Bad Bunny’s acceptance speech meets the moment
Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny, born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, has been the topic of controversy since he was announced as this year’s Super Bowl halftime headliner last September and he’ll probably take a lot more heat after defiantly railing against the Trump administration’s immigration tactics upon accepting the award for Best Música Urbana Album.
“ICE out,” Bad Bunny said. “We’re not savage. We’re not animals. We’re not aliens. We are humans and we are Americans... The hate get more powerful with more hate. The only thing that is more powerful than hate is love.”
He also won the most prestigious award of the night, Album of the Year, for “Debi Tirar Más Fotos,” which made history as the first Spanish-language album to win the category. Overall he has won six Grammys and 17 Latin Grammys.
Sabrina Carpenter gets cheeky about her ‘Manchild’
Despite receiving six nominations including Album of the Year, Record of the Year and Song of the Year, pop princess Sabrina Carpenter went home empty-handed but she was still at the center of one of the evening’s best performances.
Credit: Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP
Credit: Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP
Her fabulously cheeky rendition of “Manchild,” a tongue-in-cheek hit fittingly set in baggage claim, contained a conveyer belt of handsome suitors. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) condemned Carpenter for using a live white dove as part of the number but she’ll survive the backlash.
Best New Artist medley reflected diversity of emerging talents
The incredible diversity of the eight nominees for Best New Artist, who have a combined 225 million social media followers and more than 27 billion combined streams last year, was displayed to the hilt. The category was stacked from the hypnotic indie-pop of The Marías (“No One Noticed”) and energetic international girl group Katseye (“Gnarly)” to the funky R&B groove of Leon Thomas (“Mutt”) and the mature pop of Olivia Dean (“Man I Need”). In a pleasant surprise considering the level of competition — which included Addison Rae, Alex Warren, Lola Young and Sombr — Dean won but she’s the total package with a Whitney Houston-esque crossover appeal that bodes well for her future in the industry.
Credit: Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP
Credit: Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP
Justin Bieber gives ‘Yukon’ stripped-down spin
Taking the stage shirtless with only his boxers, socks and a guitar, Justin Bieber delivered “Yukon,” a romantic R&B ballad, with a magnetic intimacy seemingly aimed at only one person: his wife Hailey. The camera caught Hailey’s glowing approval a few times but the moment was pure Bieber — vulnerable, eyes closed, arms crossed and completely in command of his fantastically silky vocal runs.
D’Angelo and Roberta Flack In Memoriam tribute soars
This year’s In Memoriam segment was properly expanded to allow more time to reflect on the legacies of R&B singers D’Angelo and Roberta Flack.
Credit: Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP
Credit: Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP
In a soulful medley emceed by Lauryn Hill, returning to the Grammys for the first time since 1999, a slew of R&B heavyweights such as Chaka Khan, Raphael Saadiq, Bilal, Lalah Hathaway, Leon Bridges and Wyclef Jean among others offered stirring musical tributes. The Fugees’ roof-raising rendition of “Killing Me Softly With His Song” joyously closed the segment followed by a few glorious notes of the finale of Richard Smallwood’s “Total Praise.” Amen indeed.
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