2026 Grammys Recap

Summary

Pop Culture Happy Hour – 2026 Grammys Recap

Date: February 2, 2026
Host: Stephen Thompson (NPR), with guests Hazel Sills (NPR Music), Rhianna Cruz (freelance music and culture journalist)

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Episode Overview

This late-night episode dives into the standout moments, historic wins, chaotic on-air energy, and memorable performances from the 2026 Grammy Awards. Stephen Thompson, Hazel Sills, and Rhianna Cruz break down the themes and significance of this year's show, focusing on Latin music history, Kendrick Lamar’s monumental wins, show highlights and slip-ups, political moments, and what all of it means for pop culture. The recap highlights both musical milestones and the broader industry implications, all with signature PCHH wit and warmth.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Historic Wins for Bad Bunny

(02:55–06:57)

• Bad Bunny’s De Bi Tirar Mas Photos was the first Spanish-language album to ever win Album of the Year.
• He also won Best Global Music Album and Best Música Urbana Album. His acceptance speech directly addressed ICE, the immigrant experience, and Puerto Rican identity.
  • Hazel Sills: “Gone are the days of...Latin artists having to record in English, having to do these crossover moments.” (04:41)
  • Rhianna Cruz: "I'm happy to be proven right...dedicating it to people that have had to immigrate and the Puerto Rican community, like, it made me really emotional." (03:53)
• Panelists agreed this marked a shift: Latin music is core to mainstream pop, not just a segregated genre.
• Stephen Thompson connected it to the Grammys’ fraught history with inclusivity in marquee categories: “To suddenly have a Spanish language album win album of the year at the Grammys, that is a major, major breakthrough.” (05:53)
• Panelists invoked Ricky Martin’s 1999 Grammy performance as a previous “watershed” for Latin music but noted that moment carried a degree of "fetishization," now surpassed by Bad Bunny’s authentic, celebrated win (06:57, Rhianna Cruz).

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2. Kendrick Lamar Becomes the Most Awarded Rapper

(07:38–10:13)

• Kendrick Lamar won five Grammys, becoming the winningest rapper in Grammy history (27 total).
• Major awards included Record of the Year for "Luther" (with SZA), Best Rap Album for “Squabble up,” and Best Rap Song for “TV Off.”
• Discussion about "Luther": sample clearance from the Luther Vandross estate required the song to be clean—ironically boosting its radio and awards-friendliness.
  • Stephen Thompson: “That restriction ended up kind of increasing the enormous...commercial success and obviously now awards success of that song.” (08:33)
• Panelists had mixed feelings about the song selection:
  • Rhianna Cruz: “Luther comes on and I go, okay, this is the least inventive song of what we got cooking...Like, I'm a big Squabble up fan.” (09:15)
• Recap of a viral moment: Cher, presenting Record of the Year, fumbled the envelope and mumbled the winner.
  • Rhianna Cruz: “She said it with such surprise that I felt like she was like, oh, Luther’s alive.” (10:51)
  • Stephen Thompson: “It spoke to the kind of general sense of chaos that permeated a lot of the night.” (11:04)
• Panel recalled Drake’s past “prophetic” diss: “Kendrick just opened his mouth. Somebody give him a Grammy right now.” (09:36)

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3. Chaotic and Memorable Grammy Moments

(11:04–14:18)

• Favorite "chaotic" moment: Alex Warren’s slip-up in the Best New Artist medley (mic/equipment issue).
  • Hazel Sills: “I just...Out of all the artists in that Best new artist medley who performed, Alex Warren was the one that I was least looking forward to.” (11:30–12:20)
• The Best New Artist medley was a highlight for the panelists—especially the dance-forward handoff between Addison Rae and Cat's Eye.
  • Rhianna Cruz: “My favorite chaotic moment was the transition from Addison Rae into Cat's Eye...everybody was so gagged.” (13:08–13:34)
• Recognition of the medley’s energetic and eclectic nature.

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4. Best New Artist & Olivia Dean’s Rise

(14:18–15:58)

• Olivia Dean won Best New Artist and performed her massive hit "Man I Need."
  • Stephen Thompson: “This song would have won a boatload of Grammys in 1976-1986-1996-2000. That song is Grammys bait.” (15:02)
  • Hazel Sills: “She is a great performer and it's very well deserved. She's magnetic.” (15:29–15:58)

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5. Lady Gaga’s Triumphant & Thematic Night

(16:00–18:23)

• Lady Gaga won Best Pop Vocal Album (Mayhem), Best Dance Pop Recording and Best Remixed Recording (Abracadabra). She also delivered a rock-inflected live rendition of "Abracadabra."
  • Rhianna Cruz: "She kind of always is morphing along with the music. It's a living creature that is constantly changing shape." (16:47)
  • Hazel Sills: “I actually do think Lady Gaga has been too pared back...I really missed the Gaga that I grew up with...I wanted, like, a medley. I wanted, like, full old school and...” (17:28)
• Panel loved the return of Gaga’s theatricality and praised the performance's “rock opera” grandeur.

