The Grammy Awards: 10 reasons to watch
It's Taylor Swift vs. Kendrick Lamar at Monday's Grammy Awards (CBS, 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT) as the Bad Blood pair go head to head in major categories, including album of the year. As for what you should expect from the show itself, here are 10 reasons you'll want to tune in:
1. Pop divas top the performance roster.
Kendrick Lamar, The Weeknd and Justin Bieber are among the legion of artists set to perform, but the night truly belongs to the ladies. Swift will open the show with a song off her juggernaut 1989, and Rihanna will likely make the TV debut of new Anti material. Nicki Minaj, Ariana Grande, Carrie Underwood, Selena Gomez, Ellie Goulding and Tori Kelly also are scheduled to appear.
2. Adele returns to the Grammys stage.
Speaking of pop divas, 10-time Grammy champ Adele will perform a track off her record-shattering 25, which just crossed 8 million copies sold in the USA. It will be the British songbird's first Grammys performance since 2012, when she sang Rolling in the Deep, a winner for record and song of the year.
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3. You get to see Hamilton.
Well, at least the opening number. Tickets to Lin-Manuel Miranda's hip-hop musical about Alexander Hamilton may cost you an arm and a leg, but thankfully, there's no charge to watch the cast of the sold-out Broadway sensation perform via simulcast (only the eighth time a musical theater company has played the show).
4. Lady Gaga pays tribute to David Bowie.
Gaga-uary is upon us. The pop star scored a touchdown at Super Bowl 50 with her commanding rendition of the national anthem and may bring her pipes to the Academy Awards this month. But first, Gaga will perform a Grammys medley honoring Bowie, who died of cancer in January. Chic's Nile Rodgers, who produced the late trailblazer's album Let's Dance, will be musical director for the performance.
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5. A touching "In Memoriam" segment.
Sadly, Bowie wasn't the only legend music fans lost this year. Expect to see Natalie Cole, Stone Temple Pilots' Scott Weiland, Motörhead's Lemmy Kilmister, the Eagles' Glenn Frey, and Earth, Wind & Fire's Maurice White among those remembered. Blues icon B.B. King will receive a tribute performance featuring Chris Stapleton, Gary Clark Jr. and Bonnie Raitt.
6. Lionel Richie gets a tribute during the telecast.
The Motown legend is being honored as MusiCares Person of the Year at a pre-Grammys event, which recognizes his artistic contributions and philanthropic efforts. The star-studded gala Saturday in Los Angeles includes performances by Dave Grohl, Lenny Kravitz and Florence Welch, although details of his on-air tribute are unknown.
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7. Women in rock could win big.
Unlike last year, when only one female-led band (Paramore) competed in rock categories, this year's crop has an abundance of guitar-shredding women in the mix. Southern blues-rock group Alabama Shakes, fronted by Brittany Howard, is vying for album of the year (Sound & Color) and best rock song and performance (Don't Wanna Fight). Elle King (Ex's and Oh's), Florence + the Machine (What Kind of Man) and Wolf Alice (Moaning Lisa Smile) are up for awards, while Australian rocker Courtney Barnett is an underdog contender for best new artist.
8. Fifty Shades of Grey could pick up prizes.
The S&M romance is the (spanked) butt of many jokes, but its critically panned film adaptation may tie up multiple Grammys come Monday. Ellie Goulding's Love Me Like You Do and The Weeknd's Earned It (Fifty Shades of Grey), both written for the movie, are competing for best pop solo performance R&B performance and song, respectively. The tracks will face off in the category of best song written for visual media, too, where they are both nominated.
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9. Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani could make their red-carpet debut.
The Voice coaches made their relationship official in November and have since been seen together on TV and at a football game. But the two have yet to walk the carpet together officially as a couple, and with Shelton up for best country duo/group performance (for Lonely Tonight with Ashley Moore), this could be a prime opportunity to do so. Plus, Shelton's ex Miranda Lambert (a best-country-album winner for Platinum last year) is not nominated, which may help prevent any awkward run-ins.
10. Kanye West could storm the stage — again.
Most of music's biggest players are confirmed to attend this year's ceremony, but there's still no word whether West will be there with wife Kim Kardashian in tow. Sure, he will be in New York this weekend performing on Saturday Night Live, but he still could make it to Monday's ceremony, where he'll be competing for multiple awards (including best rap performance for All Day). Plus, if his Twitter sparring partner, Wiz Khalifa, takes home song of the year for See You Again, we could see a repeat of West's mock stage crash last year, when Beck surprised with album of the year.
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