Grammys 2021: Beyonce makes history as Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion sizzle in X-rated dance

Queen Bey reached a Grammys milestone as Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion stunned with a sexy strip club-inspired performance.

Beyonce made Grammys history with her album Black Parade winning Best R&B Performance, meaning she now has 28 Grammy Awards – the most by any artist.

“I am so honoured,” an emotional Beyonce said. “As an artist I believe it’s my job to reflect the times. It’s been such a difficult time I wanted to uplift, encourage and celebrate all the beautiful black queens and kings that continue to inspire me and inspire the whole world.”

Wearing a black Schiaparelli mini-dress and stockings, Queen Bey said: “This is so overwhelming, I’ve been working my whole life since I was nine years old”.

“I can’t believe this has happened, it’s such a magical night,” she said.

Beyonce, in Schiaparelli, made history at the Grammys. Picture: AFP

Earlier, Beyonce accepted the Best Rap Performance award for ‘Savage’ with Megan Thee Stallion. Picture: AFP

Stars including Beyonce wore masks while in the audience. Picture: Getty Images

Album of the Year was won by Taylor Swift’s Folklore, which meant Swift has won Album of the Year three times – the first female to achieve that feat, only Stevie Wonder, Frank Sinatra and Paul Simon have won the award three times (Swift’s Fearless and 1989 previously won Album of the Year). In her speech, thanked her actor boyfriend Joe Alwyn, who co-wrote some songs on Folklore.

“Joe who is the first person I play every single song I write to,” Swift said. “I had the best time writing songs with you in quarantine.”

Beyonce and Megan Thee Stallion. Picture: AFP

Taylor Swift and Aaron Dessner accept the Album of the Year award for Folklore. Picture: AFP

An emotional Grammys moment for Taylor Swift. Picture: Getty Images

Dua Lipa won Best Pop Vocal Album for Future Nostalgia. Picture: Getty Images

After another impeccably-choreographed and fully live vocal performance by BTS that made most pop stars look lazy, it was finally time for the final award Record of the Year.

Billie Eilish’s Everything I Wanted won the coveted Grammy however Eilish insisted the award should have gone to Megan Thee Stallion.

She used her whole acceptance speech to praise the Savage rapper.

“It’s hers,” Eilish said. “You deserve this. You had a year that is un-toppable. I want to cry thinking about how much I love you,” she said, addressing Megan Thee Stallion.

“You’re so beautiful, you’re so talented. You deserve everything in the world, I think about you constantly. I root for you always.

“You deserve it, honestly, genuinely, this goes to her, can we just cheer for Megan Thee Stallion please.”

Billie Eilish accepts the Record of the Year award for 'Everything I Wanted' onstage during the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards. Picture: Getty Images

Billie Eilish and her brother/collaborator, Finneas. Picture: Getty Images

WILD WAP PERFORMANCE

Rappers Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion performed their explicit hit W.A.P with a wild live performance at the Grammy Awards.

“In prime we’re about to find out what W.A.P really stands for,” Grammy host Trevor Noah joked, as he introduced the pair.

“If you have children in the room tell them it’s a song about giving a cat a bath.”

In a strip club-inspired routine, Megan Thee Stallion started with her Grammy-nominated anthem Savage (Beyonce’s part on the remix was played off a tape), as lingerie-clad tap dancers did booty drops.

Then it was Cardi B’s new single Up, before Megan joined her for W.A.P performed in front of a giant stripper heel (Cardi used the stiletto as a pole), with the lyrics watered down to just “wet wet wet” due to the PG timeslot.

Ready for her close-up … Cardi B. Picture: AFP

Cardi B and the stripper pole. Picture: Getty Images

Hustlers Megan Thee Stallion and Cardi B perform during the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards. Picture: AFP

Cardi B on the giant bed set. Picture: AFP

Megan Thee Stallion ruled the Grammys with her performance. Picture: AFP

Megan Thee Stallion, centre, before her costume change. Picture: AFP

How she opened the segment. Picture: Getty Images

Song of the Year for 2021 went to the politically-charged I Can’t Breathe by H. E. R, beating out Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, Dua Lipa and Beyonce.

“I didn’t imagine that my fear and that my pain would turn into impact and possibly turn into change,” H. E. R said of the song she wrote after the murder of George Floyd.

“That fight we had in us in the summer of 2020, keep that same energy.”

Silver lining from Megan Thee Stallion. Picture: Getty Images

DUA’S SEXY SET

Pop star Dua Lipa delivered a sexy performance at the Grammy Awards, stripping off from a pink gown into a sparkly bra-and-knickers set.

One of the year’s most nominated artists, Lipa performed a medley of her song Levitating featuring DaBaby’s rap, which gave her time for a racy costume change.

She switched from a floor-length gown into a lilac jacket before stripping down to a glittering pink bikini for her party anthem Don’t Stop Now.

Her dancers performed in masks just to make sure in future years we’ll know this happened in 2021.

