The Best Of Grammys 2021 — The Most Inspiring Red Carpet Looks And Performances

We’ve been looking forward to the 63rd annual Grammy Awards ever since the Recording Academy announced the epic list of performers last week. And well, it’s finally here, with a whole host of performances from Dua Lipa, Cardi B, Megan Thee Stallion, Harry Styles, BTS, and more. While the attendees still put on their best glitz and glamour for the show, you’ll notice that this year’s Grammys, held in Los Angeles, looks a lot different from last year’s. Hosted by Trevor Noah, there was no live audience for the on-stage performances, for instance, while some segments of the show were pre-recorded. Winners also accepted their awards on a smaller, outdoor stage. Still, the show must go on — and we’re thankful that it did, post-covid world measures or not. Here are the most noteworthy sartorial and history-making moments from music’s biggest night.

1. Dua Lipa

We won’t be walking away from this perfection any time soon — both the woman / our current girl crush and the sparkly beaded Atelier Versace gown she had on for the red carpet event. Riding high on what’s been an amazing year for Dua Lipa, the British singer then went on to win the award for “Best Pop Vocal Album”, for disco-pop masterpiece Future Nostalgia. As for her performance during the live show, it’s one you should definitely care about; with two of her certified bangers, “Levitating” and “Don’t Start Now”, Lipa lit the stage with a poppin’ disco aesthetic and pop star-worthy choreography to match.

2. Harry Styles

That’s the look of a winner alright. Former One Direction member and fully legitimate solo artist in his own right, this year, Harry Styles beat some of the most popular pop acts to snag the award for “Best Pop Solo Performance”. He also arrived to the event in style, continuing his affinity for 70s suits with a yellow plaid Gucci number and an eye-catching purple boa, proving that he’s once again, ahead of the curve, haters be damned. On stage, he too had the distinction of opening the Grammys with the feel-good song “Watermelon Sugar”, where we saw him he put on his best rockstar ‘fit, of a black leather suit minus the shirt, and another distinct feather boa.

3. Megan Thee Stallion

There are bows in this house. Megan Thee Stallion served up a savage look with a bright orange gown that featured an oversized bow at the back, complete with a thigh-high slit. And that was before she even knew what a monumental night it was going to be — the rap artist went on to win the coveted “Best New Artist” award, as well as “Best Rap Song”, where she accepted the award with the one and only Beyoncé. Just before sharing the stage with Cardi B, she also performed an impressive medley of “Body” and that viral Tik Tok hit, “Savage”, in what looked like a stage-turned-swanky nightclub. Who’s bougie now?

4. Cardi B

Enter: WAP. Ever the provocateur, Cardi first dominated the stage with her latest single “Up”, dressed like a metallic fembot, before both her and Megan Thee Stallion performed a racy rendition of “WAP”, set to an aesthetic of one giant stripper heel and pole dancers, naturally. To dial up the song’s suggestive innuendo, especially since this marked their first impressive medley of the hit, the rappers also prowled about on a larger-than-life bed, with a choreography that showcased their most daring dance moves yet.

https://twitter.com/cardibnet/status/1371285918150189061

5. Beyoncé

6. Billie Eilish

Billie Eilish is always a mood, especially so in head-to-toe Gucci and a matching face mask, though with her signature bright green hair slightly obscured with a bucket hat of the same chaotic print. While it’s hard to beat her epic sweep of four big awards during last year’s Grammys, she and her brother Finneas clinched the award for “Record of the Year”. The 19-year-old artist also delivered a haunting performance of the now award-winning song “everything i wanted”, which echoed the dark aesthetic of her music video.

7. Taylor Swift

“Florals for Spring” has got to be Taylor Swift’s inspiration for her Grammys outfit this year, where she rocked up in a full-fledged, florals-embellished Oscar de la Renta gown. While she didn’t win all six of the awards she got nominated for, Swifties around the world still delighted in her “Album of the Year” win, which honours the singer’s natural songwriting talent — and, mind you, now makes her the first-ever female artist to win that award three times. Never one to disappoint, Taylor also performed a medley of “cardigan”, “august” and “willow” from her two 2020 albums (yes, she puts us to shame), folklore and evermore.

8. BTS

We call this “Life Goes On” meets Grammys red carpet, as the K-pop idols managed to nail both formal wear and comfort attire at the same time. They definitely cleaned up good for their all-important showing, looking swoon-worthy in coordinated Louis Vuitton looks that ranged from a classic pinstriped suit worn by a very spiffy Jimin, to RM’s camel-toned hoodie-blazer. After all, the 2021 Grammys marked the first time the group has been nominated for a golden gramophone, though they eventually lost out to “Rain On Me” by Lady Gaga  and Ariana Grande in the “Best Pop Duo/Group Performance” category. That said, their mere appearance at the award show is already a win; BTS is the first K-pop act to earn a Grammy nomination, and the first K-pop act to perform their own music on the Grammys stage. This brings us to the electrifying performance of the boyband’s first English-language single “Dynamite”, where they showcased plenty of charisma and dancing chops against the Seoul skyline. BTS really be “shining through the city with a little funk and soul” this time.

stay tuned as we update this article with performances from official sources.