Harry Styles.Photo: Rich Fury/MSG Entertainment
Music’s biggest night is just around the corner, and these stars have come fully prepared.
On Feb. 5, some of the world’s best-selling artists will come together to celebrate music at the2023 Grammy Awardsbut for many of them, Sunday is the cherry on top of an already exciting year.
FromHarry Stylesselling out 15 nights at Madison Square Garden toMary J. BligeandKendrick Lamarjoining forces for the 2022 Super Bowl Halftime Show, here’s a look back at some of this year’s nominees' biggest performances of 2022.
Harry Styles at Madison Square Garden
Harry Styleshad a banner year — literally — and at the 2023 Grammys, the 29-year-old star is up for six awards.
Over the summer, Stylessold out a 15-night residencyat New York City’s Madison Square Garden, transforming the arena each night into “Harry’s House” — a nod to his most recent album.
The residency began on Aug. 20 — with a few nights off to fulfill promotional obligations forDon’t Worry DarlingandMy Policeman— and closed out on Sept. 21 with a banner marking the milestone that now hangs in the rafters alongside similar ones for Billy Joel and Phish.
In response, a clearly stunned and emotional Styles addressed the crowd.
“I just want to say from the bottom of my heart to each and every single one of you who came tonight… That’s insane,” he said, interrupting his own train of thought to comment on the banner. “To all of you who bought a ticket, thank you so, so much for your support. Things like this don’t happen to people like me very often … and I just want to thank you all. You’ve changed my life each and every single one of you thank you so, so much.”
Styles then stopped and said a stunned, “S—,” before telling the crowd that he would “come back here when everyone’s gone and just sit and look at that for a while.”
Ahead of Sunday’s award ceremony, where Styles willalso be performing, the singer rounded out his 15-night residency at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles after postponing three dates in November due to the flu.
On Jan. 31 and Feb. 1 — which was also Styles' 29th birthday — he brought his Harry’s House show to the Acrisure Arena in Palms Springs.
Beyoncé in Dubai
Kevin Mazur/Getty for Atlantis The Royal
After nearly four years, Beyoncé made her return to the stage in a big way.
On Jan. 21, Beyoncéperformed an hour-long setat the newAtlantis The Royal Resortin Dubai. The last time she had taken the stage for a full performance was back in 2018 when she and husband JAY-Z appeared at the Global Citizen Festival: Mandela 100 event.
The 28-time Grammy award winner, who is up forninemore awards at this year’s ceremony, took the audience through her extensive catalog, performing songs like “Crazy in Love,” “Beautiful Liar” and “Naughty Girl,” as well as more recent tunes including “Freedom,” “Spirit” and “Be Alive.”
She opened the show singing a cover ofEtta James' “At Last” wearing a yellow custom-made Atelier Zuhra corseted dress, topped with a featured skirt and matching backpiece — just one of her many head-turning looks from the night.
Lizzo on President James Madison’s Flute
While performing at the Capitol One arena in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 7, Lizzo made an un-president-ed addition to her setlist.
The Library of Congress loaned the instrument to Lizzo, who said in a tweet that she was “the first and only person to play this presidential crystal flute.”
The singer, who is nominated for five awards at Sunday’s ceremony and is also set to perform, shared two videos from the moment on Instagram.
“It’s crystal, it’s like playing out of a wine glass, bitch, so be patient,” she said in the video as she was presented with the flute and prepared to play.
“Bitch, I just twerked and played James Madison’s crystal flute from the 1800s. We just made history tonight!” she continued, after handing the instrument back. “Thank you to the Library of Congress for preserving our history and making history f—ing cool! History is f—ing cool, you guys!”
Adele in Hyde Park
Adele.Gareth Cattermole/Getty for Adele
Adele’s first big performance of 2022 came as she took the stage in front of 65,000 fans at the British Summer Time Hyde Park festival on July 2.
The show marked her first time performing for a public audience in five years, though she had graced fans with hertelevised concert special,An Audience with AdeleandAdele One Night Onlyin November 2021 after releasing her album,30.
During her triumphant return, the 15-time Grammy winner — who is up for seven more awards this year — stopped the show multiple times to check on fans in distress. In aclip sharedon Twitter, Adele was seen telling her band to stop playing and walked toward the front of the stage to point out concertgoers to security.
The next night, Adele returned to the venue for another performance and in a post to Instagram about the festival, the singer shared how special the event was for her.
“My heart is absolutely full!! I’ll never forget these shows with you, slap bang in the middle of London, outdoors, during Pride weekend!” she wrote in a post featuring photos fromthe second night of the festival. “You brought everything and more!”
Bad Bunny at a Gas Station in Puerto Rico
Just as 2022 was about to come to an end,Bad Bunnyleft his fans with a surprise performance they wouldn’t soon forget.
After handing out more than 25,000 presents to fans of all ages at hisGood Bunny Foundation’s Bonita Tradición gift driveat the Coliseo Roberto Clemente Walker in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on Dec. 22, the musician held an impromptu free concert —on top of a local gas station.