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6. “Rock is Back” Vibes – Performances Across the Night

(18:23–20:56)

• Multiple standout performances had pronounced rock energy—Bruno Mars & Blackpink, Justin Bieber’s stripped-down "Yukon," and the In Memoriam tribute to Ozzy Osbourne presided over by Post Malone.
• Hazel Sills raised questions about the Grammys' relationship to rock:
  • “Were there really rock moments or was it just, like, the aesthetics of rock?” (19:30)
• The show prioritized visual spectacle and genre-blending over strict adherence to traditional categories.

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7. Political and Social Statements from the Stage

(20:56–22:27)

• Billie Eilish won Song of the Year for "Wildflower," a quiet, introspective song. She used her speech to declare:
  • Rhianna Cruz quoting Billie Eilish: “No one is illegal on stolen land.” (21:12)
• Hazel Sills: “That is...a privilege that can come with being this person who is so lauded by the Academy...to use her platform to express these political opinions.” (21:40)
• Panel mused on the recurring question of the artist’s role in making political statements and the seeming inevitability of Billie Eilish winning major awards.

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8. Other Noteworthy Grammy Moments

(23:03–26:56)

• Steven Spielberg achieved EGOT status by winning a Grammy as a producer for a John Williams documentary.
  • “Finally that kid catches a break.” (23:47, Stephen Thompson)
• Youngest Grammy winner: Aura V, age 8, bests Blue Ivy for the new record. (23:51)
• NPR Tiny Desk achievement: Catriel y Paco Amoroso won Best Latin Rock/Alternative Album, a segment of the album is their Tiny Desk performance.
• First ever Best Contemporary Country Album awarded to Jelly Roll for Beautifully Broken. His speech: “Jesus is for everybody. Jesus is not owned by one political party.” (24:33)
• In Memoriam: Reba McEntire, Brandi Clark, Lucas Nelson, Post Malone, Ms. Lauryn Hill (with tribute to both Ozzy Osbourne and Roberta Flack), John Legend, and Chaka Khan created a lavish retrospective of late legends.
  • Rhianna Cruz: “I thought it was really great how [Lauryn Hill] brought out Wyclef John to end with killing me softly...Like, it was a moment that I didn’t necessarily foresee, but as soon as it happened, I was like, oh, oh, of course.” (25:59)

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9. Showmanship and Next Year’s Host

(26:18–27:54)

• Sabrina Carpenter impressed with high-concept staging; Bruno Mars performed twice.
  • Hazel Sills: “He'll probably be hosting next year. Like, can do whatever he wants.” (26:44)
• Next year’s host is up in the air. Trevor Noah confirmed this was his last year hosting and received strong marks from all panelists for keeping the show on track:
  • Rhianna Cruz: “...there was an air of ease that came over the telecast. He didn't really care. I'm sure he cared. But...this is my last year, I'm gonna say whatever I want.” (27:16)
  • Hazel Sills praised the balance of humor and control in a room of “self-serious” musicians.

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Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• Bad Bunny’s Win & Message
  • “We are humans, and we are Americans.” (03:36, quoting Bad Bunny’s speech)
  • “This is such an important moment in his career for him to win for an album that is so singular and pointed in its messaging and its sound.” (03:53, Rhianna Cruz)
• Kendrick Lamar’s Triumph
  • "Kendrick just opened his mouth. Somebody give him a Grammy right now. Very prophetic. A prophetic line." (09:36, Rhianna Cruz referencing Drake’s “diss”)
  • “It spoke to the kind of general sense of chaos that permeated a lot of the night.” (11:04, Stephen Thompson, about Cher’s Record of the Year presentation)
• Best New Artist Medley
  • “My favorite chaotic moment was the transition from Addison Rae into Cat's Eye...everybody was so gagged.” (13:34, Rhianna Cruz)
• Lady Gaga’s Return
  • “She kind of always is morphing along with the music. It's a living creature that is constantly changing shape.” (16:47, Rhianna Cruz)
• Billie Eilish Statement
  • “No one is illegal on stolen land.” (21:12, Billie Eilish via Rhianna Cruz)
• In Memoriam & Lauryn Hill
  • “I was being really snarky...that's a lot of performance to hinge on Lauryn [Hill]. But you know what? I take it all back. She showed up and was incredible.” (25:45, Hazel Sills)

