{"id":1069328,"date":"2022-04-04T07:26:56","date_gmt":"2022-04-04T04:26:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1069328"},"modified":"2022-04-04T07:26:56","modified_gmt":"2022-04-04T04:26:56","slug":"the-12-best-and-worst-moments-of-the-2022-grammys","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1069328","title":{"rendered":"The 12 Best and Worst Moments of the 2022 Grammys"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Columns<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

The 12 Best and Worst Moments of the 2022 Grammys<\/h1>\n
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From Billie Eilish\u2019s Taylor Hawkins tribute to Doja Cat\u2019s refreshing realness to Olivia Rodrigo\u2019s tear-jerking victory lap<\/div>\n
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By <\/span>Jill Mapes<\/span>, Gio Santiago<\/span>, Alphonse Pierre<\/span>, and Quinn Moreland<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

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Grammys stars Lil Nas X, Olivia Rodrigo, and Billie Eilish. Graphic by Callum Abbott. Photos by Getty Images.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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In a recent interview, Grammys executive producer Ben Winston summed up the award show\u2019s core dilemma like this: \u201cIf it goes wrong, everyone will talk about it, and if it goes really well, people will be like, \u2018Oh yeah, good job.\u2019 And that\u2019s it.\u201d Especially following last week\u2019s Oscars debacle, the Grammys organizers were likely hoping for something relatively ho-hum\u2014and that\u2019s exactly what they got. After the pandemic forced the Grammys to improvise last year, resulting in a show that was more intimate and exciting than usual, things mostly went back to normal this time. There were plenty of big set-pieces, bad jokes, and stars singing songs you\u2019ve heard many, many times before.<\/p>\n

One moment felt new, but not necessarily in a way that put everything else in a positive light. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy made a speech about the power of music and freedom, but more than anything, his appearance served to underline the frivolity at the core of this annual gala of the rich and famous. Beyond that very serious interlude, when it comes to the Grammys, you generally have to embrace the fleeting moments of joy that bubble up in between all the nonsense. In that spirit, here are the highs and lows from last night.<\/p>\n

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The Best<\/h2>\n
Olivia Rodrigo\u2019s very sweet victory lap<\/div>\n
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\"Olivia<\/span><\/div>\n
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Photo by Rich Fury\/Getty Images for The Recording Academy<\/p>\n

<\/span>Olivia Rodrigo, April 2022 (Rich Fury\/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Going into the night, it looked like Olivia Rodrigo had a chance to sweep the major categories. It ended up being more of a mixed bag: She took home trophies for Best New Artist, Best Pop Vocal Album, and Best Pop Solo Performance, but lost Album of the Year to Jon Batiste, and both Song and Record of the Year to Silk Sonic. Her teary-eyed speeches were endearing, but ultimately, there was nothing sweeter than watching her scan through her own hits on the radio of a vintage Benz before landing on \u201cdrivers license,\u201d the single that made her 2021\u2019s favorite pop star. Decked out in a feathery white Givenchy dress, she delivered the yearning anthem in front of a suburban street backdrop, her vocals as heartbreaking as ever. As one of the night\u2019s first performances, it offered an early reminder of why she deserved to win. \u2013Gio Santiago<\/p>\n

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Billie Eilish paid tribute to a hero<\/div>\n
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\"Billie<\/span><\/div>\n
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Photo by Rich Fury\/Getty Images for The Recording Academy<\/p>\n

<\/span>Billie Eilish, April 2022 (Rich Fury\/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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There was talk this week of a Grammys performance in honor of the late Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins, but what ended up happening was more subtle: Billie Eilish wore a T-shirt printed with a photo of him on it while she crooned lines like \u201cI wish it wasn\u2019t true\u201d and ripped through her most raucous song to date, \u201cHappier Than Ever.\u201d What started in an upside-down living room ended on the roof of the house in a torrential downpour, as Billie and her band thrashed about with an uninhibited joy rarely seen at awards shows. It was giving Bush performing in the rain on MTV Spring Break, \u201990s Weezer in the guitar distortion, and nu-metal in the attitude (not to mention a callback to the song\u2019s underwater video). Eilish wasn\u2019t a big Grammy winner this year, but she easily staged one of the most thrilling performances of the night. That she honored Hawkins at the same time made it even more significant. \u2013Jillian Mapes<\/p>\n

