It was that time of the year— The Grammy Music Awards (The Grammys)— when melophiles and music artists came together to honor the music that had been produced within 2021. This year marked the 64th anniversary of the award show, which took place on April 2 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Grammys are unique to the awards show category, as not only are awards given to artists, but it also acts as a concert where varying artists perform their music. While many music artists attended and performed at the Grammy Awards, here are five artists’ performances that were unforgettable. 

Gallery • 5 Photos

popsugar.com

Korean-pop band BTS sings their 2021 hit song "Butter" at the Grammy Awards on April 2.

Silk Sonic

Silk Sonic opened the show with their song “777,” bringing the atmosphere of 70s R&B and soul music into the program. The performance’s vibe was suitable for the occasion, especially because the song talks about winning a jackpot at a casino (777 is the number shown when someone wins the jackpot in a slot machine) and the award show was taking place in Las Vegas, a city renowned for its casinos. Later on in the night, Silk Sonic ended up winning in the record of the year, song of the year, best R&B performance, and best R&B song of the year categories. 

Olivia Rodrigo

Following Silk Sonic’s performance, Olivia Rodrigo performed her viral hit song from her “SOUR” album — Driver’s License. Rodrigo sang in a lower key than the original song in this performance, adding more emotion to the already vulnerable track. Occasionally, one could hear fans screaming with joy as she hit the notes with perfect and accurate pitch. Rodrigo ended up winning in the New Artist, Pop Vocal Album, and Pop Solo Performance categories. After the awards ceremony, Rodrigo dropped and broke one of her Grammy trophies, giving déjà vu from the moment Taylor Swift (whom Rodrigo idolizes) did the same in 2010. 

BTS

At the Grammys, BTS performed their 2021 hit , “Butter.” Inspired by one of the lyrics in the song (“… like a criminal undercover”), the performance was spy-themed and BTS members entered the stage either from the ceiling or the audience. BTS was nominated for the Best Pop Duo/Group performance, but they did not win the award and it “infuriated” BTS fans. The award was instead won by Doja Cat and SZA for their hit, “Kiss Me More.” 

Lil Nas X

Filled with avant-garde flashing lights, Lil Nas X performed the third single from his “Montero” album, “Industry Baby.”  During the performance, rapper Jack Harlow made a short and unexpected feature, adding fuel to the already excited audience. Lil Nas X was nominated for the Album of the Year, Song of the Year, Record of the Year, Best Music Video of the Year, and Best Melodic Rap Performance categories this year. Although he did not win in any of those categories, he seemed hopeful for next year’s awards, as he captioned one of his Instagram posts, “0/5 grammys baby! let’s try again next year!”

Billie Eilish and Finneas

Later on in the show, Billie Eilish sang the title track from her “Happier Than Ever” album. As usual, her performance was filled with melodious vocals that excited the attendees of the award show. However, the vocals were not the only thing that made this performance stand out. The state-of-the-art house prop she performed on only enticed the audience further. There was a living room-like space that Eilish was singing in that was filled with water. When she went up to the rooftop, she and her brother Finneas were additionally showered with water. This year, Billie was nominated for Album of the Year, Best Pop Vocal Album, Record of the Year, Best Pop Solo Performance, Best Music Video and Best Music Film, but she walked away empty-handed. 

Overall, these five performances stood out compared to the other performances because of the artists’ exuberant stage presence. Hopefully, the Grammys will continue to bring forth more performances like these that the audiences both at the event and at home will be able to enjoy.