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Segment Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment/Highlight | |--------------|---------------------------------------------------------------| | 02:54–06:57 | Bad Bunny's wins, significance, and Latin music in pop | | 07:38–10:13 | Kendrick Lamar’s historic night | | 11:21–14:18 | Chaotic show moments, Best New Artist medley | | 14:18–15:58 | Olivia Dean’s Best New Artist win, performance | | 16:00–18:23 | Lady Gaga: awards, performance, “rock is back” theme | | 18:23–20:56 | Rock energy throughout the night | | 20:56–22:27 | Billie Eilish’s Song of the Year, political speech | | 23:03–26:18 | Other notable awards, milestones, In Memoriam segment | | 26:18–27:54 | Sabrina Carpenter/Bruno Mars, talk of future hosts | | 27:54–29:40 | Reflections on Trevor Noah and closing remarks |

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Closing Thoughts

The episode brims with the sense of a transitional year: Latin and Spanish-language music gaining new legitimacy, veteran artists like Kendrick Lamar and Lady Gaga continuing to evolve, and the Grammys tentatively stepping into broader cultural conversations. With sharp, affectionate critique and just the right dose of late-night energy, the Pop Culture Happy Hour team delivers a loving—and occasionally snarky—tour through 2026’s biggest night in music.

For more of the panel’s thoughts, fan reactions, and extended pop culture chat, listeners are encouraged to share feedback on PCHH’s Facebook, and Plus subscribers get bonus access to live taping events.

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Transcript

[NPR Announcer]

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[Stephen Thompson]

We have just watched another Grammy Awards telecast and it was full of lavish performances, occasional chaos and historic wins for for Bad Bunny and Kendrick Lamar. And it was a night of speeches that reflected this moment in America. I'm Stephen Thompson. It is 1:11am and we are recapping this year's Grammys on Pop Culture Happy Hour from npr.

[NPR Announcer]

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[Stephen Thompson]

Instacart, who helps you get what you need fast. Like when the watch party at your place finally makes it out of the group chat. Suddenly you need snacks, drinks and all the things nobody planned for. With Instacart, you can get groceries and party essentials delivered. Just download the app, place your order and it shows up in as fast as 30 minutes. That way hosting feels easy and it looks like you had a plan all along. Get the Instacart app today and get game day deals. Joining me is NPR music editor Hazel Sills. Welcome, Hazel Hey. Also joining us is freelance Music and culture journalist Rhianna Cruz. Hey, Rhianna.

[Rhianna Cruz]

Happy to be here. Hey, Stephen.

[Stephen Thompson]

It is a pleasure to have you both on this late night. We have to start with Bad Bunny. His album De Bi Tirar Mas Photos took home album of the year. It is the first ever Spanish language album to do so. He also won for best Global music and best Musica Urbana album, where he made a striking speech that directly addressed ice. Before I say thanks to God, I'm gonna say ice out. He was met with resounding applause from the audience and went on to say this.

[Hazel Sills]

We're not savage, we're not animals.

[NPR Announcer]

We're not aliens.

[Stephen Thompson]

We are humans, and we are Americans. Fat Bunny notably didn't perform. He is performing at the super bowl halftime show this Sunday. So he's having a big February, to say the least, after a very, very big year. What do y' all make of these wins for Bad Bunny?

[Rhianna Cruz]

I mean, I called it the day the album came out last year. I said, this will be the next album of the year, and I'm happy to be proven right. I was really caught up emotionally watching him, you know, break down in tears when the award was announced. And him accepting the award for album of the year and dedicating it to people that have had to immigrate and the Puerto Rican community, like, it made me really emotional. And I think this is such an important moment in his career for him to win for an album that is so singular and pointed in its messaging and its sound. I was really taken aback. There was a moment there where I didn't think he was gonna win. I was like, GNX is gonna win album of the year. You know, But I'm happy it was Bad Bunny. My money was on him.

[Hazel Sills]

You know, I wasn't as sure as you were that he was gonna take this, because I think. I mean, unless you've sort of been living under a rock for the last few years, like, I mean, Bad Bunny has become one of the greatest pop stars, like, in the world, like, superstars. And I feel like his win is a really big deal for his career, personally. Like, you said Rihanna. But it's also a really big deal for the music industry, because I feel like it is a testament to how much Latin music is just pop music. Like, gone are the days of, like, you know, Shakira having to record in English, Latin artists having to record in English, having to do these crossover moments. Like, something that I've always really loved and respected about Bad Bunny is that he's never tried to cross over into the American market. HE SINGS IN SPANISH HE SINGS ABOUT Puerto Rico so intimately and personally. So it feels like, oh, this is a moment where Latin music is not just this, like, segregated genre in the music industry at large. Like, it is just simply American music, pop music.

