The annual Grammy Awards were held February 10th, 2019. The stage was littered with icons, with performances by idols like Dolly Parton and Lady Gaga, as well an appearance by former First Lady Michelle Obama. With incredible performances and humbling acceptance speeches, it wasn't difficult to see why Grammy night is the biggest night in the music industry.
The big wins of the night included Childish Gambino's win for Record of the Year, for his record "This is America," as well as his win for Song of the Year for his album's main track "This is America," with fellow songwriter Ludwig Goransson. Kacey Musgraves won Album of the Year for her album "Golden Hour," which she performed songs from at the beginning of the award show. For more categorized wins, Ariana Grande, despite not being present at the show, took the win for Best Pop Vocal Album for her album "Sweetener," and Best R&B Album went to budding artist H.E.R. for her self titled EP, "H.E.R." The win for Best Rap Album went to Cardi B for "Invasion of Privacy," making her the first-ever solo woman to win in that category.
Women in music was definitely a prevalent theme in this year's award show. From host Alicia Keys bringing out her "sisters," who happened to be Jennifer Lopez, Jada Pinkett Smith, Lady Gaga, and Michelle Obama, to Janelle Monáe giving a shout out to women by saying "Let the vagina have a monologue," it was clear that women in the music industry are a force to be reckoned with.
Other moments from the night that are worth noting are Drake's cutoff acceptance speech, Diana Ross' performance, and of course, the latest commercial for Disney's Aladdin, which aired during the award show and gave viewers their first glimpse into Will Smith's portrayal of Genie. Cardi B's performance also caused lots of buzz, as she included elements of twerking, feathers, diamonds, and almost unbelievable flexibility. Audiences were quick to notice Offset's reaction, and his action of sticking his tongue out quickly became a Twitter GIF phenomenon.
The Grammy's brought more than just astounding awards and performances on Sunday night, they also showed that just like what songs are popular is always evolving, so is the music industry itself. A night to honor inclusivity, representation, and the power of music ended up doing just what the musicians themselves try their best to do, putting on a great show.
