By Natalie Daniels 02/11/2019
This year’s Grammy Awards show is being hailed as one of the most entertaining in a long time.
Maybe it was the down-to-earth hosting by Alicia Keys, the appearance of Michele Obama flanked by Lady Gaga and Jennifer Lopez, or maybe the tributes to Dolly Parton, Diana Ross and the music of Motown.
The show was distinctly pro-female in its musical performances. Camila Cabello opened the show, displaying her Hispanic roots with her hit song “Havana.” Latin performers Ricky Martin, trumpeter Arturo Sandoval and Reggaeton singer J Balvin joined the colorful and upbeat performance.
Album of the Year winner Kacey Musgraves performed her inspirational ballad “Follow Your Arrow”. As she sang, LED lights that represented the gay pride flag were displayed behind her. Her song has been controversial in country music for becoming an anthem for the LGBTQ community.
Janelle Monae was a show stopper, enlisting the vibes of Prince with her groovy performance of “Make Me Feel.” She commanded the stage with her guitar and muscular dance moves backed up by women dancers with robotic moves.
MusiCares Person of the Year, Dolly Parton, stole the show through a medley of her most popular songs with artists Katy Perry, Musgraves, Miley Cyrus, Maren Morris, and Little Big Town. Performers including Parton were decked out in her infamous glitter suits and jumpsuits. The songs included “Here You Come Again,” “Jolene,” “After the Goldrush,” “Red Shoes,” and “9 to 5.”
One of the most entertaining moments of the night was when Alicia Keys paid tribute to some of her favorite artists through a musical interlude with songs including “Clocks,” “In my Feelings,” “Boo’d Up,” “Unforgettable,” and “Doo-Wop (That Thing).”
Legend Diana Ross celebrated her 75th birthday with a heartfelt performance of “The Best Years of My Life” and “Reach Out and Touch (Somebody’s Hand).”
Lady Gaga took the audience by surprise with her powerful rock n’ roll performance of “Shallow” from the film “A Star is Born.” The show honored 60 years of Motown with a performance from Smokey Robinson, Jennifer Lopez, Ne-Yo, and Alicia Keys. They performed an exciting medley of songs including “Dancing in the Street,” “My Girl,” and “Track of My Tears.”
One of the sadder moments of the night was the In Memoriam segment in which professionals in the music industry were honored with a video tribute. The final performance of the night was a bittersweet tribute to the late queen of soul Aretha Franklin in which Yolanda Adams, Andra Day, and Fantasia sang a heart-wrenching rendition of “Natural Woman.”
The show aired on CBS, February 10, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.