[Stephen Thompson]

I think it's also. This is a big moment for the Grammys. You know, one year ago, we kind of convened this podcast late at night to talk about the Grammys and how they had finally given album of the year to Beyonce and how the Grammys had this long history of lavishing Beyonce with awards, but mostly shutting her out in the general categories in ways that made her music feel like it was viewed by Grammy voters as somehow niche or less than or that's this market over there. But when it came time for the general categories, it's like, no, here it's Harry Styles or Beck or, you know, don't remind me. Or any number of people who have beaten Beyonce for album of the year. Latin music has kind of been somewhat in the same boat. It has these categories. It has a huge audience. Un Verano Sinti was nominated for album of the year. You know, Bad Bunny has been represented in this category before. But to suddenly have a Spanish language album win album of the year at the Grammys, that is a major, major breakthrough.

[Rhianna Cruz]

Totally. And I think in the context of the Grammys, I think of like, when Ricky perform La Copa de la Vida at the Grammys in 1999. Right. And that was seen as like a watershed moment for Latin music. But when you watch the performance, there's this element of, like, fetishization towards Latin music and culture in that performance. And to look at that and look, you know, at Bad Bunny winning for a Spanish language record, like, that's really remarkable. And it makes me excited, quite frankly, for the direction the Academy is going with their album of the year picks between California Carter last year and Debit this year.

[Stephen Thompson]

So as we mentioned, Bad Bunny is performing at the super bowl halftime show next weekend. The big super bowl halftime show performer of last year also had a big night at the Grammys. This year, Kendrick Lamar surpasses Jay Z to become the Grammy winningest rapper of all time. Kendrick Lamar won five Grammys tonight, bringing his total to 27, including Record of the Year for Luther with SZA. What'd you all think? Kendrick Lamar's night.

[Hazel Sills]

I mean, I'm thrilled for him, I have to say. I'm still a little surprised by how popular Luther is or has become. I just didn't.

[Rhianna Cruz]

I agree with you.

[Stephen Thompson]

Oh, are you surprised that song is so great?

[Hazel Sills]

I'm not saying it's not great. I'm just saying that of all the songs on that album, like, there's just something about Luther that it feels like one of the poppier songs on the album. And maybe actually, now that I'm saying this, I'm like, maybe that's why.

[Stephen Thompson]

That speaks to why I thought it was interesting. When Kendrick was accepting the Grammy and he thanked the estate of Luther Vandross, he had to clear that sample to do the song and basically was told, you can use the song, you can't swear in the song. And I think that's part of what makes that song so enormously radio friendly. That, like, that restriction ended up kind of increasing the enormous kind of commercial success and obviously now awards success of that song.

[Rhianna Cruz]

I was never a fan of Luther as a song, so I love it. It's the fact that I live in Los Angeles and I turn on the radio and I hear every other track from that album.

[Stephen Thompson]

Sure.

[Rhianna Cruz]

And then Luther comes on and I go, okay, this is the least inventive song of what we got cooking. You know, Like, I'm a big Squabble up fan.

[Stephen Thompson]

Sure. I mean, I love that song too.

[Rhianna Cruz]

Right. Like, him winning Best Rap album was solely for Squabble up to me. Shout out Debbie Deb on that sample.

[Stephen Thompson]

But anyway, TV off won Best Rap Song.

[Rhianna Cruz]

Yeah. And when Lefty Gunplay went up to accept the award, I heard the strongest LA accent I've ever heard in my life, and I was very happy to hear that. I'm happy he picked up awards tonight. Him meaning Kendrick Lamar. I think of when Drake was trying to diss him and said, Kendrick just opened his mouth. Somebody give him a Grammy right now. Very prophetic. A prophetic line.

[Hazel Sills]

Also not that big of a burn, like.

[Rhianna Cruz]

No, not at all.

[Hazel Sills]

I'm like, what are you saying there?

[Rhianna Cruz]

I put diss in quotes. You know, Drake intended it to be a diss, but it really was, like, history in the making. Yeah.

[Stephen Thompson]

Certainly not the meanest thing that was said between those two men.

[Rhianna Cruz]

No, not at all.

[Stephen Thompson]

Speaking of Luther Vandross and Kendrick Lamar, when Record of the Year was handed out, we should note that the award was handed out by Cher. So Cher was winning a lifetime achievement award, but they also wanted her to hand out the Record of the Year trophy. So she kind of gives her speech about her lifetime in music and then sort of wanders off stage and they have to kind of call her back on stage to give out Record of the year. And when she opens the envelope, this happens.

[Rhianna Cruz]

Oh, the garment goes to Luther Grandros. God bless Cher.

[Hazel Sills]

She kind of mumbled it in a way where I was like, is that what she said? I was like, what are you saying? But yes, she definitely said that.

[Rhianna Cruz]

She said it with such surprise that I felt like she was like, oh, Luther's alive.

[Stephen Thompson]

I feel like he died a while ago.

[Rhianna Cruz]

Right. Like she was actually caught off guard when she was saying it. It was very charming. I love Cher.

