Music washed away some of the bad taste left by the Oscars a week earlier.
Jon Batiste had the most Grammy Award nominations and his five wins outpaced everyone, yet he somehow seemed the biggest surprise on a joyous night for music that washed away some of the bad taste left by the Oscars a week earlier. Batiste’s “We Are” won the prestigious album of the year award Sunday over music heavyweights like Tony Bennett, Billie Eilish, Taylor Swift and Ye, who changed his name from Kanye West. Batiste ended his dance-filled performance of “Freedom” during the show by jumping on Eilish’s table. Silk Sonic won four Grammys, including song and record of the year for the duo’s smooth soul hit, “Leave the Door Open.” Olivia Rodrigo’s three awards included best new artist. Foo Fighters, Chris Stapleton and CeCe Winans also won three each. Yet Batiste captured the mood of a night where, despite some somber moments, the live performance skills of music’s best artists were on full display after COVID-19 had put much of the concert industry on pause. “I was having such a good time,” Batiste said backstage after the show, describing the moment when Lenny Kravitz announced his best album victory. “I was hanging with my family, when my name came and the ‘We Are’ title was said by Lenny — such a full circle moment because we played together when I was 16. It was surreal.” The versatile Batiste, music director on Stephen Colbert’s “Late Show,” also won Sunday for his song “Cry,” the video for “Freedom” and his work with Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross on the soundtrack for “Soul.” Kravitz had performed “Are You Gonna Go My Way” in a duet with H.E.R., his guitar skills and wardrobe unchanged since the song came out in 1993. H.E.R. was still on a high backstage when she relived the moment. “I watched Lenny growing up,” she said. “I literally studied all his videos of his performances. He’s one of the reasons why I wanted to play guitar.” While sometimes-awkward performance partnerships have become a Grammy Award signature, Sunday’s show featured mostly sparkling performances by artists on their own. BTS high-stepped their way through “Butter,” rapper Nas fronted a big band, Rodrigo and Eilish powerfully channeled youthful angst, Stapleton delivered a bluesy version of “Cold” and Brandi Carlile, introduced by the formidable duo of Joni Mitchell and Bonnie Raitt, lived up to the challenge.