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Give Jazmine Sullivan all of the awards<\/div>\n
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\"Jazmine<\/span><\/div>\n
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Photo by Rich Fury\/Getty Images for The Recording Academy<\/p>\n

<\/span>Jazmine Sullivan, April 2022 (Rich Fury\/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Jazmine Sullivan paused a beat after Heaux Tales<\/em> was called as the R&B Album winner, and then walked to the stage in a daze. Cool and gracious as ever, she gave the night\u2019s first meaningful acceptance speech. Opening with a joke (\u201cShoutout to H.E.R. for wearing these glasses in the dark, I fell like 10 times tonight\u201d), she then cut to the heart of Heaux Tales<\/em>: \u201cI wrote this project to deal with my own shame and unforgiveness around decisions I made in my 20s that weren\u2019t favorable. But what it ended up being was a safe space for Black women to tell their stories, for us to learn from each other, laugh with each other, and not be exploited at the same time. That\u2019s what I\u2019m most grateful for. Shoutout to all Black women who are just living their lives and being beautiful.\u201d Sometimes the Grammys try so hard to force an issue that there\u2019s not a lot of room for artists to reflect on the space their music naturally holds. This felt like a rare feel-good moment about The Power of Music that didn\u2019t have to announce, \u201cThis is about the power of music<\/em>.\u201d \u2013Jillian Mapes<\/p>\n

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BTS got their spy on<\/div>\n
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\"BTS\"<\/span><\/div>\n
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Photo by VALERIE MACON\/AFP via Getty Images<\/p>\n

<\/span>Photo by Valerie Macon\/AFP via Getty Images<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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In terms of showmanship purely for showmanship\u2019s sake, BTS\u2019s secret agent send-up was my favorite slightly random Grammys performance. (Theory: Is this deep IP synergy with CBS\u2019s parent company, since the original Mission: Impossible<\/em> television series is now streaming on Paramount+?! And will every awards show from now on be required to honor James Bond?) It started with Jungkook, on the mend from COVID, descending from the ceiling, while the rest of the group scattered into the audience to get their flirt on. Most importantly, they fulfilled the number one rule of a successful spy-themed performance\u2014dancing around those pesky lasers. \u2013Jillian Mapes<\/p>\n

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Doja Cat and SZA\u2019s speech was chaotic in all the right ways<\/div>\n
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\"SZA<\/span><\/div>\n
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Photo by Rich Fury\/Getty Images for The Recording Academy<\/p>\n

<\/span>SZA and Doja Cat, April 2022 (Rich Fury\/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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After three long, mostly dull hours of awards, the night\u2019s most chaotic yet satisfying speech arrived when Doja Cat and SZA won the trophy for Best Pop Duo\/Group Performance for \u201cKiss Me More.\u201d SZA hobbled up to the stage in crutches (as Lady Gaga held her train), while Doja rushed in from the side, announcing, \u201cI\u2019ve never taken such a fast piss in my whole life\u201d while fixing her underwear. Out of breath, Doja then made an emotional realization: \u201cI like to downplay a lot of shit, but this is a big deal.\u201d For two artists that have repeatedly declared their frustrations with the industry, this moment felt like a refreshingly real triumph. \u2013Gio Santiago<\/p>\n

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A tantalizing glimpse at Justin Bieber\u2019s crooner future<\/div>\n
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\"Justin<\/span><\/div>\n
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Photo by Rich Fury\/Getty Images for The Recording Academy<\/p>\n

<\/span>Justin Bieber, April 2022 (Rich Fury\/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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A classic Grammys performance technique is taking a fun song and turning it into a self-serious ballad. That was the road Justin Bieber chose for \u201cPeaches\u201d\u2014but he did it with a wink. Wearing a baseball hat, black hoodie, and shiny leather pants, Bieber sat behind a grand piano and dramatically paid tribute to ass, weed, and\u2026 loneliness? Delightfully, we got to hear him crooning the words \u201cbad-ass bitch\u201d while caressing the keys, as if he were John Legend serenading a strip club. He was joined midway through by Daniel Caesar and Giveon as the performance switched to a more faithful rendition of the song, but that spare opening made me long for the full Bieber unplugged experience. \u2013Quinn Moreland<\/p>\n

