2025 Grammys: Best and worst moments

On By Littum

The most awards at the 67th annual Grammys went to Kendrick Lamar, who swept the biggest song prizes with his Drake Diss “Not Like Us” on the way to five trophies. But the story of the night was Beyoncé, who, after losing the album for the year four earlier, won for his genre study “Cowboy Carter”, who became the first black woman since 1999 – and fourth in the show’s history – to take home with the top honor . Chappell Roan prevailed in the best new artist and spoke for artists’ rights in her acceptance speech. And the show worked to balance celebration with another imperative: to raise money for those influenced by the fires that recently destroyed parts of Los Angeles. Here are the highlights and low lights of the show as we saw them.

The last performance on Grammys, just before the announcement of the year, is a thankful slot – the show always runs long and there is an itch to move quickly. But Charli XCX, who won three Grammys in genre categories on Sunday night, used it to bring some sweat and raunch after a show that had been virtually reverent and worthy. She stabbed in flanked by the flavor maker supermodels Alex Consani and Gabbrigette, then merged with an onstage dancing party that, despite her dispute, still felt fresh and reckless, populated with a who is who is who is who is who of New York and Los Angeles Creative Elite: Julia Fox , Dare, Richie Shazam, Niki Takesh, Quen Blackwell and more. It was a abrupt end (and presumably the end of “abruptly”). Jon Caramanica

Best new artist -nominated has not always received the best exposure on Grammys. Too often they have been sidelined or squeezed into Medley’s and excerpts. But with challengers who have collected hundreds of millions of streams, the show this year trusted their star power and lavish ones with production values ​​and stage time. Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan each got big song-and-dance numbers, and the other competitors held out in a long, detailed segment that once got their songs together.

Although Khruangbin’s relaxed psychedelic vamps did not have much influence, Benson Boone showed gymnastics flips and a powder blue jumpsuit along with the melodramatic structures of his billion-streaming song “beautiful things.” Doechii had been tearful and ungogized when she accepted Grammy for best rap album. But she was pure physical precision when she danced – choreographed with a falanx of robot dancers – and rapping through “catfish” and “denial is a river.” No Athletics was required from Teddy Swims, which designated through Crescendos and Melismas of “Lose Control,” and Shaboozey was surrounded by dancing cowgirls and cowboys to dampen the bitter undertone of “A Bar Song (Tipsy).” Raye, the English songwriter, who carries the sharpness of Amy Winehouse to Retro Territory, had a mini-orchestra in formal wear behind her as she belted the mocking kiss-off “Oscar Winning Tears.” For once, the new prospects received first -class treatment. Jon Pareles

For the entire race of his breakthrough album, “Short N ‘Sweet,” Sabrina Carpenter has played with Vintage Pinup Girl Aesthetics, who delivered his swallowed modern pop in a classic package. For her first ever Grammys performance, she read into the playful takeover of the past and rearranged his hits “Espresso” and “Thank you, thank you” for fit a ginger Rogers Revue, complete with a glittering tuxedo dress, costume change and TAP and TAP -Dance break. To pick up where her Netflix -Christmas Special slack, Carpenter sold it with the Variety Show humor, including a yelp of pure joy as a backup dancer spun her around. Afterwards, even the night’s Emcee, Trevor Noah, had to admit that she had her lunch comical. Maybe she can host next year? Joe Coscarelli

Even on the way to the microphone, in full bomb shell, she hammered it up. Then: “How you doiiiiiiinnnggg? “Cardi B, who has not released an album since her Grammy-winning 2018 debut, did not need music to make her presence feel as she wore more charm in a single acrylic than many of the stars on screen whole The night. (Honest mention: Miley Cyrus, which brought the same presence to her short performance.) After noting rap that rap changed her life, the Cardi presented the award for best rap album to Doechii, only the third woman who wins it after Lauryn Hill and Cardi themselves, and one who gambling the winning baton in his speech. Perhaps the May host next year! Coscarelli

There was no way that something Grammy segment could include Quincy Jones’ seven decade career as a musician, organizer, producer, talent scout and mogul. Still, Jones may have appreciated the way his tribute on Sunday night played jazz-rooted, practical virtuosity. Herbie Hancock, on the piano, improvised on her own (“Killer Joe”) Behind Cynthia Erivo in a relaxed, acrobatic version of “Fly Me to the Moon”, which sees in large band swings, and in a duet with Stevie Wonder on Harmonica ( “Bluesette”). Jacob Collier, an English multi-instrumentalist Jones Promotered, supported the Country singer Lainy Wilson in “Let the Good Times Roll” (A Song Jones adapted to his All-Star 1995 album, “Q’s Joook Joint”). And there were popmegahits that Jones produced: Wonder Singing “We Are The World” and Janelle Monáe in full tribute to Michael Jackson, Moon-Walking in “Don’t Stop ‘until you get enough.” It was not exactly encyclopedic, and Will Smith’s narrative spaces were exaggerated. But demonstrating continuity across generations, supported by strictly musician, was true to Jones’s spirit. Pareles