Dua Lipa’s first performance outfirt was relatively demure. Picture: AFP

She was one of this year’s most-nominated acts. Picture: AFP

Fierce. Picture: Getty Images

Dua Lipa mid Don’t Stop Now performance. Picture: Getty Images

On the floor. Picture: Getty Images

Meantime, Best Pop Solo Performance was won by Harry Styles, who had changed into a Gucci jacket with a lilac fluffy boa-esque scarf, for Watermelon Sugar.

Styles beat Justin Bieber’s Yummy, Doja Cat’s Say So, Billie Eilish’s Everything I Wanted, Dua Lipa’s Don’t Start Now and Taylor Swift’s Cardigan.

Dropping the night’s first F-bomb, Styles said of his fellow nominees: “All of these songs are f***king massive” as the cameras panned across to his ex-girlfriend Taylor Swift.

Silk Sonic, the soulful new collaboration between Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak, made their live premiere on the Grammy Awards.

Harry Styles pictured greeting Billie Eilish at the Grammys. Picture: Getty Images

Harry Styles accepts the Best Pop Solo Performance award for 'Watermelon Sugar' at the Grammys. Picture: Getty Images

Their first single Leave The Door Open looked (and sounded) like a Soul Train performance from 1974 – and was all the better for it.

Indeed, this was the most music-driven Grammy Awards in years – no dramatic camera cutaway shots to whatever musician might be feuding with another, and no loud audiences, just song after song.

Bruno Mars debuted his new side projet at the Grammys. Picture: Getty Images

Taylor Swift performing at the Grammys. Picture: Getty Images

Post Malone got deep at the Grammys. Picture: Getty Images

DaBaby in Chanel. Picture: Getty Images

The Grammys also had American small venue owners, who have lost their income over the last year, to present some of the awards.

This included the owner of Nashville’s the Station Inn. Best Country Album, one of the categories dominated by female performers, was won by Miranda Lambert for Wild Card. Lambert said: “We’re such a family in country music, I feel like I’m holding it for all of us, especially for us girls.”

‘HE’LL STEAL YOUR HEART’

Opening the Grammys, host Trevor Noah threw in some jokes about the Los Angeles air being as dangerous as COVID.

“This is the rare award show where the white stuff going up peoples’ noses is cotton swabs,” Noah joked.

The first performer was Harry Styles said will “steal your heart and your dress and look damn good doing it”, in reference to his custom-made Gucci leather suit.

Styles sang his hit Waterman Sugar wearing a fluffy scarf over his shoulder in a sartorial reference to his friend, Stevie Nicks.

Harry Styles opened the Grammys singing Watermelon Sugar. Picture: Getty Images

The former 1D singer and his leather suit opened the show. Picture: Getty Images

A leather look from Harry Styles at the Grammys. Picture: Getty Images

Ab-solutely fantastic. Picture: Getty Images

The Don’t Worry Darling star tossed the accessory mid-song, revealing his tattooed bare chest under the fashion forward outfit.

“I would have worn a short for my first Grammys but each to his own,” Noah said about Styles.

“It’s crazy to think someone that talented and handsome is from the same place that gave us Boris Johnson. Man the UK is diverse.”

Billie Eilish and brother Finneas sang their Grammy nominated hit Everything I Wanted in a suitably moody setting (the singer climbing over a car with the smoke machine working overtime).

Eilish blitzed last year’s Grammys with her debut album scooping the pool.

Styles returned the favour by nodding along to Eilish’s tune, US band Haim were also on screen looking impressed.

Lizzo presented Best New Artist to Megan Thee Stallion. Picture: Getty Images

The Juice singer onstage in Los Angeles. Picture: Getty Images

The Grammys usually have an audience full of celebrities to cut to for reaction shots, this year it seems they have just the handful of musicians performing in front of each other to rely on.

The night’s first award, after 15 minutes of music, was Best New Artist, rapper Megan Thee Stallion.

“It’s been a hell of a year but we made it,” Megan said, as she accepted the award. The category was presented by Lizzo, who declared, “b*tch I’m back”.

So too, were the Grammys.