[Stephen Thompson]

I think it spoke to the kind of general sense of chaos that permeated a lot of the night. It permeated some of which we'll get to in a moment. It permeated some of the speeches, which were often very passionate in a lot of different ways. Did you have a favorite chaotic moment on the night?

[Hazel Sills]

I think my favorite chaotic moment of the night was when Alex Warren kind of slipped up during his.

[Stephen Thompson]

I think his in ear monitor kind of failed him.

[Hazel Sills]

Yeah, kind of failed him. And this is coming from a very petty place because, you know, Steven, I edit your charts column every week. We are very well acquainted with the song Ordinary by Alex Warren, former TV Talker I've heard. Yes. Yeah, we've heard it. We've heard it once or twice. And I just. Out of all the artists in that Best new artist medley who performed? Alex Warren was the one that I was least looking forward to. And so, you know, and I think also when we have these artists who kind of start out their careers online or sort of become very famous through TikTok, the biggest question in my mind is like, well, how well can they perform in these settings? And so when he slipped up a bit, this is so mean of me. Even as a.

[Stephen Thompson]

That is so mean.

[Hazel Sills]

I'm sorry he picked it up, but I was just like, I don't know. I don't like that song. And how long is he going to be staying around? I don't know.

[Rhianna Cruz]

I don't like that song for what it did to like Weddings and Love Is Blind. Like, it really, like it changed the culture in a negative way because Love.

[Hazel Sills]

Is Blind is such a pure cultural phenomenon that it can't be tainted.

[Stephen Thompson]

He sullied it.

[Rhianna Cruz]

Yeah, I do. To say my favorite chaotic moment was also in the best new artist medley, which personally was the highlight of the night for me. I got to say, I think it was an incredible crop of nominees. Quite frankly, I was really wowed by most of them. Even the people that I didn't really like, like somber, like I was watching his performance and I Was like, oh, okay, I get it.

[Stephen Thompson]

There was great energy in that. I like that kid.

[Rhianna Cruz]

When he came down in the like disco ball suit and everybody in the room was like, you know what he's kind of wearing that. I was like, exact. Exactly. I understood. But my favorite chaotic moment was the transition from Addison Rae into Cat's Eye. Oh God. Where everybody in the room that I was in started screaming. Cause everybody was so gagged.

[Stephen Thompson]

I mean, those were two very dance forward performances.

[Rhianna Cruz]

Totally. Lots of choreo. And I love Cat's Eye. Do I think they're very good? No. But like, can they do no wrong? Absolutely.

[Stephen Thompson]

So yeah, their songs are very catchy.

[Rhianna Cruz]

Right. And I was really enthralled by them and I love their performance and I thought it was just quite remarkable to see artists like Addison Rae and Cat's Eye have the Grammy stage. Because it felt so surreal to watch that, you know, to watch Addison Rae perform Fame as a Gun. I was like, wow. Like this feels like it can't be real.

[Hazel Sills]

You know.

[Rhianna Cruz]

And I think that like surreal chaos was my favorite moment of the night.

[Stephen Thompson]

Well, I'm glad that you guys both kind of ended up picking something from the best new artist medley. Cause I did want to mention the winner of best new artist. I mean, this was a crop of very, very successful, kind of current charting artists. They really managed to pick, as you kind of indicated, Rihanna, a real cross section of strong talent. Leon Thomas was in there. I mean, Lola Young was in there. She ended up winning best pop solo performance for Messi later in the. But the winner of best new artist, which I think we all saw coming, right?

[Rhianna Cruz]

Yeah, totally.

[Stephen Thompson]

Was Olivia Deen. And Olivia Dean performed Man I Need, which is one of the biggest hits in the world right now.

[Rhianna Cruz]

Just call me the man I need. Tell me you got something to give.

[Stephen Thompson]

You're gonna see Olivia Deen at the Grammys a lot more. And one thing that I said to Hazel over slack as she was performing was this song would have won a boatload of Grammys in 1976-1986-1996-2000. That song is Grammys bait. That could have come from any of the last 50 years.

[Rhianna Cruz]

It's a kind of timeless hit. Like you don't really get those very often.

[Hazel Sills]

Yeah, I'm not even like the biggest Olivia fan, but I know that she can perform. And seeing her perform especially stacked up against all those other artists, like as soon as she came on the screen, I was like, it's just. It's her like the energy that she's bringing aside from the kind of like, retro soul sound, like she's just kind of like a ray. And you know what? Whatever I feel about her music, she is a great performer and it's very well deserved.

[Stephen Thompson]

She's magnetic. She's magnetic.

[Rhianna Cruz]

Yeah.

[Stephen Thompson]

And again, not surprising that she took this category at all. Now, Rihanna. When I think of Rihanna Cruz.

[Rhianna Cruz]

Oh, no. What's coming, Steven?

[Stephen Thompson]

The word cloud that forms around my dear friend Rihanna Cruz. Probably the biggest word that pops up is like, either it's Lady Gaga or Little monster.

