This year’s Grammy Awards were almost too good to be true.
finally took home a long-overdue gramophone for album of the year (“Cowboy Carter”), while the Recording Academy spread the wealth between thrilling newcomers (Doechii, Chappell Roan) and outstanding veterans (Kendrick Lamar, Lady Gaga). The performances, too, were across the board excellent, rivaling last year’s impeccable slate of Joni Mitchell, Miley Cyrus and Tracy Chapman.
Sunday’s telecast capped off a music-filled weekend in Los Angeles, between Clive Davis’ pre-Grammys gala with Barry Manilow and Post Malone, and the all-star benefit concert for California wildfire relief, which featured a Nirvana reunion.
Here are the best and worst musical moments from the 2025 Grammys, ranked:
11. Dawes, ‘I Love L.A.’
The fraternal duo of Taylor and Griffin Goldsmith enlisted an all-star backing band to open the show, including John Legend, Brad Paisley, Sheryl Crow, Brittany Howard and St. Vincent. It was a breezy and toe-tapping tribute to the City of Angels, if not a tad perplexing: Randy Newman wrote the 1983 tune as a sardonic sendup of the locale, contrasting the iconic sites and majestic landscapes with images of Botoxed vixens and a homeless man “down on his knees.” We might’ve preferred a medley that better showcased the breadth and diversity of LA’s music scene, but regardless, it’s hard to find much fault in something as well-intentioned as this.
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10. The Weeknd, ‘Cry For Me’ and ‘Timeless’
The R&B/pop hitmaker brought out a visually remarkable light show for a surprise medley of songs from his just-released album, “Hurry Up Tomorrow.” But he unfortunately got a bit lost in the smoky extravaganza, perched at the back of the stage in a hood and sunglasses as rows of masked dancers flailed in front of him. Given that he’s boycotted the Grammys for years over a lack of diversity, we couldn’t help but wish for more from his triumphant return.
9. Chris Martin, ‘All My Love’
During this year’s “in memoriam” segment, the Coldplay frontman reminded viewers of his magnificent vocal range, with a simple yet effective performance seated at a piano. It was a tender moment, although it paled somewhat in comparison to poignant past tributes such as the 2022 Grammys, where Cynthia Erivo, Rachel Zegler, Leslie Odom Jr. and Ben Platt soared with a stirring medley of Stephen Sondheim ballads.
8. Billie Eilish, ‘Birds of a Feather’
The brother-sister pair of Eilish and Finneas delivered a gorgeous take on their sentimental viral hit, taken from her third album “Hit Me Hard and Soft.” Eilish – who has been touring the globe since last fall – sounded even more subdued than usual, opting for a gentler belt of the final chorus. But it was a moving performance nevertheless, as she and Finneas sang against a stunning backdrop of the LA foothills and canyons where they grew up, flashing childhood photos throughout the number.
7. Shakira, ‘Ojos Asi’ and ‘Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53’
Fresh off her win for best Latin pop album (“Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran”), Shakira dazzled with her first Grammys performance in nearly two decades. Dressed entirely in gold, the Colombian singer hypnotized the audience with a sultry, solo belly-rolling routine to “Ojos Asi,” before an army of dancers joined her onstage for the explosive, electronic “Sessions.” It was a welcome jolt of energy as the overlong telecast crept into its fourth hour.
6. Cynthia Erivo, Herbie Hancock, Lainey Wilson, Stevie Wonder, Janelle Monáe: Quincy Jones tribute
The legendary late producer was honored with a lengthy, generation-spanning medley, which occasionally sagged in stretches featuring Wilson (“Let the Good Times Roll”) and – we hate to say it – Wonder (“We Are the World”). But unsurprisingly, Erivo wowed us with her heavenly vocal acrobatics on “Fly Me to the Moon,” and Monáe busted out a genuinely impressive moonwalk for her vigorous spin on Michael Jackson’s “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough.”
5. Bruno Mars and Lady Gaga, ‘California Dreamin’’
Gaga stunned fans with the premiere of her “Abracadabra” music video, which finds the singer making a spectacular return to her gothic, dance-pop roots. But earlier in the night, Gaga showed yet another facet of her immensely versatile range: teaming up with “
Die with a Smile” collaborator Bruno Mars for a haunting, understated cover of folk-rock classic “California Dreamin’.”
4. Charli XCX, ‘Von Dutch’ and ‘Guess’
The culture-shifting party girl was brazenly herself during her electrifying Grammys set. Charli XCX started her “Von Dutch” performance outside, strutting through the underbelly of the Crypto.com Arena in a black fur coat, and throwing a small rave with models and millennial revelers as the camera spun around her. She then made her way to the Grammys stage for “Guess,” writhing and crawling across the floor as underwear rained down on her flock of scantily clad carousers. Some uptight audience members may have been turned off by the uninhibited display – powered by flashing strobe lights and heavily AutoTuned vocals – but it was a brilliantly chaotic showcase for one of the year’s defining artists.
3. Sabrina Carpenter, ‘Espresso’ and ‘Please Please Please’
The pop star brought cheeky humor and playful showmanship to her debut Grammys performance, with a big-band rework of her frothy earworm “Espresso.” After disappearing behind a giant cascade of stairs, Carpenter shed her mini-tuxedo to reveal a flirty blue bodysuit, staging an Old Hollywood-style tap number with a throng of backup dancers. It was a delightful showcase for the actress-turned-singer’s theater kid sensibilities, rubber-stamping her status as a true triple threat.
2. Chappell Roan, ‘Pink Pony Club’
After conquering festival stages last year, Roan proved yet again that she’s one of the best live performers we’ve seen in ages. Straddling a colossal pink steed, the Midwest princess turned the Grammys stage into a glitter-and-sequin-soaked jamboree, complete with cacti, tumbleweed and dancing rodeo clowns. Along with her powerhouse voice and indisputable charisma, Roan also proclaimed her unabashed queer pride, waving pink, white and blue flags in solidarity with the trans community. It was a loud and deeply necessary statement Trojan horsed within the night’s most joyous performance.
1. Benson Boone, Doechii, Teddy Swims, Shaboozey, Raye: Best new artist medley
On Sunday, this year’s best new artist crop outshined many of their more established peers. Swims (“Lose Control”) and Shaboozey (“Good News” / “A Bar Song (Tipsy)”) brought gravelly vocals and easy charm to their medley, while Raye left the crowd gobsmacked with her insane belt on soulful ballad “Oscar Winning Tears.”
But it was Boone and Doechii who tore the house down with their athletic performances. Boone, backflipping and grabbing his crotch in a swoony take on “Beautiful Things” that called to mind Queen’s Freddie Mercury. And Doechii was a force to be reckoned with on “Catfish” and “Denial is a River,” dexterously rapping and contorting herself with a chorus of preppy backup dancers, handily delivering some of the sharpest choreography the Grammys telecast has ever witnessed. It was the “Matilda” musical cosplay we never knew we needed, and the exhilarating arrival of a bona fide star.