The 28-year-old Grammy winner, who is up for three awards this year and is set to perform at Sunday’s ceremony, was filming part of a music video for his single “La Jumpa” with rapper Arcángel in Puerto Rico’s Calle Loíza neighborhood when a large crowd began to form.
Bad Bunny (born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio) then surprised the fans with several songs, including “Gato de Noche,” “Efecto,” “Me Porto Bonito” and “El Apagón,“according to videosshared via social media.
The party kept going into the night as he later delivered another performance at the nightclub Fifty Eight while shooting more of the “La Jumpa” music video.
Taylor Swift at Tribeca Film Festival
Elise Ryan/AP/Shutterstock
Taylor Swifthas had a record 18 months, from releasing a brand-new album in October, to making a guest appearance in a feature film, to directing a short film for the highly anticipated 10-minute version of a song released nearly a decade prior.
“All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (The Short Film)” is nominated for song of the year at this year’s ceremony and its visual counterpart, All Too Well: The Short Film, is up for music video of the year.
While Swift, who is nominated for an additional two awards this year for other work, won’t kick off herrecord-breaking touruntil March, she has shared some special performances with her fans in recent months.
In June, during New York City’s Tribeca Film Festival, Swift held a screening ofher short filmat the Beacon Theater. In addition toshowing the clip, and participating in a Q&A with director Mike Mills in which she talked aboutgaining more experience as a director, she also surprised the audience with a live performance of the song itself.
After Mills and her film’s stars,Sadie SinkandDylan O’Brien, left the stage, the singer picked up a guitar and sangthe 10-minute song,Voguereported.
Jack Harlow at the 2022 VMAs
Jack Harlowkicked off the 2022 VMAs in a way that can only be described as “fergalicious.”
The song, which was released in April 2022 ahead of Harlow’s sophomore albumCome Home the Kids Miss You, heavily samples the instrumental, chorus and “If you ain’t got no money, take yo' broke ass home” ad-lib fromFergie’s 2006 hit “Glamorous.”
Wearing a metallic silver skirt and top printed with “FIRST CLASS” in red stamp font, the former Black Eyed Peas vocalist entered the stage to perform “Glamorous,” with Harlow, who shouted out some of the song’s lyrics.
Brandi Carlile at the Newport Folk Festival
Joni Mitchell and Brandi Carlile.Carlin Stiehl for The Boston Globe via Getty
After more than two decades, it wasBrandi Carlilewho got legendary singer-songwriterJoni Mitchellto return to the stage.
During the 2022 Newport Folk Festival, Mitchell joined Carlile, who is nominated for sevenGrammy awardsthis year,Wynonna Judd, Allison Russell and Marcus Mumford on stage for a surprise appearance — her first full set performance in more than 20 years.
She sang 13 songs including “A Case of You,” “Both Sides Now” and “Big Yellow Taxi.”
In an essay for U.K. outletThe Times, Carlile explained howthe historic performance came to be, writing that Mitchell agreed to perform at the festival after they attended the 2022 Grammys and the Recording Academy’s charity MusiCares' concert thrown in Mitchell’s honor.
“But the agreement was very much that we’ll just sit around in a circle and play the songs, like we always do at the Joni Jams. Sometimes Joni sings, and sometimes she doesn’t want to,” she wrote.
She wrote that Mitchell developed some apprehension ahead of the performance but that the two were able to talk it through. “We had one of the best conversations we’ve ever had,” she wrote.
She continued, “[Mitchell] said, ‘I get the spirit of it now. We will just sit there and look at the water and sing.’ And after that if she was apprehensive in any way, we didn’t know it. I don’t know if it will ever happen again. I just know that I will follow her everywhere she goes.”
Mary J. Blige and Kendrick Lamar at the Super Bowl Halftime Show
Gregory Shamus/Getty
In 2022, nine-time Grammy winnerMary J. Bligeand 14-time winnerKendrick Lamarperformed in one of the most talked-about moments of the year:the Super Bowl Halftime Show.
The performance was an epic collection of songs from Lamar, Blige,Snoop Dogg,EminemandDr. Dre, who was headlining the show.
Måneskin at the 2022 VMAs
Måneskin’s 2022 VMA performance left audiences with quite the impression of the 2023 Grammy nominees.
Despite the wardrobe malfunction, De Angelis kept playing with her top around her waist.
The band — which includes De Angelis, David, Ethan Torchio and Thomas Raggi — won Eurovision in 2021, and is nominated for best new artist at Sunday’s ceremony,
Coldplay at Metlife Stadium
“I have a tattoo on my arm, which is cause this person is my hero,” Martin said. “And please welcome — I can’t believe we get to say it — but please welcome Mr. Bruce Springsteen.”
“Thank you! Hello New Jersey!” Springsteen said over the cheers. “Like Chris said, he’s had this song tattooed on his arm for a while, so I guess I gotta sing it.
The two then began “Working on a Dream.”
“Go ahead, kid! C’mon Chris!” Springsteen said as Martin hit falsetto notes in the iconic tune.
The 2023Grammy Awardswill broadcast live on Feb. 5 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS from the Crypto.com Arena.
source: people.com
