-time host Trevor Noah gave a fairly short and refreshingly inoffensive monologue, pausing to let Meryl Streep and Taylor Swift make their respective late entrances. With 20 more performances to get through, no time was wasted and the first award of the night was promptly introduced.
Mariah Carey announced the first category: Record of the Year. The intense competition reflected the high-quality music that has been released in the past year, as global superstars like Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, SZA, Miley Cyrus and Billie Eilish were all nominated for the award. In the end, Miley Cyrus won her first Grammy with her hit song “Flowers,” which she performed later in the night.
The real excitement came next, however, as Taylor Swift broke a record by winning her fourth Album of the Year award and announced the release of her brand new album, “The Tortured Poets Department,” during her acceptance speech. The Crypto.com Arena roared with applause and screams at the announcement, just like the homes of many excited Swifties.
The allure of the night continued as two more performances graced the screen. First, country singer Luke Combs joined singer Tracy Chapman in singing her song “Fast Car,” a beautiful throwback to break up all of the performances by more recent artists. Later, SZA performed her hits “Snooze” and “Kill Bill,” accompanied by lots of stage combat and even real fire. SZA later won three Grammys after being nominated for nine.
After performing “What Was I Made For,” featured in the hit “Barbie” movie with her brother Finneas, Billie Eilish won Song of the Year for the same piece. Eilish beat Olivia Rodrigo’s “Vampire” and Dua Lipa’s song from the same film, surprising many viewers.
The night continued with several more memorable performances: Stevie Wonder paid tribute to the late Tony Bennett, Joni Mitchell performed for the first time at the Grammys and Billy Joel sang his first new song in 30 years. If anything, it was a night with an abundance of impressive performances.
However, It was a less-than-ideal night for singer Olivia Rodrigo. Though she was nominated for four Grammys, Rodrigo went home empty-handed despite the global success of her latest album “GUTS.” Along with this, Noah Kahan, who dominated the music industry in 2023, was also snubbed and didn’t snag Best New Artist. To add on, many were outraged at the results of the Best Rap Album award, as Killer Mike beat out big names like Drake and Travis Scott.
Overall, the 66th Grammy Awards will go down as a night to remember. It was filled with excitement, surprise and lots of great outfits, excellently capping off 2023’s music scene and launching the world into a new year of music.
