Grammys 2016: Kendrick Lamar, Adele, Lady Gaga deliver hits and misses
The night's best and worst performances onstage
The Grammys are billed as "music's biggest night," but while some of North America's top acts truly delivered, others were simply a drag. Who stole the show and who stunk? Check out our admittedly subjective tally with a taste from each performance and an overall highlights video below.
Taylor Swift, Out of the Woods
There was nothing specifically wrong with Swift's opening number per se, but it lacked the foot-stomping, infectious, joiner-anthem power usually required from performances that kick off the Grammys. With Bruno Mars, Mark Ronson and crew in attendance — resplendent in their sorbet-coloured suits — it seemed Uptown Funk would have been a more natural choice for the starter. Rating: Meh.
David Bowie tribute
Actors who are great in biopics always say the same thing: "Interpretation, not impersonation." Lady Gaga's extended tribute to David Bowie was more of the latter than the former, with makeup and costume changes dominating the tepid performance that tried to mash together too many of Bowie's hits. Sure Bowie was camp, but the edge and artistry he embodied was largely absent from this tribute. Rating: Boo.
Hamilton
Maurice White tribute, That's the Way of the World
What do you get when you match living music legend Stevie Wonder and members of the young, talented vocal sensation Pentatonix? A moving, low-key yet funky acapella homage to the late Earth, Wind & Fire founder that had musicians of all stripes grooving in the audience (Common, Robin Thicke, the Foo Fighters and Janelle Monae, just to name a few). Rating: Rave.
Adele, All I Ask
We all know Adele has great pipes, but apparent technical glitches resulted in the beloved pop star sounding ... less than her usual self. Perhaps the problem is that we hold Adele to higher standards than other singers, but flat high notes and an unmemorable new single made this an appearance that everyone (including Adele herself, judging by her seeking-a-burger tweets) would rather forget. Rating: Boo.
Kendrick Lamar, The Blacker the Berry/Alright
Justin Bieber, Diplo and Skrillex, Love Yourself/Where Are U Now
Starting out with a solo acoustic rendition of his "I'm-so-over-you" track Love Yourself, the pop star non-Beliebers love to hate awkwardly punted away his guitar before bounding to another stage to join EDM uber-producers Diplo and Skrillex for his Grammy-winning dance recording Where Are U Now. Aside from some half-hearted kicky moves, it felt lacklustre from the former teen star who should be more energetic amid his career revival. Rating: meh.