[Rhianna Cruz]

Absolutely. I'm wearing a Lady Gaga shirt right now. Steven.

[Stephen Thompson]

You are one of my favorite little monsters.

[Rhianna Cruz]

Thank you. That's an honor.

[Stephen Thompson]

She had a big night. She won best pop vocal album for Mayhem. She won best dance pop recording for Abracadabra, which also won a best remixed recording. And she performed a rock version of Abracadabra that felt like one of the big, brash live highlights of the night.

[Hazel Sills]

Abracadabra.

[Rhianna Cruz]

Abba Horna.

[Stephen Thompson]

Now Abraham.

[Rhianna Cruz]

Yeah, I really enjoyed that performance. No surprise there. She kind of always is morphing along with the music. It's a living creature that is constantly changing shape. And that's what I really enjoyed about this performance, is that Gaga is very clearly comfortable in the rock avenue. The performance was great. I was enthralled. I loved it. And it felt very pared back, you know, comparatively to other Gaga performances.

[Hazel Sills]

I was gonna say I didn't get paired.

[Stephen Thompson]

I was gonna say to other Gaga.

[Rhianna Cruz]

Performances, it's not spare. No. I think when she came in in the egg, you know, you remember the egg Gaga performance, things like that, it was pared back, comparatively speaking.

[Hazel Sills]

True. I actually think Lady Gaga's performance was my favorite performance of the night. Her performance was the one that I was looking forward to the most because I actually do think Lady Gaga has been too pared back. Like, most of the times I've seen her, especially at the Grammys, like, don't even get me started on that Die With a Smile version that she did with Bruno last year. And, you know, she's been working on her and she's been doing her work with the late Tony Bennett. And I really missed, like, the Gaga, you know, that I grew up with the, like, glam goth, like, Dancy Gaga. And I feel like we really got her in this performance. And I loved Mayhem. I honestly could have done with more mayhem. I wanted, like, a medley. I wanted, like, full old school and. But I think that what she gave us was just so dramatic and rock opera y and I loved.

[Stephen Thompson]

Well, and it was part of a larger theme I felt on the night when it comes to the performances is I felt like there were big, like, Rock is Back vibes that kind of came up quite a few times over the course of the night. The entire telecast opened with speaking of Bruno Mars. Bruno Mars. And from Blackpink, they had that song A Pate, which was like a massive, massive hit. It was nominated for song and record of the year, but they, like turned it into a strobe, robe lit rock spectacle. Right. Even like Justin Bieber playing Yukon. It's like him and his boxers shirtless with an electric guitar. And he's got a loop pedal, but then he loops one riff. And usually you kind of layer those riffs, but okay. Throughout the night, there was a lot of rock energy. We'll talk about the In Memoriam in a moment, but the In Memoriam segment, the tribute to Ozzy Osbourne, kind of presided over by Post Malone that had kind of that big guitar smashing. There were more rock moments in these performances than there were rock records nominated for major Grammys.

[Hazel Sills]

Yeah, it's like part of me is like, oh, you know, were there really rock moments or was it just like the aesthetics of rock?

[NPR Announcer]

Right.

[Hazel Sills]

Because it's, you know, the Grammys has a really weird relationship to rock music. I feel like every year I look at the rock categories, the alternative music categories, and they so out of step with the great rock music, especially like, indie rock music that's out these days. And, you know, the rock categories haven't been televised, you know, during the official broadcast in, you know, years, which really speaks to, you know, rock's status in popular music these days. But, yeah, there was something really fascinating to me about, you know, all those moments that you mentioned, Steven, of, you know, people sort of taking on these, like, rock star archetypes. I think Bieber was the most fascinating to me where, you know, Swag was an album that obviously sort of took Justin Bieber's sound and gave it this kind of folky indie rock sound. He worked with all these great producers like Dijon, but then he just chose to go solo, like get up on stage and just sort of do this weird kind of bedroom reenactment.

[Stephen Thompson]

Who needs all these brilliant collaborators like McGee when you can just have the.

[Hazel Sills]

Same beat when you can pretend to be McGee.

[Rhianna Cruz]

Right?

[Stephen Thompson]

Yeah, exactly.

[Hazel Sills]

But, yeah, it's like, you know, what is it about this year that we have all of these artists who are kind of play acting, being rock stars in a way?

[Stephen Thompson]

I don't know, so in Song of the Year, it ended up being a little bit of a surprise. Billie Eilish ended up winning for Wildflower. She co wrote that. And then when it came time to give her speech, she ended up touching on immigration.

[Rhianna Cruz]

No one is illegal on stolen land.

[Stephen Thompson]

And it was such an interesting mix, right, of, like, the surprise of that song winning. That song is a very tender, very quiet, very kind of contemplative song. But then the speech ended up giving that moment this kind of explosive feel.

