Last night, the 58th Annual Grammy Awards show aired with a few exceptional performances, and a few disappointments. The event aired on CBS, and was made available over its All Access online live stream services before the flood of viewers to the website temporarily crashed its location services. This was in conjunction with some sound issues during Adele’s live performance that caused some frustrations in users being unable to get their proper music fix.

Aside from the few blunders, the night showcased the musical talents of various genres and styles, ranging from a dramatic opener from Taylor Swift with her song “Out of the Woods” to a David Bowie tribute performance by Lady Gaga, featuring a well-executed medley of his greatest hits.

Kendrick Lamar gave a standout performance after winning his first of five Grammys last night, which some are calling “the most intense performance the Grammys have seen.” It began with Lamar in chains, leading the rest of his dancers on stage. Gunshot beats rattled audience members as they launched into “The Blacker the Berry” from this year’s Best Rap Album winner To Pimp A Butterfly. 
We can see his words are literally fire as the cameras pan the stage as he transitions into “Alright” dancing in front of a giant bonfire of flames in the middle of the stage. While he didn’t win all of the nine categories he was nominated for, Lamar’s performance could go down as the most memorable of this year’s show for his powerful statement.

Other notable performances included Alabama Shakes’ soulful performance “Don’t Wanna Fight” which won for Best Rock Performance. There was also a smooth mashup collaboration of Tori Kelly’s “Hollow” and James Bay’s “Let It Go,” as well as a hilarious rap-inspired performance by the cast of Broadway’s Hamilton.

Most of the night consisted of soft, crooning ballads with the occasional performance meant to wake the audience up again. The group Hollywood Vampires had their debut performance complete with chaotic flashing lights, intense face make up and clear rock sound. Audience members may have recognized a few familiar faces from Hollywood Vampires, which includes Alice Cooper, Joe Perry and Johnny Depp.

The general feeling in the aftermath of the show was that it was a lackluster show. Rihanna’s highly anticipated performance was a disappointing cancellation and despite a few exceptional performances, most weren’t as engaging as hoped, and some fell very flat (see Adele’s performance having to deal with said audio issues).
However, with some memorable performances and rightful winners of that golden trophy, in the end it still showed the artistry and excitement of why people keep coming back every year and how music brings people together.
Here’s a recap of some of the most notable awards:
Song of the Year: “Thinking Out Loud” – Ed Sheeran
Album of the Year: 1989 – Taylor Swift
Best Rap Album: To Pimp a Butterfly – Kendrick Lamar
Best Country Album: Traveller – Chris Stapleton
Best New Artist: Meghan Trainor
Record of the Year: “Uptown Funk” – Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars
Best Dance Recording: “Where Are U Now” – Skrillex and Diplo with Justin Bieber
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance: “Uptown Funk” – Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars
Best Urban Contemporary Album: Beauty Behind the Madness – The Weeknd
Best Alternative Music Album: Sound & Color – Alabama Shakes
Best Rock Performance: “Don’t Wanna Fight” – Alabama Shakes
Best Music Video: “Bad Blood” – Taylor Swift

See a complete list here.