GRAMMY NOMINATIONS AND WINNERS

Record of the Year

“Black Parade” — Beyoncé

“Colors” — Black Pumas

“Rockstar” — DaBaby featuring Roddy Ricch

“Say So” — Doja Cat

“Everything I Wanted” — Billie Eilish WINNER

“Don’t Start Now” — Dua Lipa

“Circles” — Post Malone

“Savage” — Megan Thee Stallion featuring Beyoncé

Album of the Year

“Chilombo” — Jhené Aiko

“Black Pumas” (Deluxe Edition) — Black Pumas

“Everyday Life” — Coldplay

“Djesse Vol. 3” — Jacob Collier

“Women in Music Pt. III” — Haim

“Future Nostalgia” — Dua Lipa

“Hollywood’s Bleeding” — Post Malone

“Folklore” — Taylor Swift WINNER

Song of the Year

“Black Parade” — Beyoncé

“The Box” — Roddy Ricch

“Cardigan” — Taylor Swift

“Circles” — Post Malone

“Don’t Start Now” — Dua Lipa

“Everything I Wanted” — Billie Eilish

“I Can’t Breathe” — H.E.R. WINNER

“If the World Was Ending” — JP Saxe featuring Julia Michaels

Best New Artist

Ingrid Andress

Phoebe Bridgers

Noah Cyrus

Chika

D Smoke

Doja Cat

Kaytranada

Megan Thee Stallion – WINNER

Best Pop Solo Performance

“Yummy” — Justin Bieber

“Say So” — Doja Cat

“Everything I Wanted” — Billie Eilish

“Don’t Start Now” — Dua Lipa

“Watermelon Sugar” — Harry Styles – WINNER

“Cardigan” — Taylor Swift

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance

“Rain on Me” — Lady Gaga & Ariana Grande — WINNER

“Un Dia (One Day)” — J Balvin, Dua Lipa, Bad Bunny & Tainy

“Intentions” — Justin Bieber featuring Quavo

“Dynamite” — BTS

“Exile” — Taylor Swift featuring Bon Iver

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album

“American Standard” — James Taylor — WINNER

“Blue Umbrella” — Burt Bacharach & Daniel Tashian

“True Love: A Celebration of Cole Porter” — Harry Connick Jr.

“Unfollow the Rules” — Rufus Wainwright

“Judy” — Renée Zellweger

Best Pop Vocal Album

“Changes” — Justin Bieber

“Chromatica” — Lady Gaga

“Future Nostalgia” — Dua Lipa WINNER

“Fine Line” — Harry Styles

“Folklore” — Taylor Swift

Best Dance Recording

“10%” — Kaytranada featuring Kali Uchis — WINNER

“On My Mind” — Diplo & Sidepiece

“My High” — Disclosure, Aminé and Slowthai

“The Difference” — Flume featuring Toro y Moi

“Both of Us” — Jayda G

Best Dance/Electronic Album

“Bubba” — Kaytranada — WINNER

“Kick I” — Arca

“Energy” — Disclosure

“Planet’s Mad” — Baauer

“Good Faith” — Madeon

Best Rock Performance

“Shameika” — Fiona Apple — WINNER

“The Steps” — HAIM

“Stay High” — Brittany Howard

“Not” — Big Thief

“Kyoto” — Phoebe Bridgers

“Daylight” — Grace Potter

Best Metal Performance

“Bum-Rush” — Body Count — WINNER

“Underneath” — Code Orange

“The In-Between” — In This Moment

“Bloodmoney” — Poppy

“Executioner’s Tax (Swing of the Axe)” — Power Trip

Best Rock Song

“Stay High” — Brittany Howard — WINNER

“Kyoto” — Phoebe Bridgers

“Lost in Yesterday” — Tame Impala

“Not” — Big Thief

“Shameika” — Fiona Apple

Best Rock Album

“The New Abnormal” — The Strokes — WINNER

“A Hero’s Death” — Fontaines D.C.

“Kiwanuka” — Michael Kiwanuka

“Daylight” — Grace Potter

“Sound & Fury” — Sturgill Simpson

Best Alternative Music Album

“Fetch the Bolt Cutters” — Fiona Apple — WINNER

“Hyperspace” — Beck

“Punisher” — Phoebe Bridgers

“Jaime” — Brittany Howard

“The Slow Rush” — Tame Impala

Best R&B Performance

“Lightning & Thunder” — Jhené Aiko featuring John Legend

“Black Parade” — Beyoncé WINNER

“All I Need” — Jacob Collier featuring Mahalia & Ty Dolla $ign

“Goat Head” — Brittany Howard

“See Me” — Emily King

Best R&B Song

“Better Than I Imagined” — Robert Glasper featuring H.E.R. & Meshell Ndegeocello — WINNER

“Black Parade” — Beyoncé

“Collide” — Tiana Major9 & EARTHGANG

“Do It” — Chloe x Halle

“Slow Down” — Skip Marley & H.E.R.

Best Rap Performance

“Savage” — Megan Thee Stallion featuring Beyoncé — WINNER

“Deep Reverence” — Big Sean featuring Nipsey Hussle

“Bop” — DaBaby

“Whats Poppin” — Jack Harlow

“The Bigger Picture” — Lil Baby

“Dior” — Pop Smoke

Best Melodic Rap Performance

“Rockstar” — DaBaby featuring Roddy Ricch

“Laugh Now Cry Later” — Drake featuring Lil Durk

“Lockdown” — Anderson. Paak WINNER

“The Box” — Roddy Ricch

“Highest in the Room” — Travis Scott

Best Rap Song

“The Bigger Picture” — Lil Baby

“The Box” — Roddy Ricch

“Laugh Now Cry Later” — Drake featuring Lil Durk

“Rockstar” — DaBaby featuring Roddy Ricch

“Savage” — Megan thee Stallion featuring Beyoncé WINNER

Best Rap Album

“King’s Disease” — Nas — WINNER

“Black Habits” — D Smoke

“Alfredo” — Freddie Gibbs & The Alchemist

“A Written Testimony” — Jay Electronica

“The Allegory” — Royce da 5’9”

Best Country Solo Performance

“When My Amy Prays” — Vince Gill — WINNER

“Stick That in Your Country Song” — Eric Church

“Who You Thought I Was” — Brandy Clark

“Bluebird” — Miranda Lambert

“Black Like Me” — Mickey Guyton