Grammys 2017: From Girl Power To Womanhood To Resistance, Six Moments From Last Night That Inspired Us
In case you missed the Grammys, Cady Heron broke her Spring Fling crown and handed it to Beyonce…wait. Let’s start over.
In case you missed the Grammys, Adele broke her album of the year award and handed the pieces to Beyonce, saying she couldn’t accept the award because Beyonce is everything…oh fiddlesticks.
Okay, well, let’s just say that the Grammys were a lot of everything last night. But mostly, there was a lot of girl power and a lot of women (and men) who created some politically packed, powerhouse performances. Below we’ve listed our top six moments where women shined.
#6. Lady Gaga
One week ago, Lady Gaga was dealing with body shamers post Super Bowl, who were coming down on her for her ummm…”belly fat.”
To top off an already excellent response to the haters, Gaga went next-level for Sunday’s ceremony, pulling off an outfit that shows off her extremely fit physique. And since looks aren’t everything, she gave another amazing power-packed performance with Metallica (because why not show off you’re that incredibly musically versatile?). Not only did she do it all, she did it in spite of a huge technical flop in which lead singer James Hetfield’s microphone was not working. And I don’t see any comments trending about how out of shape those guys have gotten…just saying haters.
#5. Schoolboy Q
In 2015 when he was nominated for his first award at the big show, Schoolboy Q declined to go altogether. As of last Thursday, he still wasn’t sure if he was going to go. But in an interview with Zane Lowe, Schoolboy Q hinted that, “if my daughter wants to go, I may go. I’m not a suit kind of person, not a mingling (type). “
But when the big night rolled around, rapper Schoolboy Q suited up in a bright pink hoodie with the words, “Girl Power.”
In the wake of this year’s women’s protest and ongoing conservative threats to take away women’s reproductive rights, it was a nod to women everywhere – including the pink clad, gucci-wearing pre-teen daughter at his side.
#4. Solange
Last night belonged to the house of Knowles. Sisterhood, motherhood, daughterhood, womanhood, were all represented through the incredible women within Beyonce’s family. But the night started with Solange Knowles – Beyonce’s sister – picking up her first Grammy win. Solange’s single, “Cranes in the Sky” appears on her album A Seat At The Table and resonates themes of Black political strife and self care.
In an interview with Vibe, Solange stated, “I think that visual art in all aspects are important to me, from videos to artwork, creating strong visual representation, not just for myself but for Black women. [I want] people to see us as avant-garde in a world that sometimes puts us in a box.”
Thank you for your well wishes. Gratitude.
If I would’ve gotten to accept this, I would’ve said black girls/women ARE grammys mothafuckaaaa pic.twitter.com/Pm1LncrIAo
— solange knowles (@solangeknowles) February 13, 2017
#3. Katy Perry
Perry was a billboard for resistance last night. The fervent Hillary supporter dressed in a pantsuit, was clad in the suffragette’s color of white, and done a white arm band that read, “persist.” The word was made famous on twitter last week (i.e. #ShePersisted) after a Senate floor scandal, in which Senator Elizabeth Warren was silenced by fellow Senator Mitch McConnell who said that, “She was warned. She was given an explanation. Nevertheless, she persisted.”
Perry’s performance of her newly released single, “Chained to the Rhythm” is part of a new ‘era’ she calls purposeful pop. The song carries themes of political awakenings and protests. The end of her performance – which included a cameo with Bob Marley’s grandson – finished with the words “We The People” projected onto the stage. Perry ended the song with by screaming, “No Hate.”
#2. Adele
Adele took home five Grammys last night, including album of the year. Although Adele’s album was amazing, it was her nod to Beyonce’s deserving of the latter that ended up being the distinguishing factor of the night.
“I can’t possibly accept this award,” Adele said during her the Album of the Year speech through tears. “The Lemonade album was just so monumental, Beyoncé. It was so monumental and well thought-out and beautiful and soul-bearing… we appreciate that. All of us artists here adore you. You are our light.”
We know.
In the end, Adele broke her award in two to extend a piece to Beyonce. This moment was not captured by the TV cameras but there are still photos of the moment. Adele further shared words of solidarity that echoed through the minds of all watching, “What the f**k does she have to do to win album of the year?”
We know.
#1. Beyonce
Let this sink in: Beyonce has not won album of the year for any of the albums she has ever created. The 2017 Grammys was no exception.
Whats more, the only Black female artist who has ever taken home album of the year was Lauryn Hill…back in 1999. If you’re thinking its time for the hashtag #GrammysSoWhite to start trending, then yes (and for the record, Frank Ocean – who withdrew his name from this year’s award show – was way ahead of you on that one).
But when you get served lemons, you make lemonade. And if you haven’t seen her time-stopping performance (do so now), Beyonce did just that. The Queen of music irrevocably stole the entire Grammy performance, with an artistic, intelligent and poised rendition of some of her best works from the Lemonade album. She flawlessly sang true to activist themes, motherhood, and the beauty of Black bodies, minds, and culture.
During the performance, which included the songs “Love Drought” and “Sand Castles, Beyonce proved again that she, as NBC so accurately put it, “found a way of affirming and loving herself. She did so unapologetically for the world to see.”
That is how you win.
