Star’s X-rated Grammys performance as Will Smith mocked by comedians
Lil Nas X raised eyebrows with a racy performance at the Grammys, where presenters took aim at Will Smith’s Oscars slap and an Aussie music star won their first award.
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Host Trevor Noah didn’t let Will Smith’s Oscars slap controversy off the hook in his opening monologue at the Grammys in Las Vegas.
After Silk Sonic (aka Bruno Mars and Anderson Paak) opened the 2022 show with a Vegas revue-style performance, comedian Noah said the Grammys would be a “concert where we’re giving out some awards” and “we’re going to be keeping people’s names out of our mouths”.
Speaking at the MGM Grand, Noah wasn’t kidding when he said the awards show would be a concert.
Zero trophies were handed out in the first 15 minutes with organisers minimising the potential for drama by packing three performances into the show’s opening – Silk Sonic, Olivia Rodrigo, and J Balvin and Maria Becerra.
Questlove joked that he wanted everyone to stay “500 feet away from him” while he presented the Song of the Year award, with Silk Sonic winning the coveted prize from a stacked field of 10 nominees including Rodrigo, Ed Sheeran, Billie Eilish and Justin Bieber.
Global Korean boy band sensation BTS and gay pop gamechanger Lil Nas X embraced the Vegas bigger-is-better for their Grammys moments.
Lil Nas X raised eyebrows with his provocative Grammys performance, transforming his microphone into a penis.
Alongside rapper Jack Harlow, Lil Nas X (real name Montero Lamar Hill) placed his mic at the centre of his crotch and swung it around in a circle, pretending the device was his genitalia, per the New York Post.
“Lil Nas X killed it too, w0w, also microphone dingle???,” tweeted a fan. “That Lil Nas X performance was enjoyable, and my favourite part was probably the silence and mic hand smacking motion,” applauded another.
Meantime, Silk Sonic (of Bruno Mars and Anderson Paak), continued their shock sweep of the 2022 Grammys, beating out nine other nominees to take out the coveted Record Of The Year award for Leave The Door Open.
It was their fourth trophy for the night, having earlier shocked pundits to win Song of The Year as well.
The stylish duo choreographed their trip to the podium where Mars bucked the usual health regulations and sparked up a cigarette as they accepted their award. The 2022 Grammys had been woefully short of drama before then.
“We are really trying our hardest to remain humble at this point, but in the industry, we call that a clean sweep,” Paak said.
This year’s leading nominee Jon Batiste completed his haul of five Grammys this year by taking out the coveted Album of the Year for his We Are record.
Batiste, who is much loved among the pop music fraternity, scored a standing ovation for the big win.
But there was one act who was more popular at this year’s ceremony in Las Vegas than any other despite not winning an award.
And that was BTS, with fans joking the awards doubled as a meet and greet for the K-pop heroes with every celebrity in the room lining up for a photo with the group.
AUSSIES RUFUS CLAIM GRAMMY
Australian trio Rufus du Sol won their first-ever Grammy, presented ahead of the awards broadcast.
The trio picked up the Best Dance/Electronic Recording trophy from their third Grammy nomination.
Singer Tyrone Lindqvist said the trio were genuinely shocked after missing out twice before.
“There’s a part of you scared to get your hopes up … hearing our name was really surreal. It feels so good, I want to cry but I’m laughing,’ he said.
And after weeks of addressing world leaders, Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky made an impassioned plea to the Grammys audience to support their efforts for peace ahead of John Legend performing the spiritual standard Go Down Moses.
Meantime, boy band BTS brought a bit of James Bond flair as the men in black tripped through lasers and pulled off some impressive suit jacket choreography – they probably didn’t need the troupe of dancers assist.
Lil Nas X, dwarfed by his giant replica head, adopted a marching band theme for his stage moment during Call My By Your Name. His guest rapper Jack Harlow hardly got a look-in during the epic dance number.
STAR’S HAWKINS TRIBUTE
Billie Eilish used her performance of her hit Happier Than Ever to pay tribute to Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins.
The band had been booked to perform at the Grammys before Hawkins died in Colombia on March 26.
The 20-year-old pop star, who won an Oscar last week for her Bond theme No Time To Die, changed from her red carpet goth couture to wear a T-shirt with Hawkins’ face on it for her dynamic set.
Foo Fighters won two awards ahead of the broadcast, with their 10th album Medicine At Midnight picking up Best Rock Album and single Waiting On A War taking out the Best Rock Song trophy.
The band also won Best Rock Performance with Making A Fire, sweeping the nonmetal rock categories this year. The Recording Academy honoured Hawkins with a special video package of the drummer in action, soundtracked by My Hero, ahead of the In Memoriam tribute.
Dua Lipa and Megan Thee Stallion, with a cameo from fashion legend Donatella Versace, staged a comic wardrobe malfunction on the Grammys stage ahead of announcing Best New Artist.
The Sweetest Pie pair came out wearing the same gold buckled black Versace gown with its celebrity designer storming the stage – with permission, of course – for a spot of impromptu customisation of the couture outfits.
The identical dress moment was a recreation of the 1998 MTV Music Awards when reigning pop queens Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston sashayed to the podium wearing the same slinky black mini-dress.
It was zero surprise to anyone that Olivia Rodrigo won the award from a field of 10 nominees which included our own global pop star The Kid Laroi.
One of the leading nominees Doja Cat almost missed her winning moment, bolting out of the toilets to accept the Best Pop Duo/Group Performance award with r&b star Sza for their Kiss Me More smash hit.
Despite Sza buying her time with her crutches-assisted slow limp to the podium – Gaga was on hand to help the singer with the long train of her dress – Doja Cat was puffed after a sprint to the mic.
“I’ve never taken such a fast piss in my life,” she said struggling to catch her breath.
The Planet Her star then hastily tried to restore her modesty by readjusting the split of her dress before bursting into tears during her speech.
“It’s big deal,” she said.
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