written by Angel Wynter
The 56th Annual Grammy awards hosted by LL Cool J took place last night at the Staples Center and the stars came out to recognize the music industry’s biggest artists. Celebrities graced the red carpet decked out in designer labels and eye-catching ensembles. Superstar Beyoncé opened up the ceremony with a spicy rendition of “Drunk in Love”, and husband hip-hop superstar/mogul Jay-Z joined her onstage to close out the set. Jay-Z took home Best Rap/Sung collaboration for his hit “Holy Grail” featuring Justin Timberlake.
An array of musicians hit the stage in unique combinations, as Compton MC Kendrick Lamar performed a mash up of his hit song, “m.A.A.d city” with “Radioactive”, a song made famous by alternative rock band Imagine Dragons.
Katy Perry brought out rapper Juicy J to perform “Dark Horse”, complete with an eerie Gothic-themed stage set up and misty fog.
Pink wowed the crowd with her acrobatic skills while she performed her hit song “Try”. The singer-songwriter also brought out Fun’s Nate Ruess to perform their duet “Just Give Me a Reason”.
Pharrell decided to take it back to the recording studio with 25 time Grammy winner Stevie Wonder and Nile Rodgers to perform “Get Lucky”; the French techno duo Daft Punk later joined the group clad in all white robotic suits to perform their breakout hit, “Stronger Better Faster”. Daft Punk won big and received the top honor of the night with Record of the Year for their album “Random Access Memories”; the duo received three more awards for their work with Nile Rodgers and Pharrell. Williams also took home three Grammy awards last night including Producer of the Year.
Hip-hop duo Macklemore and Ryan Lewis won big for their Grammy debut, sweeping the rap categories and beating out such stars as Drake, Jay-Z, Kanye West, and Kendrick Lamar. In addition, Macklemore and Lewis also won in the Best New Artist category. Macklemore and Lewis “Same Love” performance featured 33 same sex and straight couples exchanging vows while actress and talk show host Queen Latifah officiated the marriages during the live taping. Madonna and Mary Lambert joined the festivities on stage to make the night a memorable one.
Newcomer Lorde took home Song of the Year and Best Pop Solo performance honors of the night. The 17 year old is the first solo artist from New Zealand to win a Grammy. She also performed her breakout hit, “Royals” for her first Grammy appearance.
Country songbird Taylor Swift whipped her hair back and forth as she performed her ballad “All Too Well”, belting out a sorrowful melody while playing the piano.
Chicago crooner John Legend serenaded the audience with his song “All of Me”, while wife Chrissy Teigen looked on from the front row with an amorous gaze.
Kacey Musgraves brought out the country spirit as she performed her song, “Follow Your Arrow” complete with neon cactuses and background singers decked out in flashing lit up southern attire.
Sir Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr performed a duet version of McCartney’s song “Queenie Eye”, marking the performance as the first one in over three years. McCartney played the set on the piano while Starr took over the drum set. Both singers are winners of the Recording Academy lifetime achievement award, presented to them by the Grammys as the only surviving members of the legendary group. McCartney also won Best Rock Song for his single “Cut Me Some Slack” featuring Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic, and Pat Smear.
Robin Thicke collaborated with American rock band Chicago to perform a melody of his hit song, “Blurred Lines”. Thicke and Chicago also performed the band’s hits “Saturday in the Park” and “Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?”
Other collaboration performances of the night included: Merle Haggard, Blake Shelton, Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, & Medley; Keith Urban & Gary Clark Jr.,Sara Bareilles & Carol King, Metallica, and Lang Lang.
Hunter Hayes hit the stage solo as he performed his anti-bullying song “Invisible”
Nine Inch Nails, Queens of The Stone Age, Dave Grohl, Lindsey Buckingham, and Medley closed out the ceremony with a mega rock collaboration.
The night was full of surprises and delivered electrifying performances by unforgettable unions of music’s biggest and most popular artists. This year’s Grammys was a noteworthy ceremony that celebrated the fusion of music and talent to commemorate extraordinary people with amazing contributions to the music industry.
Click HERE for the full list of winners
(Photo Credit:MARIO ANZUONI/REUTERS)
