Did the 64th Annual Grammys match the entertainment expectations as the Oscars? The 2022 Grammys had its rollercoaster moments, but it definitely did not include any slapping, unlike during the recent Oscars event, in which actor Will Smith slapped comedian Chris Rock. Trevor Noah hosted the Grammys for the second year in a row now and made a subtle remark at the beginning of the show about Will Smith saying, “This is a concert where we are giving out awards, we will be listening to music. We’re going to be dancing, we’re going to be singing, we’re going to be keeping people’s names out of our mouths and we are going to be giving out awards all throughout the night.” The Grammys aired on April 3, 2022, making it exactly one week after the eventful Oscars. The erratic tension in the room caused confusion as to what these stars’ reactions might be. Aside from that, it seemed that everyone had an entertaining time at the show in the MGM Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Exuberant performances were seen from Silk Sonic, Olivia Rodrigo, BTS, Billie Eilish, J Balvin, Lady Gaga, Lil Nas X with Jack Harlow, Brothers Osborne, John Batiste, and others. Some wonder why artists like Kanye West and Drake did not attend to witness these amazing appearances. They also missed out on the surprising reactions to the awards given out.

       To start off the thrilling night, Anderson Paak, Bruno Mars, and Silk Sonic made a jazz sensation with their performance of their song “777”. Later, they both won Record and Song of the Year for their touching song “Leave the Door Open”. Their elated fans felt proud and Paak described this experience in the industry as “a clean sweep”. Olivia Rodrigo started her performance out by singing her first single “Driver’s License ” while sitting in a vintage white Mercedes Benz in front of a suburban backdrop. She expressed her teenage heartbreak on stage and continued to rock out while the intense beat drop kicked in. Through this performance, she proved that she can not only popularize her music on TikTok but can also she can create lively, engaging productions. Rodrigo continued to impress the audience by winning Best New Artist, Pop Solo Performance, and Pop Vocal Album, even though the majority of the viewers knew she would win because of the immense success of popularity in her music. Rodrigo, later on, supported the BTS’s slick and perfected performance. This boy band had a smooth sync routine that expressed how industrious these stars worked just to get their flawless presentation. Billie Eilish and her brother, Finneas, continued to astonish their audience with their staggering collaborative performance. At the Grammys, they sang their well-known song “Happier Than Ever”. Eilish started out singing a mellow tone in an upside-down contemporary house that was filled with a slight amount of water. She soon made her way to the top of the roof where Finneas started the fierce beat drop with his electric guitar while rain dropped heavily on the set. Billie Eilish’s wardrobe consisted of a Tony Hawk shirt that highlighted the memoriam to him. Tony Hawkins, a past member of the classic rock band Foo Fighters, passed away on March 25, 2022, just two days before the Grammys. The Foo Fighters had planned on performing, but their drummer, Hawkins, sadly died; therefore, they canceled their performance at the Grammys and other upcoming concerts. Fortunately, they won all three categories that they were nominated in at the Grammys- those being Best Rock Song for their song “Waiting on a War”, Best Rock Album for “Medicine at Midnight”, and Best Rock Performance for “Making a Fire”. Tony Hawkins was featured in the annual video at the Grammys, honoring people in the music industry that have died in the past year. Furthermore, Lady Gaga knocked the crowd off their feet with her performance of “Love for Sale” honoring Tony Benett, an all-time extraordinary singer, and crowd-pleaser during performances. Due to his Alzheimer’s disease, he has retired from singing but recently recorded the song “Do I still Love You” with Gaga. In addition, Lil Nas X opened his performance with little snippets from his song “Dead Right Now”. Meanwhile, behind him were tapes of people’s reactions to his music videos. Later on, he sang his hits “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” and “Industry Baby” with a special guest Jack Harlow for Harlow’s rap section. Lil Nas X and his fanbase felt unsettled that Nas didn’t win any awards. With an opposite turn of events, SZA and Doja Cat won their first Grammy that night for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for their collaborative hit song “Kiss Me More”; however, their award came with another achievement to commemorate. The win in this category marked the second time that two women have earned this award. SZA and Doja Cat’s fans could not have been more satisfied. Lastly, John Batiste performed his song “Freedom” with a piano and jazz type of melody. Later on, Batiste ended up winning the biggest award of the night, Album of the Year.

       Additionally, a special tribute was paid during the award show by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He made an honorary virtual appearance at the Grammys requesting the audience to “support [Ukrainians] in any way. Any but not silence.” John Legend then sang his new song “Free” along with singer Mika Newton and poet Lyuba Yakimchuk, both Ukrainian artists who ran away from their country only a few days prior to the Grammys. Because of the breathtaking performances, the presence of notable celebrities, and trending outfits, the 64th Grammys was an electric night that made us all forget that we were still transitioning out of COVID.