All Songs Considered – “Recapping a Historic Grammys Night”

NPR | Hosted by Stephen Thompson
Guests: Hazel Sills (NPR Music Editor), Rhianna Cruz (Freelance Music & Culture Journalist)
Aired: February 2, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode offers a lively and insightful recap of the 2026 Grammy Awards, breaking down the major wins, historic moments, performances, and memorable chaos from music’s biggest night. The co-hosts discuss watershed victories for Bad Bunny and Kendrick Lamar, the role of Latin music and hip-hop at the Grammys, unforgettable performances, unexpected speeches, pop culture tidbits, and evolving trends in the ceremony's production and categories.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Bad Bunny’s Historic Wins

• First Spanish-Language Album to Win Album of the Year
  • Bad Bunny's “Debí Tirarlas Fotos” made history as the first Spanish-language album to win Album of the Year (01:18-02:16).
  • Won additional Grammys for Best Global Music Performance and Best Música Urbana Album.
• Powerful Acceptance Speech
  • Bad Bunny addressed American immigration policy in his speech:

    “Before I say thanks to God, I’m gonna say ice out… We’re not savage, we’re not animals. We’re not aliens. We are humans and we are Americans.”
    (Bad Bunny, 01:42, 01:55)

  • Dedication to immigrants and the Puerto Rican community resonated emotionally with panelists.
• Significance for Latin Music
  • “Gone are the days of Shakira having to record in English, …something that I’ve always really loved and respected about Bad Bunny is that he’s never tried to cross over... Latin music is not just this, like, segregated genre... it is simply American music, pop music.”
    (Hazel Sills, 03:05)
  • The win marks a wider industry shift, recognizing Latin music's central role within American pop culture.

2. Kendrick Lamar’s Record-Breaking Night

• Becomes the Most Grammy-Awarded Rapper
  • Kendrick Lamar wins five Grammys, surpasses Jay-Z, and now holds 27 awards (06:01-06:30).
  • Notable wins: Record of the Year for “Luther” with SZA and Best Rap Album.
• “Luther” and Sampling Luther Vandross
  • “Of all the songs on that album, there’s something about ‘Luther’… it feels like one of the poppier songs... and maybe that’s why.”
    (Hazel Sills, 06:42)
  • Kendrick had to clear the sample with the Vandross estate under the condition “you can use the song, you can’t swear in the song.” This inadvertently boosted its commercial and radio appeal (06:56).
• Cultural Reflections and Rivalries
  • Discussion of Drake’s joked diss:

    "Kendrick just opened his mouth, somebody give him a Grammy right now. Very prophetic."
    (Rhianna Cruz, 07:59)

• The “Cher” Moment
  • Cher, after her Lifetime Achievement speech, is coaxed back onstage to award Record of the Year and humorously mispronounces “Luther Grandros.”

    “God bless Cher.” (Rhianna Cruz, 09:07)

3. Memorable & Chaotic Moments

• Performances & Flubs
  • Best New Artist Medley:
    • Alex Warren’s slip-up due to in-ear monitor failure:

      “I don’t know, I don’t like that song. And how long is he gonna be staying around?” (Hazel Sills, 10:44)

    • The Addison Rae to Cat’s Eye transition took the room by storm.

      “Everybody in the room… started screaming because everybody was so gagged.” (Rhianna Cruz, 11:45)

• Best New Artist
  • Winner: Olivia Dean, praised for her magnetism and classic “Grammys bait” hit “Man I Need” (13:14-14:21).
  • “That song is a kind of timeless hit, like, you don’t really get those very often.” (Rhianna Cruz, 13:49)

4. Performance Highlights

• Lady Gaga’s Triumphant Return
  • Wins for Best Pop Vocal Album (“Mayhem”) and Best Dance Pop Recording (“Abracadabra”), delivers a rock version of the hit (14:50-16:46).
  • “She kind of always is morphing along with the music. It’s a living creature that is constantly changing shape.”
    (Rhianna Cruz, 15:14)
  • Debate over the degree of “pared-back” versus classic, dramatic Gaga.
• Rock Aesthetics Dominate the Stage
  • Commentators note a surge of “rock star” antics even as rock is underrepresented in major categories (16:46-19:10).
  • “There was something fascinating… people sort of taking on these rock star archetypes.” (Hazel Sills, 18:36)
  • High-energy moments: Bruno Mars & BLACKPINK, Justin Bieber’s solo “Yukon” performance, the In Memoriam Ozzy Osbourne tribute led by Post Malone.

