Brutally honest reviews of every Grammys 2023 performance, including Stevie Wonder, Brandi Carlile, Bad Bunny
There are two reasons we’re tuning into the Grammy Awards, and their names are Beyoncé and Adele.
The music megastars are facing off once again Sunday for album, record and song of the year, after Adele’s controversial sweep of all three categories in 2017. As we eagerly await the winners, there will also be some performances, with Harry Styles, Lizzo, Sam Smith and Brandi Carlile all slated to take the stage at Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena.
It’ll be tough to top last year’s ceremony, which featured jaw-dropping performances by BTS and Billie Eilish. Here are the best and worst musical moments from this year’s show:
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Stevie Wonder featuring Smokey Robinson, Chris Stapleton, WanMor, ‘Motown Medley’
Leave it to the legendary Wonder to give the performance of the night not even an hour into the show. Performing a medley of Motown hits to honor Smokey Robinson and Berry Gordy, Wonder kicked things off with the Temptations’ joyous “The Way You Do the Things You Do,” trading off vocals with R&B group WanMor. He then dueted with Robinson on “The Tears of a Clown,” before blowing the roof off with his own “Higher Ground,” which featured blazing guitar riffs from country artist Chris Stapleton. The audience ecstatically stood and grooved from their seats, with the likes of Jay-Z singing along.
Brandi Carlile, ‘Broken Horses’
After a sweet introduction from her wife, Catherine Shepherd, and two daughters, the Americana singer gave an electrifying performance of her “In These Silent Days” single. With just strobe lights and a backing band, Carlile let her thrilling voice do the heavy lifting – unleashing a truly incendiary guitar solo mid-song and earning a standing ovation from Taylor Swift.
Bad Bunny, ‘El Apagón,’ ‘Después de la Playa’
The Puerto Rican rapper proved why he’s one of the biggest stars in the world right now with his vibrant, infectious opening number. Flanked by dancers, brass players and giant-sized puppets of Puerto Rican icons Tego Calderón and Andy Montañez, Bad Bunny paraded to the stage, where a red curtain lifted and revealed a stunning sunset backdrop, complete with palm trees and bongo drummers. The singer, clad in a baseball cap and jeans, proceeded to get the entire audience on its feet, with artists including Jack Harlow and Mary J. Blige dancing along.
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