Dec 31 2024 59 mins
The 67th annual Grammy Awards proved to be a landmark evening for music industry veterans like Beyoncé and Kendrick Lamar, who swept the three biggest categories, as well as rising stars like Sabrina Carpenter, Chappell Roan, and Doechii, each of whom took the stage to perform before taking home a prize.
The standout moments at Sunday's ceremony shone a spotlight on fresh talent and big personalities in the industry. However, they were somewhat offset by a handful of uninspired sets.
Sabrina Carpenter was nominated for each of the "Big Four" awards for her masterful pop album "Short n' Sweet," plus best pop vocal album and best pop solo performance for "Espresso," both of which she won.
Thankfully, the Grammys gave Carpenter enough time onstage to honor her breakthrough into pop royalty after years of cutting her teeth at Disney Channel, training for Broadway, and perfecting her goofy-yet-sexy onstage persona.
Carpenter showcased the full range of her skillset with a Lucille Ball-esque performance, complete with comedic bits and costumes, a jazzy blend of "Espresso" and "Please Please Please," and even a tap-dance break.
Chappell Roan made headlines throughout 2024 for drawing massive crowds at festivals like Coachella and Lollapalooza. As she proved once again on the Grammy stage, Roan is a born entertainer with the creative vision, showmanship, and soaring falsetto to match.
Rather than sticking with the obvious choice and singing her breakout hit "Good Luck, Babe!" — nominated for both record and song of the year — Roan smartly opted to perform her gay-awakening anthem "Pink Pony Club" to honor her love of Los Angeles.
Shortly after, Roan returned to the stage to accept the award for best new artist, where she boldly took the music industry to task; Roan dedicated her speech to demanding higher wages and better worker protections for herself and her peers. You just can't teach stage presence like hers.
Charli XCX was one of the most-nominated artists at the Grammys this year and one of the evening's final performers. Thankfully, the old cliché of "saving the best for last" applies here.
Charli kickstarted her "Brat" medley with "Von Dutch," strutting around the arena's parking garage while flanked by a crowd of partygoers and hot girls, including supermodel Alex Consani and internet "It Girl" Gabbriette Bechtel.
By the time Charli and her entourage arrived onstage, it felt like the whole crowd was on their feet. Even Taylor Swift, the apparent source of envy that Charli sings about in "Sympathy Is a Knife," was jumping around with a champagne bottle in her hand.
Charli capped the performance with "Guess," her hit collaboration with Billie Eilish, while panties and undergarments rained from the ceiling. It was hard not to feel jealous of the cool kids on that stage — which was, of course, exactly what Charli was going for.
How many times do we need to watch Benson Boone follow this exact blueprint?
"Beautiful Things" may have been his breakout hit, but it's a cookie-cutter pop song that doesn't need yet another televised performance — especially not if Boone insists on recycling every detail for every one, from the all-too-faithful instrumentation to the onstage backflip and the sparkly jumpsuits stolen directly from Harry Styles' playbook.