NOTE: Each performance will receive a number grade and none other.
Host: James Corden
I enjoyed the fresh comedy from our new host James Corden. I felt as if he did a nice job and was quite active in the show. Also, the live carpool karaoke was cool, even though some of those stars didn't know the words to Sweet Caroline (especially you, Jason Derulo and Kieth Urban). Blue Ivy saved that, let's be honest here. Anyways, let's get on with it, shall we?
NOTE: These will not be in correct order, they will just be spread out randomly.
Television Premiere: Carly Rae Jepsen & Lil Yachty - It Takes Two
Comments: I understand this isn't essentially a "performance", but it was part of the show technically, and I reviewed the Target premiere of Gwen Stefani's Make Me Like You last year, so this will get the same treatment. All in all, this was a good performance, there were some minor screw-ups, but Lil Yachty's verses flowed surprisingly smoothly, and Carly Rae Jepsen's line was stuck in my head after I finished watching the show, so this is definitely something good, but I felt like the whole "grocery" aspect was kind of unfitting, so that's what brought the weird out in this.
Score: 83% (8.3) [B]
Gary Clark Jr. & William Bell - Born Under A Bad Sign
Comments: Yeah, no this wasn't good at all really. I mean, the beginning was okay, but the rest of the performance just went downhill from there. I just can't sit through these types of sleepers. I mean, I enjoy simple performances at times, but this, with just the presence of an amp and a guitar, was so utterly simple it was clear. So, no folks, this performance was nothing but a daydreaming time for me, or nightdreaming time, but I wasn't in bed. I digress.
Score: 32% (3.2) [F]
Adele - Hello
Comments: This obviously wasn't the best performance of the night, but it certainly wasn't bad at all. Hello still fails to disappoint me and this was a good way to open the show. I personally think Adele does a lot more with her music on stage, and is one of those artists whom autotune doesn't affect her voice too much. I enjoy that in an artist, and this is obviously an example of that. I really thoroughly enjoy her performances for the most part and I'm extremely glad she was one of the two artists allowed to perform twice. So, yeah, that's the thick of it, not really much else to say about it.
Score: 87% (8.7) [B+]
Pentatonix - ABC
Comments: This was one of the most unnecessary performances at the show this year. Hey, whoever lines up these performances, these people do not need to perform at every Grammy show. At this point, you're just adding them on to fill time. Fill that time with something else, or maybe just a performance that doesn't get on people's nerves. Don't get me wrong, Pentatonix are very good at what they do, its just that the performance was really not needed and their voices, dare I say it, can get old of hearing after a while. I feel, even though they are an acappella group, they need to expand their horizons a little more.
Score: 55% (5.5) [F]
Ed Sheeran - Shape Of You
Comments: I was very interested with this one. I enjoyed that Ed Sheeran did everything from the beat to the singing to the guitar on his own. His voice was good, and the beginning was a little shaky with it, but he quickly recovered. It feels like there was a lot going on at the beginning, so that could have been a factor to it. The guitar was very complimenting to the voice, and the beat sounded very cool with the whole performance. All in all, there was limited problems with this whole performance.
Score: 91% (9.1) [A-]
Kieth Urban & Carrie Underwood - The Fighter
Comments: Not really impressed. This performance was just meh. The song doesn't sound good. I just don't like hearing that repeated line over and over again from Carrie Underwood. Kieth Urban was okay. The electric lights in the background didn't even match the theme of a country song, and I feel as if country isn't country nowadays, its pop singers alternating their voices to sing in a southern-like accent.
Score: 67% (6.7) [D+]
The Weeknd/Daft Punk - Starboy/I Feel It Coming
Comments: This was very good. The opening with Starboy led us into a very cool performance of "the better song", I Feel It Coming. I really enjoyed the very cool setup for this one, and The Weeknd had limited flaws with his voice, although at one point, he did get a little shaky with it, but quickly recovered. Daft Punk did great as always. So, yeah, not really much that I had a problem with.
Score: 90% (9.0) [A-]
Lukas Graham/Kelsea Ballerini - 7 Years/Peter Pan
Comments: I really found this performance as a good one. I enjoy how they combined their two hits together to make this really cool medley that I think took a lot of preparation, and it sounded decent in the end. I think these songs are also very fitting together. I also have grown back into 7 Years since its departure from the countdown, and I've always enjoyed Peter Pan. I mean, the set up was nothing much, but I really enjoyed their presence, and it was their first time, and a pretty good start if I may add.
Score: 90% (9.0) [A-]
Metallica/Lady Gaga - Moth Into Flame
Comments: Okay, so this definitely was not the best performances of the night, but it also wasn't completely godly terrible. At the beginning, there was malfunctions with the microphone, which was a bit of a problem. I'll admit the stage setup was pretty cool and the first minute or so of the performance ran rather smoothly. I feel like Lady Gaga had much to contribute to that. After that smooth run, I feel like the performance escalated to just screams and hollers, which really degraded the final score of this one.
Score: 53% (5.3) [F]
Sturgill Simpson - All Around You
Comments: This was deathly boring. First of all, I would like to address the fact that this guy was nominated for album of the year. How in the world did that happen? I've never even heard of Sturgill Simpson. Anyways, he really isn't that good and this was one of the worst performances of the night. The guitar made me all the more drowsy and his voice isn't interesting at all. This guy didn't impress me all around. I just don't think he was that good, and I don't like performances that make me bored. So, Sturgill Simpson, jazz up your performance next time, but hopefully CBS doesn't let this guy perform again, because, yeah, I'm not going to sit through it again.