[Hazel Sills]

Yeah, explosive feel. And I also think, you know, Billie is an artist who has won so many times.

[Stephen Thompson]

So many times.

[Rhianna Cruz]

Yeah.

[Hazel Sills]

She's 24, Grammy darling, Academy Award darling at this point, like an awards darling. And, you know, I felt in that moment when she got up there and she made that speech, artists, do we want them to make political statements when they give speeches? Like, how much do we expect of artists? But I think, you know, for her, I just felt this moment of like, okay, she's been here so many times, like, what new thing is she gonna say about getting an award? And I saw her, you know, use her platform to express these political opinions. And I feel like that is, you know, a privilege that can come with being this person who is so lauded by the Academy and, you know, is so used to coming up on stage so many times to accept these awards. So that was. That was interesting to me that she took that moment to say those things.

[Rhianna Cruz]

And I also think Wildflower is objectively a good song. You know, I'm not mad that it won. I don't really, you know, enjoy Billie Eilish. I wouldn't consider myself a fan, but, like, that is a song that I think is really well crafted and in terms of songwriting is kind of infallible. So I'm not. Not super surprised that it won. I think it went to one of the best songs in that category. And I don't know, I feel like maybe the Grammys also, like, engineers categories so Billie Eilish could win. You know, there's a conspiracy afoot somewhere.

[Stephen Thompson]

I started the Song of the year category decades before Billy. Ish.

[Rhianna Cruz]

No, I'm saying, like, why is Wildflower in this category, even though it was on Hit Me Hard and Soft, which was in last year's cycle? Riddle me that. Grammys. I demand answers that what you got.

[Stephen Thompson]

There is Good question.

[Rhianna Cruz]

Exactly.

[Stephen Thompson]

I wanted to run through a few kind of milestone moments, not necessarily the headlining record of the year album of the year moments, but they are fairly significant in their own right. Y' all can Shout your reactions if you want, but I just wanted to tick them off. Steven Spielberg was one of like umpteen people who ended up winning a Grammy for a John Williams documentary. You know, he was one of the producers on. Steven Spielberg now has an egot, so we've got an egot to check off.

[Hazel Sills]

I'm thrilled for him.

[Rhianna Cruz]

Let's go Big Steve.

[Stephen Thompson]

Finally that kid catches a break.

[Hazel Sills]

He really needed it. He really needed recognition.

[Stephen Thompson]

He did. We now have the youngest individually named Grammy winner, Fuch and Aura V. Aura V is 8 years old and she beats out a grizzled industry veteran by the name of Blue Ivy Cold. So there was an eight year old Grammy winner.

[Rhianna Cruz]

Awesome.

[Stephen Thompson]

Also, they were involved. This was during the day in one of the most charming speeches you'll ever see. Look it up. The Tiny desk. The NPR tiny desk made a showing at the Grammys. Catriel y Paco Amoroso won for best Latin rock or alternative album. And a big chunk of that album Popota is their tiny desk performance. So that's a little milestone for our colleagues.

[NPR Announcer]

Crazy.

[Stephen Thompson]

For the first time they gave out an award for best Contemporary country album. They kind of split country into contemporary and traditional. The award for best Contemporary country album was won by Beautifully Broken by the artist Jelly Roll, who gave a impassioned speech. Jesus is for everybody. Jesus is not owned by one political party. One other thing I wanted to touch on briefly was the In Memoriam segment where they had, unfortunately, as always, a lot of ground to cover. You had Reba McEntire, Brandi Clark and Lucas Nelson kind of kicking it off with kind of a survey of a lot of the people who had died. Then you had these tributes to. First it was Ozzy Osbourne, which we kind of already mentioned. Then you had a really lavish D' Angelo tribute that Ms. Lauryn Hill kind of presided over with a bunch of guests that segued, complete with Ms. Lauryn Hill into Roberta Flack. As it went along, it felt like it got more chaotic, but there were so many kind of legends on stage at the same time. It was. You couldn't turn up your nose at all that spectacle.

[Rhianna Cruz]

Yeah.

[Hazel Sills]

John Legend and Chaka Khan especially, which came at like the kind of tail end of that enormous performance. Yeah.

[Stephen Thompson]

At one point they're like, here's Chaka Khan. And you're like, what?

[Hazel Sills]

Wait. Yeah. I was thrilled that Lauryn Hill made. I was being really snarky. I was being really snarky. And I was like, that's a lot of performance to hinge on Lauren. But you know what? I take it all back. She showed up and was incredible.

[Rhianna Cruz]

I thought it was really great how she brought out Wyclef John to end with killing me softly Killing me softly Killing me softly. Like, it was a moment that I didn't necessarily foresee, but as soon as it happened, I was like, oh, oh, of course. This is the end point. Right? This is where we're ending up.

