2021 Grammy Awards Recap

The world this past year has been far from normal. Music has helped bring so many people joy during this unprecedented time, including myself. On Sunday, March 14, the 2021 Grammy Awards aired. Even during a pandemic, award shows found a way to be entertaining. If you haven’t watched the Grammys, there were many amazing performances that I personally enjoyed, from artists like Harry Styles, Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, Megan Thee Stallion, Dua Lipa, Post Malone, and more. Let’s take a look!

HARRY STYLES

After being part of the well known boy band One Direction for 11 years, Harry Styles has proven himself more and more as a solo artist. It’s very admirable that he’s developed such a unique style, not only in his music but also in fashion. Harry Styles kicked off the awards with his single, “Watermelon Sugar”, which was nominated for Best Pop Solo Performance. His captivating live performance was the perfect way to start off the show, and proved he has created his own success. His presence on stage made you feel as if you were there in person and had you singing along with him. From his fashionable Gucci leather suit to his vocals, he had your eyes focused on him.

DUA LIPA

The English singer/songwriter Dua Lipa performed two of her songs: “Levitating” (featuring rap artist DaBaby), and “Don’t Start Now”. Her performance was really brought to life with the fun backdrops she sang in front of. Her purple themed bedazzled-outfits were playful and elegant.

BILLIE EILISH

Another notable performance was Billie Eilish. Billie was standing on a car that was designed to appear as if it was sinking into the stage as she performed her song, “everything i wanted.” The song itself was nominated for 3 awards. Her outfit, designed by Gucci, stood out among the other artists and her black-jeweled headpiece brought the look to life.

POST MALONE

It takes serious guts to sing a song about how messed up Hollywood is directly to Hollywood, and when Post Malone performed his song “Hollywood’s Bleeding” he did just that. The ominous stage design mirrored that of his album “Hollywood’s Bleeding.” It went well with his song choice and it made Post stand out, though it could have been more interactive with him without taking anything away from the music. However, the rawness, the delivery, and the passion was clear in his performance. The long black leather trench coat he wore fit his style and the concept of the performance well. I’ve always respected Post as an artist and his performance shows why. He always keeps it real and that is an admirable quality.

TAYLOR SWIFT

The last performance I would like to talk about is Taylor Swift. Her vocals were beautiful as she performed a heartfelt rendition of her hit single “Cardigan.” The stage was set up as if she were in a cabin in the woods, which matches the lyrics and overall feel of the songs. Along with “Cardigan”, she also sang “August” and “Willow.” Out of the 3 songs she performed, my favorite was “Cardigan.” She opened with “Cardigan” and it really set the tone for the rest of her set. The dress she wore on the red carpet, and the one she wore on stage were beautiful. Taylor was always a childhood favorite of mine. Her music videos, previous Grammy performances, and her concerts have always been good. I didn’t expect anything short of phenomenal from Taylor and she did not disappoint.

RECORDS SET

Along with the amazing performances, there were also some pretty impressive records set by artists this year. Beyoncé received nine nominations, making this is the fifth year where she has been the most nominated artist. Beyoncé’s husband, Jay-Z, received three nominations, tying him with American record producer Quincy Jones for the most total nominations in history. Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s daughter, Blue Ivy Carter, was nominated for best music video for “Brown Skin Girl,” on which she is a featured artist. This year she also became a Grammy winner at the age of nine! For “Cardigan,” Taylor Swift received her fifth song of the year nomination- that’s more than any other female songwriter in history!

Covid-19 did not stop the Grammys from doing the best they could to make the award show entertaining. If you haven’t watched the awards yet, what are you waiting for? There were many amazing and fun performances, as well as some pretty impressive records. The awards were enjoyable and you got to listen to today’s music hits! Although this year’s awards looked a little different, they were still able to pull it off, while taking the needed precautions for everyone's safety.