Score: 11% (1.1) (F)
John Legend/Cynthia Erivo - God Only Knows
Comments: These people know how to make a slow performance a lot more interesting. Take notes, Sturgill Simpson. The fact that this was also a tribute to deceased musical talents in the past year. Also, Grammy's, you need to take notes because you completely forgot to include Christina Grimmie in this slideshow. She may have just been starting her career, but I felt like there was need to include her. Besides all that, the performance was very well done. The piano was on point and the vocals were pretty good. I think this was the perfect choice for the slideshow of past deaths this year, so this performance was definitely worthwhile, and I enjoy these two and their voices together. Overall, a pretty good performance.
Score: 86% (8.6) [B]
Bruno Mars - That's What I Like
Comments: I enjoyed that Bruno Mars left out the performance of 24K Magic this time, as that song is really getting old. His performance really had nothing significant to it, it was just pretty good, and the dancers did a very nice job as usual. So, I don't have much to note, just that it was a pretty good performance.
Score: 88% (8.8) [B+]
Chance The Rapper/Kurt Franklin Gospel Choir - How Great/All We Got/No Problem
Comments: This wasn't as awful as I had expected it to be, but it wasn't that great either. It was kind of just decent. The beginning wasn't all that good, and the rapping was a little off. He definitely is one of those rappers who doesn't just rap about sex, drugs, and money. He raps about meaning, which I appreciate. Anyways, he moved into the choir and they complimented Chance rather nicely and I really enjoyed the ending, as it was something different, but it was just the beginning that was really the only thing that I didn't quite enjoy with this one.
Score: 78% (7.8) [C+]
Beyoncé - Love Drought/Sandcastles
Comments: This woman is a natural born performer. I thoroughly enjoyed this performance. The beginning where she's just talking feels so cryptic, and when she finally gets into the singing combined with all the choreography, it's just fantastic. I can easily see that her performances have a lot of work that go into them, and that is something I deeply respect in an artist. I really can truly see how Beyoncé's album is considered so monumental. Also, keep in mind that this performance all happened with two children inside of her. Just keep that in mind.
Score: 93% (9.3) [A]
A Tribe Called Quest/Anderson. Paak/Busta Rhymes/Consequence - Award Tour/Movin' Backwards/We The People
Comments: This was freaking ridiculous. Shut your mouth over the politics. Every show has to be political nowadays, doesn't it. Trump is your president. Get over yourselves and suck it up. I swear to god that this show made the worst mistake ever letting these people perform. Besides that point, these people also have no musical talent, and I wholly hated this performance. These rappers suck and they have no musical bone in their body. So, I should've given this a 0, but I can't give a zero, so I'll just give it a 1% because that was how awful and atrocious this was.
Score: 1% (0.1) [F]
Maren Morris/Alicia Keys - Once
Comments: This was so good! I really enjoy Maren Morris's vocals. I believe she is one of the best country artists on the radio right now. Alicia Keys was a pleasant surprise for this one, and their vocals just fit so well together. I loved the enthusiasm from both artists. Their styles may be a little different, but they really were a great match with this performance and their high notes were just on point. I would totally buy this track with both of their vocals on it.
Score: 94% (9.4) [A]
Katy Perry/Skip Marley - Chained To The Rhythm
Comments: This was spectacular throughout the whole performance. The setup was wicked cool and Katy and Skip both did great, just to sum it up. I literally was prepared to give this performance at 99% or something, until that ending. Enough with the politics! I swear, I didn't expect it in this performance either. So, due to that I am dropping its grade a few points.
Score: 92% (9.2) [A-]
Demi Lovato/Tori Kelly/Little Big Town/Andra Day - Stayin' Alive/Tragedy/How Deep Is Your Love/Night Fever (Bee Gees Tribute)
Comments: This wasn't half bad. I really enjoyed the colorful setup and how each artist performed a different song. The audience seemed to be thoroughly enjoyed by this and I really thought it was quite good. I feel like all of these artists have different styles, and I like how they all really incorporated it into one beautiful medley to show tribute to a great band, the Bee Gees.
Score: 89% (8.9) [B+]
Bruno Mars - Jungle Love/Let's Go Crazy (Prince Tribute)
Comments: He dressed the part. He sang the part. He sounded the part. Bruno Mars did a spectacular job with this performance. The beginning was very well done and his singing was on point to the song and his guitar and bass skills were on point. The only criticism I have with this was that weird intermission between the two songs with the really long instrument solo. I was wondering was it over, or was it not? That was the only thing. Everything else about this worked in perfect harmony and Prince had his wonderful tribute looking down from above.
Score: 92% (9.2) [A-]
Adele - Fastlove (George Michael Tribute)
Comments: This performance really showed me the overwhelming amount of respect I have for Adele as an artist. She really didn't want to mess up something near and dear to her heart and something near to the public's as well. I really think her choice in restarting the performance in order to get it right was the correct decision. There were still a few minor screw ups afterwards, but besides that, this was a kindhearted and good performance.
Score: 92% (9.2) [A-]
Bottom 5 Performances
1. A Tribe Called Quest/Anderson. Paak/Busta Rhymes/Consequence - Award Tour/Movin' Backwards/We The People
2. Sturgill Simspon - All Around You
3. Gary Clark Jr. & William Bell - Born Under A Bad Sign
4. Metallica/Lady Gaga - Moth Into Flame
5. Pentatonix - ABC
Top 5 Performances
1. Maren Morris/Alicia Keys - Once
2. Beyonce - Love Drought/Sandcastles
3. TIE: Katy Perry/Skip Marley - Chained To The Rhythm
3. TIE: Bruno Mars - Jungle Love/Let's Go Crazy (Prince Tribute)
3. TIE: Adele - Fastlove (George Michael Tribute)
Thanks for reading guys!
What was your favorite performance at the Grammy's? Let me know in the comments below!
Love you guys!
~ Jack :)