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The Mid<\/h2>\n
Lil Nas X and Jack Harlow were frustratingly neither best nor worst<\/div>\n
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\"Lil<\/span><\/div>\n
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Photo by Rich Fury\/Getty Images for The Recording Academy<\/p>\n

<\/span>Lil Nas X, April 2022 (Rich Fury\/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Lil Nas X\u2019s performance had all the right ingredients to be as eye-melting as his videos: Michael Jackson-inspired outfits, a glittery statue, and enough back-up dancers to stage a gay coup at the Grammys. Yet somehow, it didn\u2019t quite generate the scintillating excitement and always-online wit he\u2019s known for. Maybe it was the unnecessary mid-performance commentary underlining his past controversies? Or perhaps it was featured guest Jack Harlow\u2019s obnoxiously addictive \u201cmy handprint on her ass cheek\u201d lyric getting cut. Then again, Harlow\u2019s suggestive microphone move was enough to make Gen-Z absolutely lose their shit, again. \u2013Gio Santiago<\/p>\n

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The Worst<\/h2>\n
The door\u2019s always a little too open for Bruno Mars<\/div>\n
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\"Silk<\/span><\/div>\n
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Photo by Rich Fury\/Getty Images for The Recording Academy<\/p>\n

<\/span>Silk Sonic\u2019s Bruno Mars, April 2022 (Rich Fury\/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Every time Bruno Mars performs on the Grammys, he is legally obligated to emulate at least one musical icon of yesteryear. Opening this year\u2019s telecast with his Silk Sonic partner Anderson .Paak, he channeled two: Elvis, whom he grew up impersonating, and James Brown, whom he grew up to<\/em> impersonate. The rendition of An Evening With Silk Sonic<\/em>\u2019s \u201c777\u201d interpolated \u201cGet On Up\u201d and had a strong \u201cWe\u2019re in Vegas, baby!\u201d vibe, complete with slot machine graphics, jeweled white suits, and .Paak rocking a Sonny Bono wig.<\/p>\n

While technically a smart choice to open the show with a retro act seemingly invented by the Grammys (Silk Sonic made its TV debut at last year\u2019s ceremony) and with the ability to hype a crowd, it felt a little obligatory. The Grammys know by now that they can slot Bruno in anywhere. The opening performance, much like the night\u2019s first award, for Song of the Year, should have gone to Olivia Rodrigo instead. In his acceptance speech for that trophy, when .Paak said they\u2019d be singing \u201cLeave the Door Open\u201d for the rest of their lives, it almost sounded like a threat. \u2013Jillian Mapes<\/p>\n

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Rap was once again left on the sidelines<\/div>\n

Back in 1989, the Grammys acknowledged hip-hop for the first time with the Best Rap Performance category\u2014but nominees including Will Smith, Salt-N-Pepa, and LL Cool J boycotted the show because the award wasn\u2019t televised. Thirty-three years later, not much has changed.<\/p>\n

The announcement of Tyler, the Creator\u2019s Best Rap Album win for Call Me If You Get Lost<\/em> was relegated to the untelevised pre-show, as if it were meaningless. There will be excuses, like 1) The show needed more time for gratuitous shots of Anderson .Paak\u2019s wig and 2) They reportedly intended to broadcast the award but chose not to because Tyler apparently ditched the show to go on a hike. The rapper ended up giving a speech, which would have been one of the best of the night, on Instagram.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s just the latest example of the Grammys\u2019 bumpy history with hip-hop, which this year also included Drake withdrawing his nominations and the Academy rescinding its offer to let Kanye perform due to his \u201cconcerning online behavior.\u201d (Ye did win Best Rap Song, for \u201cJail,\u201d but it was also not televised.) At least they aired the Best Rap Performance award, which went to Baby Keem and Kendrick Lamar\u2019s \u201cFamily Ties,\u201d but the joke was on the Grammys once again, because Kendrick was nowhere to be found. \u2013Alphonse Pierre<\/p>\n

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J Balvin\u2019s low-energy misfire<\/div>\n
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\"Maria<\/span><\/div>\n
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Photo by Rich Fury\/Getty Images for The Recording Academy<\/p>\n