[Stephen Thompson]

Yeah. And I mean, those were just some of the kind of standout performances over the course of the night. But we haven't even mentioned Sabrina Carpenter, who just has really come to put on these enormously high production, high concept stage shows. She's so theatrical and so funny. She did man child with like an airplane. And then Bruno Mars, he performed twice. He performed twice.

[Rhianna Cruz]

Nobody else gets to perform twice.

[Hazel Sills]

He can do whatever he want. He'll probably be hosting next year. Like, can do whatever he wants.

[Rhianna Cruz]

I'm here for it.

[Stephen Thompson]

You can't host and win eight Grammys.

[Rhianna Cruz]

Okay.

[Hazel Sills]

But if anyone can do it, that's what's gonna happen. Don't you think it would be Bruno Mars?

[Rhianna Cruz]

That's real.

[Hazel Sills]

If anyone tonight could have done it, actually, Sabrina wouldn't be a bad host and performer.

[Stephen Thompson]

I would love that. And of course, we're talking about who's gonna host next year, because Trevor Noah has said this is his last year hosting. He manages to stay kind of under the radar as the host, but I think his work keeping this show on rails is really underrated.

[Rhianna Cruz]

I thought this was his best hosting job in years, quite frankly. I think, like, in past years, I feel like he has a tendency to let jokes go on a little bit too long. I think he has a tendency for things to fall flat. You know, he's kind of like a groaner when you watch it and you're like, ugh, okay. You know, this year, I think he was really on track. He was funny, he was keeping up the banter. And I think because it was his last year, there was an air of ease that came over the telecast. You know, like, he didn't really care. I'm sure he cared. But, you know, there was this air of like, whatever, this is my last year, I'm gonna say whatever I want. I'm gonna do whatever I want. And it felt very easygoing.

[Hazel Sills]

Yeah. Musicians are, I don't know, compared to, like, the academy awards or the globes, musicians are very self serious. And I feel like Trevor Noah, like Steven, to your point, about, like, controlling the ceremony, I think, like, also just making it funny and making it fun is also kind of hard. And I I don't know, Trevor's bit with Bad Bunny the whole night about trying to get him to sing but she legally could not perform because of the super bowl duties. Really funny to me.

[Stephen Thompson]

I agree. I thought he did a very nice job and I have appreciated his efforts. Hosting awards shows is really hard. Yeah. And I think he has done a very nice job. Well, we could not possibly get to everything that happened over the course of this umpteen hour telecast, but we want to know what you think about this year's Grammys. Find us on [e-mail] PCHH One last thing before we go. We are pulling back the curtain and letting Pop Culture Happy Hour plus supporters sit in virtually on a live episode taping. They'll get to see how the show is made and experience this episode before everyone else. We're going to be talking about something Oscars related, one of our favorite topics. This is going to happen over Zoom on Friday, February 13th at 3pm Eastern Noon Pacific. If you are not a plus supporter yet, go to plus.npr.org happy again. That's plus.npr.org happy if if you're already a plus supporter, thank you so much. Scroll back in your feed to January 22nd to learn how to register for the taping. That brings us to the end of our show. Rhianna Cruz, Hazel Sills, thank you so much for staying late and being here.

[Hazel Sills]

Thank you.

[Rhianna Cruz]

Thanks for having us, Steven.

[Stephen Thompson]

Such a pleasure to have you both. This episode was produced by Carly Rubin and Mike Katsif and edited by our showrunner, Jessica Reedy. Hello, Come in provider. Our theme music. Thank you for listening to Pop Culture Happy Hour from npr. I'm Stephen Thompson and we will see you all tomorrow.

[NPR Announcer]

President Trump says he wants to make.

[Hazel Sills]

America skilled again, but tradeswomen worry that his crackdown on DEI will undo decades of progress.

[Stephen Thompson]

You cannot look at the workforce of the construction trades and say they've taken DEI too far this weekend on the.

[Hazel Sills]

Sunday Store story, what role is there for women in the skilled trades renaissance?

[NPR Announcer]

Listen now to the Sunday story on.

[Hazel Sills]

The up first podcast from npr.

[Stephen Thompson]

It is hard to get a house. Getting that down payment together, brutal. You shipped off to Djibouti to afford a down payment for a house? Yes, sir, 100% on planet money, the high price of housing, what the Trump administration is trying to do about it and will it listen on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts?

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I'm Mary Louise Kelly.

[Hazel Sills]

World News is Changing by the hour.

[Rhianna Cruz]

On Sources and methods, NPR's national security podcast. We zoom out to explain shifting alliances, global flashpoints, and what's really happening in places like Iran, Venezuela, Greenland. Our reporters on the ground connect the dots to help you understand a world order changing beneath our feet. Listen to Sources and Methods on the.

[Hazel Sills]

NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts.