Just one week after the Oscars, the viewing public reluctantly returned for another lengthy awards show short on actual award giving: the 2022 Grammys! After 2021’s scaled-back-due-to-COVID edition, music’s so-called biggest night came roaring back in the not–Los Angeles location of Las Vegas. As ever, there were peaks (top nominee Jon Batiste winning album of the year), valleys (the late Virgil Abloh being described as a hip-hop fashion designer), and plenty of general weirdness. Read on for Vogue’s postshow recap, in which we attempt to focus on the positives.
BTS’s Mere Existence
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The K-pop kings technically lost in the best pop duo/group category, but the consummate showmen won the Grammys at every turn, from their slick, Bond-themed performance of “Butter,” replete with Jungkook descending to the stage from the ceiling, to V’s flirty bit with Olivia Rodrigo—the stuff fanfic is made of.
Lil Nas X’s A+ Tweets
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The Montero rapper’s Twitter game was as exquisite as his pearl-encrusted Balmain suit. “Lost all my grammies so far. let’s celebrate that!” he tweeted as the preshow awards began to drop. Before posting selfies with Lady Gaga, he provided an unvarnished assessment of the night to come.
Best New Artist Olivia Rodrigo
A little over a year after “Driver’s License” took over our pop-cultural lives, the angst-ridden teen love song to end all angst-ridden teen love songs got its Grammy moment, first with 19-year-old Rodrigo’s performance (beginning in an actual car) and later with her deserved best-new-artist win. “This is my biggest dream come true,” she said.
Justin Bieber’s Mellifluous Rendition of “Peaches”
“I get my weed from California” wasn’t quite meant to be slow jammed with piano accompaniment, but as a Biebs apologist, I’ll allow it.
Lady Gaga’s Foray into Lounge Singing
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Gaga went full Judy Garland while performing tunes from Love for Sale, her nominated album with Tony Bennett, as a video montage of the intergenerational pair flashed behind her. The 95-year-old Bennett—who retired from music last year after being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease—introduced Gaga, who was clearly verklempt to be singing solo.
Remembering Taylor Hawkins
The memory of the Foo Fighters drummer, who died on March 25 while on tour in Bogotá, Colombia, was acknowledged at the Grammys, including through a special in-memoriam montage. Host Trevor Noah announced that the band (which, before Hawkins’s passing, had been slated to perform) won all three Grammys they were nominated for: best rock song (“Waiting on a War”), best rock performance (“Making a Fire”), and best rock album (Medicine at Midnight). But one of the most moving tributes was unspoken: Billie Eilish wore a T-shirt bearing Hawkins’s face during her performance.
H.E.R., Travis Barker, and Lenny Kravitz Lighting Up the Grammy Stage
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The trio brought a rare dose of high-octane, bona fide rock-star energy in a medley of “We Made It,” “Damage,” and Kravitz’s legendary “Are You Gonna Go My Way” with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis.
More Grammys Coverage from Vogue:
- Keep Up With Our Live Updates From the 2022 Grammys
- What to Look Out for at the 2022 Grammys
- Who Is Performing at the Grammys This Year?
- Everything to Know About the 2022 Grammys
- The Best Grammy Beauty Looks of All Time
- How to Watch the Grammys, Online or on TV