<\/span>Maria Becerra and J Balvin, April 2022 (Rich Fury\/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Coming off last year\u2019s controversy around his video for \u201cPerra,\u201d which faced criticism due to its demeaning portrayal of Black women, and rival Residente\u2019s recent 10-minute diss track aimed his way, J Balvin really could\u2019ve used the Grammy stage as a space to recapture the lighthearted energy that first hurtled him to global stardom. But instead he sleepwalked through low-energy renditions of \u201cIn da Getto\u201d (remember his #EveryLivesMatter Twitter debacle?), and \u201c\u00bfQu\u00e9 M\u00e1s Pues?\u201d with Argentine singer Maria Becerra. Between Balvin\u2019s exceptionally boring outfit choice (a trench coat, really?) and oversaturated lighting, he just couldn\u2019t seem to match urbano\u2019s momentum. And those backup dancers? Please! I thought we left the Jabbawockeez in 2008. \u2013Gio Santiago<\/p>\n

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Nas\u2019 haphazard nostalgia act<\/div>\n
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\"Nas<\/span><\/div>\n
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Photo by Rich Fury\/Getty Images for The Recording Academy<\/p>\n

<\/span>Nas, April 2022 (Rich Fury\/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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If this year\u2019s Super Bowl taught us anything, it\u2019s that turn-of-the-century rap is now being treated like classic rock. So the Grammys decided to get in on the nostalgia and flew Nas out to perform tracks from 2001\u2019s Stillmatic<\/em> and 2002\u2019s God\u2019s Son<\/em>. Of course, it was a waste of time\u2014a hurried medley that tried to squeeze four Nas songs into about three minutes. Who the hell wants to hear just<\/em> the grating children\u2019s choir hook from \u201cI Can,\u201d or just a snippet of \u201cOne Mic,\u201d when the whole point of the song is its build? Maybe I wouldn\u2019t be so hard on the performance if it wasn\u2019t practically the only time we heard live rapping all night. The Oscars made time for Megan, why couldn\u2019t the Grammys? Did the show lose Lil Baby\u2019s number? Did they really pass up the opportunity to have Gunna pull up in the silliest outfit talking about \u201cpushin P\u201d? What are we doing? \u2013Alphonse Pierre<\/p>\n

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Trevor Noah did not hit\u2014but we\u2019ve got ideas for his replacement<\/div>\n

The Grammys are committed to torturing its viewers, so it makes sense that they invited last year\u2019s host, Trevor Noah, to run it back for more edgeless, cookie-cutter jokes that might as well have been spit out by a bot. It\u2019s impressive, in a sad way: Part of me wants to shake the hands of everyone who got paid to come up with his one-liners, because those writers are the greatest scammers since Teejayx6.<\/p>\n

After Noah\u2019s opening monologue\u2014full of quips about Lil Nas being taller than Nas, if Finneas\u2019 last name is Eilish, and, yes, The Slap\u2014I was already at a breaking point. Then he kept going all damn night. There was one good moment, though\u2014a call-out of musicians\u2019 weird-ass obsession with the Bored Ape NFTs. (I know, the bar is in hell.)<\/p>\n

Maybe the Grammys needs some suggestions for next year\u2019s host? What about Jerrod Carmichael or Ali Wong, who know how to be intentionally funny, or even Euphoria<\/em>\u2019s Angus Cloud, aka Fezco, who knows how to be unintentionally funny. On the musician front, Doja Cat or Tyler, the Creator would certainly take the show in insane new directions if given the chance. Let\u2019s be bold, folks. \u2013Alphonse Pierre<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n

Source URL: https:\/\/pitchfork.com\/thepitch\/grammys-2022-best-worst-review\/<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Columns The 12 Best and Worst Moments of the 2022 Grammys From Billie Eilish\u2019s Taylor Hawkins tribute to Doja Cat\u2019s refreshing realness to Olivia Rodrigo\u2019s tear-jerking victory lap By Jill Mapes, Gio Santiago, Alphonse Pierre, and Quinn Moreland April 4, 2022 Grammys stars Lil Nas X, Olivia Rodrigo, and Billie Eilish. Graphic by Callum Abbott. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1069329,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[54],"class_list":["post-1069328","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-politics","tag-pitchfork-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1069328","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1069328"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1069328\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1069329"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1069328"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1069328"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1069328"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}