“I really didn’t expect this,” Beyoncé said, after doing her best Taylor Swift Shock Face when she became the first black artist to win the best land album. The same could not be said for a conspiracy -minded or eagle eye viewer: Should Grammys really let Swift, who presented the category she won 15 years ago, delivered the trophy to Chris Stapleton? (See also: Jennifer Lopez presents his Super Bowl-half-time partner Shakira with the best Latin pop album.) And what about Jay-Z, who has repeatedly bassed Grammys for his treatment of him and his wife shaking his seat just before the announcement , after he and Beyoncé seem to miss the red carpet and first hour of the ceremony? Call it the circumstance of a Jaded Grammys watcher – certainly not by the show’s producers what is in these special envelopes, right? – But the careful TV choreography robbed a historically significant and unlikely moment of its magic. Coscarelli

Benson Boone – Lovely flip! Except for that … yikes.

Grammys has been trying to crawl out of the dog house ever since Recording Academy’s former president told journalists in 2018 that women needed to “step up” to increase their representation in the industry and at prices. And while some recent nominations and ceremonies tend to pan, this year’s female dominance felt clean, total and complete.

Not only did the majority of the television prices go to women – with Kendrick Lamar’s victories for Record and Song of the Year the most notable exceptions – but men hardly made a memorable look through, struggling to stand apart in the middle of Bursts of originality and dynamics from POP’s current trailblazers. Better luck next year, dudes. Coscarelli

Chappell Roan is arguably the brightest star that emerges in popcosmos since the last Grammy -Telecast, and although she won only one of her six nominated categories, she was still one of the night’s protagonists thanks to an electric performance and A brave direct acceptance speech that spoke the truth to the music industry’s power players.

Roan seemed to enjoy every second on stage when she performed a passionate reproduction of “Pink Pony Club,” the bombastic electro-pop anthem she first released in April 2020, a few months before she was dropped by Atlantic Records. Flanked by rodeo clowns and is on top – what else? -A huge pink pony, Roan delivered robust vocals and kinetic charisma, which led a room with A-lists in an audible Singalong.

If there’s anything that Recording Academy loves more than a comeback, it’s a chance to crown new talent-and roan’s performance of this sleeping hit-it-nest was not given them a rare two-for-one.

But as Roan got up on stage to accept her best new artist trophy, she refused to perform the expected gratitude for an industry that almost averted her dreams. Instead, she used her platform to demand that “labels and the industry that take advantage of millions of dollars from artists would offer a fully salary and health care, especially to develop artists.” Her own experience had been “dehumanizing,” she said, and she would elucidate a certain less glamorous aspect of being a new artist. A star was definitely born on Sunday night – one with guts and convictions. Lindsay Zoladz

Los Angeles-Sildande was the inevitable background of this year’s Grammys, striving to find an ethical balance between the self-judgment of typical prices and serious concern for destruction in a larger hometown of music business. By transforming the show into a quasi-telephoto, Trevor Noah requested viewer-and-industrial donations via a QR code on screen. Movement of charity closer to the bottom line some ad -segments were handed over to local businesses decimated by fires; If the replaced CBS shows Promos, the better. Kendrick Lamar, who accepted an award for “Not Like Us”, rolled out of the names of Los Angele’s neighborhoods and rappers.

Then there was song performance from the stars. The open musical song was led by Taylor Goldsmith, the singer of the band Dawes, who performed Randy Newman’s “I Love La”: A song so perfectly ironically, enthusiasticly naming undescribed boulevards that it became a town anthem. Big names participated in: Brad Paisley, Brittany Howard, Sheryl Crow, St. Vincent. Most often, they shouted the choir – which, like so many Randy Newman songs, is more ambivalent than the uplifting melody can look.

Billie Eilish, born and raised in Los Angeles, performed “Birds of a Feather” with her band before a video background of Los Angeles Hills, sometimes intertwined with baby pictures. A very promoted duet by Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars, who won the pop duo/group prize for “Die With A Smile”, turned out to be a strenuous, sincere, overpowered version of the 1965 hit from Mamas & The Papas, “California Dreamin ‘. “

At the Preshow Grammy Premiere Webcast, the reverent mastery engineer Bob Clearmountain was one of the presenters; His home was gone. But he had somewhere else and was gracious to those who didn’t. The effect of fires on the art of Los Angeles – not only musically, but visual – cannot yet be measured. Everyone an award show can offer is hope, funds and sounds. Pareles

Lady Gaga has called her marchalbum, “Mayhem”, a return to electro-pop, who first drew fans 16 years ago. On Sunday night, she delivered bearing evidence on the Grammys stage, but a sound scene where she dressed in the architectural creations and danced the kind of Herky-Rykkkoreography that was her early characteristic of showing a new song called “Abracadabra.” The real trick would have been to pull it all out of live without the benefit of edits and camera tricks. But over-the-top dance pop gaga is still the most effective gaga, even though it was all in service for … a MasterCard advertising. Hi, don’t forget, the “phone” video premiered on E! and contained a wealth of product location. Classic Lady Gaga: It’s great to have you back! Caryn Ganz