This year’s Grammy Awards had a big surprise for everyone. As the audience waited for the event to begin, former first lady Michelle Obama walked onto the stage together with Jennifer Lopez, Lady Gaga, Jada Pinkett Smith, and Alicia Keys. She was at the event to explain how music had affected her life.
Michelle at the Grammys
Initially, many people in the audience seemed not to grasp that it was the former first lady on stage. But as Michelle started to speak, the crowd greeted her with thunderous applause that lasted almost half a minute.
“From the Motown records I wore out on the South Side, to the ‘who run the world’ songs that fueled me through this last decade, music has always helped me tell my story. And I know that’s true for everybody here… Whether we like country, or rap, or rock, music helps us share ourselves — our dignity and sorrows, our hopes and joys… It allows us to hear one another, to invite each other in,” Michelle said at the event (CNN).
Michelle has been conducting book tours of late to promote her memoir Becoming, which has been a runaway best seller. Her tours are sold out most of the time. Michelle’s appearance at the Grammys will definitely help in keeping her book a topic of discussion across the media. Post the awards, Michelle Obama heaped praise on the host of the event, Alicia Keys.
“A big part of friendship is showing up for your girls — that’s why I was thrilled to be there for the one and only @aliciakeys at the #GRAMMYs. She is one of the most genuine and thoughtful people I know — there’s no one better to help us all celebrate the unifying power of music!” she said in a tweet.
This is America won the Record of the Year and Song of the Year award while Golden Hour snatched the Album of The Year title. Dua Lipa was selected as the Best New Artist.
Best moments of the event
Though Michelle Obama’s presence was one of the talking points at the Grammys this year, there were other moments during the awards that surprised and excited the audience.
The Dolly Parton tribute was one of the most beloved sections of the event. Featuring stars like Katy Perry, Miley Cyrus, and Little Big Town, the audience was enthralled with the performance. But the icing on the cake was the singing of Dolly Parton, who started out with the single Here You Come Again and ended with the song 9 To 5.
Kacey Musgraves scored big time at the Grammys, winning four awards in total. She even shared the stage with Dolly Parton. But where she truly shined was during her Rainbow performance. Much of the event was filled with detailed set pieces and complicated choreography. But for Rainbow, Musgraves chose to go for a minimalist approach in which the focus was largely on the music. This was definitely a welcome change for the night.
Though H.E.R failed to win the Best New Artist award, she did snap two Grammys. But what made her the talk of the night was her performance of Hard Place from the album I Used To Know Her: Part 2.
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