Demi Lovato's powerful comeback, and other must-see moments from the Grammys

The Usher’s resurrection continues.
January 27, 2020 12:19 a.m. EST
January 28, 2020 11:00 p.m. EST
DemiGrammys.jpg
It’s been a packed few weeks of awards shows (we’re just saying, Nicole Kidman now has the flu), but switching gears from all of the TV show- and movie-feting were Sunday night’s high-energy Grammys. To say they reminded us all why music is the universal language would be an understatement, but let’s dive into some highlights, shall we?

Demi Lovato brings us all to tears

"Powerful" would be the only way to describe Demi Lovato’s earth-shattering comeback performance of “Anyone.” It was the singer’s first time taking the stage after nearly overdosing in the summer of 2018, and you could tell it was an important milestone for her personally. In fact, she got so choked up when the piano started playing that she had to take a beat and start over, eventually launching into the song with a tear streaming down her cheek. It’s no wonder everyone in the audience jumped to their feet after the final note—you could feel the love coming through the TV.

The house that Kobe built

The tragic news of Kobe and Gianna Bryant’s deaths just hours before the Grammys took place left everyone shaken. It was no surprise that Lizzo kicked off her performance saying, “Tonight is for Kobe,” or that host Alicia Keyes and Boyz II Men did a special tribute. Many others followed suit throughout the night (The Jonas Brothers wore purple ribbons), and the hero’s jersey made its way onto the stage more than once.

Lizzo owns the night

We knew this was going to be a big night for our gal Lizzo (aka the most nominated artist heading into this thing), and sure enough, she owned the stage from the second she stepped onto it. Her armful of wins aside, Lizzo’s standing-o-worthy opening performance (and outfit change!) had everything from soaring vocals and black ballerinas to a flute solo that would make Ron Burgundy jealous. Then, when she actually took to the stage to give an acceptance speech (winning Best Pop Solo Performance for “Truth Hurts”), she won the crowd over even more.“You guys create beautiful music, you guys create connectivity and as I’m speaking to all of y’all in this room — we need to continue to reach out,” she said. “This is the beginning of making music that moves people again. Making music … that liberates people… Let’s continue to reach out, hold each other and lift each other up. God bless you. Thank you so much.”

Usher’s comeback is real

We’re so “Caught Up” in this comeback Usher seems to be experiencing. Late last year he had a pretty dope cameo in Hustlers, and then Sunday night at the Grammys he paid tribute to the late, great Prince. The high-energy performance was everything you’d want in a Prince tribute—full of hit songs, dance moves (we see you, FKA Twigs!) and the right amount of artistic flair—and it reminded us that Usher is still very much in the game.

Tyler the Creator creates a stir

About an hour and a half before Tyler the Creator got real with his win for best rap album and brought his mom onstage with him to accept the hardware, he had the entire Internet buzzing over his fiery collaboration with Charlie Wilson and Boyz II Men. It wasn’t the flames, the blond wigs, or the red and white suits that got us; it was the shaky camera shots and strobe lights that had us very, very concerned that someone, somewhere, was going to have a seizure from their couch.

That old town road

The sets all night long were beyond impressive, what with Run-DMC smashing down “brick” walls, Ariana Grande signing from a spinning bed and all of those aforementioned pyrotechnics. But one of the most impressive performances was “Old Town Road,” which of course featured Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus, but also BTS, Mason Ramsey, and enough props to stage a Broadway play. “Impressive” just doesn’t cut how cool the backdrops were.

Ariana is back in fine form

Remember in 2019 when Ariana Grande skipped out on the Grammys because they wouldn’t let her choose her own songs to perform? It was a lesson in standing up for yourself, and while she didn’t walk away with any hardware during the actual show she definitely showed everyone that she’s Gramophone-worthy by doing a mashup that practically broke the Internet.

The Jonas Brothers unveil a new song

What’s hotter than a trio of dressed-up Jonas Brothers and their equally fabulous wives hitting up the Grammy red carpet? A brand new song, of course. When the reunited brothers took the stage they performed the hit “What a Man Gotta Do,” before surprising fans everywhere with their new hopeful smash, “Five More Minutes.”

Billie Eilish is the one to watch

There are probably going to be many, many Lizzo and Ariana Grande fans storming the Internet over the next few days knowing that Billie Eilish beat them all. The youngster snagged a whopping four trophies over the course of the night, including Best New Artist, Album of the Year and Record of the Year. At first she was super humble and threw it back to her fellow nominees (even telling Grande that SHE deserved to win for “Thank U, Next), but by the end she and her brother, Finneas O'Connell, simply walked up to the mic and, to paraphrase Grande, said a unified “thanks.”And onto the next.[video_embed id='1884306']BEFORE YOU GO: Billie Eilish's self-directed 'Everything I Wanted' video drops[/video_embed]

You might also like