5. Speeches with Substance

• Billie Eilish’s Political Speech
  • Song of the Year win for “Wildflower”; Billie used her platform to make a pointed statement:

    “No one is illegal on stolen land.”
    (Billie Eilish, quoted by Rhianna Cruz, 19:35)

  • Panel contemplates the evolving expectation for artists to use their platform for activism.
• Other Milestones & Notables
  • Steven Spielberg completes EGOT status with his Grammy win for a John Williams documentary (22:08).
  • Aura V, age 8, becomes the youngest individually named Grammy winner (22:14).
  • Catriel y Paco Amoroso’s Tiny Desk performance becomes an award-winning album (22:56).
  • Jelly Roll earns Best Contemporary Country Album; “Jesus is for everybody” speech is highlighted (22:55).

6. In Memoriam Segment

• Multi-artist tributes covering Ozzy Osbourne, D’Angelo (with Lauryn Hill), Roberta Flack, and ending with a showstopping “Killing Me Softly” by Wyclef Jean and Lauryn Hill (23:41-24:41).
  • “That’s a lot of performance to hinge on Lauren [Hill]… But you know what? I take it all back. She showed up and was incredible.”
    (Hazel Sills, 24:10)

7. Additional Recaps

• High Theatrics from Sabrina Carpenter and Bruno Mars
  • Sabrina Carpenter’s “Man Child” highlighted for its stagecraft; Bruno Mars performed twice—a rare privilege.
• Trevor Noah’s Final Hosting Gig
  • Widely praised for his relaxed, effective handling of the night’s chaos:

    "There was this air of like, whatever, this is my last year. I’m gonna say whatever I want."
    (Rhianna Cruz, 26:17)

  • “His work keeping this show on rails is really underrated.” (Stephen Thompson, 25:24)

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• Bad Bunny’s acceptance:

  “We’re not savage, we’re not animals. We’re not aliens. We are humans and we are Americans.”
  (Bad Bunny, 01:55)

• Hazel Sills on Latin Music’s Place:

  “Latin music is not just this, like, segregated genre … it is simply American music, pop music.”
  (03:05)

• Cher’s confused announcement:

  “Oh, the garment goes to Luther Grandros.”
  (Cher, 09:07)

• Rhianna Cruz on Olivia Dean:

  “That song is a kind of timeless hit, like, you don’t really get those very often.”
  (13:49)

• Rhianna Cruz on Lady Gaga:

  “She kind of always is morphing along with the music. It’s a living creature that is constantly changing shape.”
  (15:14)

• Billie Eilish’s speech:

  “No one is illegal on stolen land.”
  (Billie Eilish, via Rhianna Cruz, 19:35)

• Jelly Roll’s country speech:

  “Jesus is for everybody. Jesus is not owned by one political party.”
  (22:56)

Segment Timestamps

| Timestamp | Content | |---------------|-------------| | 01:18–04:16 | Bad Bunny’s historic wins, speeches, and significance | | 06:01–09:14 | Kendrick Lamar’s Grammy record; “Luther,” sampling, and performances | | 09:44–12:41 | Chaotic medley moments, New Artist performances, surprises | | 13:14–14:21 | Olivia Dean’s win and performance style | | 14:50–16:46 | Lady Gaga’s awards, performance, and the “rock” theme | | 19:21–21:39 | Billie Eilish’s Song of the Year; political speech impact | | 22:08–24:41 | Milestones: Spielberg’s EGOT, youngest Grammy winner, Tiny Desk, In Memoriam tributes | | 25:04–26:53 | Sabrina Carpenter, Bruno Mars, Trevor Noah’s hosting |

Tone & Takeaways

• Energetic, Playful, Insightful:
  The discussion weaves expert industry analysis with light-hearted banter and candid opinions, capturing the immediate emotional highs, cultural significance, and lingering quirks of the Grammys telecast.
• Key Themes:
  • Historic moments for Latin and Black artists.
  • Grammys broadening their inclusivity and genre boundaries.
  • Live production, personalities, and chaotic highlights giving the show vibrance (and unpredictability).
  • Platforming for political statements and cultural dialogue.

For listeners seeking a thorough rundown, this podcast offers a smart, engaging, and at times heartfelt debrief of the standout moments from the 2026 Grammy Awards, spotlighting how televised music ceremonies continue to reflect (and shape) the currents of pop, politics, and cultural change in America.