The 58th Annual Grammy Awards hit the Staples Center stage last night, with rapper/actor LL Cool J hosting for his 5th consecutive year. Jam-packed with live concerts, and surprises around every corner, the 2016 Grammy Awards had Richmond students intrigued.
Taylor Swift kicked off the show in a sleek bob and sparkling black catsuit, jamming out to her song “Out of the Woods” on her album 1989, the winner of last night's Grammy for Album of the Year.
As the first woman to win Album of the Year twice, Swift didn’t hesitate to stick it to her haters (looking at you Kanye) when she whipped out a powerful speech on how you can’t let people “undercut your success or take credit for you accomplishments or your fame.”
Many genres and ages stole the spotlight as the night continued with performances from Sam Hunt and Carrie Underwood, The Weeknd, Andra Day and Ellie Goulding, The Pentatonics, Kendrick Lamar and Justin Bieber.
Tributes were made to the late Glenn Frey, performed by his band The Eagles. Lady Gaga—not surprisingly—rocked orange hair in her epic tribute to David Bowie. John Legend, Demi Lovato, Luke Bryan and Tyrese Gibson also acknowledged Lionel Richie in a stacked performance that elated Richie, who eventually joined the gang on stage.
Richmond students tuned in from various locations on and off campus, including in dorms, cottages, and off-campus housing. Courtney Campbell, a sophomore who watched from her sorority’s cottage, said she didn’t quite enjoy The Weeknd’s performance.
“I think his hair distracted me from his talent,” Campbell said of the singer’s wild dread-locked hairdo.
Haley Shannon, a junior who lives off campus, said she watched the show for the first time since at college now that she finally has a TV.
“I thought Lady Gaga’s performance was amazing and the most interesting. There were great visuals and she really embodied David Bowie. It was nice to see her perform because she hasn’t been in the public lately,” Shannon said.
Jake Wood, a sophomore who lives on campus, watched the Grammy’s from his dorm room with his friends, noting Kendrick Lamar’s intense performance singing “The Blacker the Berry” while locked in handcuffs, his band imprisoned in jail cells behind him.
“Kendrick Lamar’s performance struck me obviously because of its message," Wood said. "I thought it was a powerful performance even if you don’t like his music, he kind of forced you to think about what his music was about.”
Though the show was packed with one performance after another, we did learn a few of last night's Grammy winners including Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly for Best Rap Album, Chris Stapleton’s Traveller for Best Country Album, Ed Sheeran’s Thinking Out Loud for Song of the Year, and Broadway Musical Hamilton for Best Musical Theater Album.
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Contact reporter Kay Trulaske at kay.trulaske@richmond.edu
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