Watch Kesha, Lady Gaga, Sam Smith & More Perform At The 2018 Grammys

Mike Nied | January 28, 2018 8:10 pm

Tonight (January 28) the 2018 Grammy Awards took place at Madison Square Garden in New York City, and they are more than living up to expectations. Hosted by James Corden, the event features a collection of performances from the likes of established hitmakers including Kesha, Pink, Lady Gaga, Sam Smith and more!

Kendrick Lamar, who went into the show with 7 nominations and took home the first Grammy for the Best Rap/Sung Performance, opened the show with a medley of hits. Performing alongside a group of soldiers and with appearances from the likes of Bono he performed “XXX,” “American Soul,” “DNA” and “King’s Dead.” It goes without saying that the moment will live on as one of the most explosive moments of the evening.

Immediately after Gaga took the stage alongside Mark Ronson. Sitting behind a piano draped with angel wings, Mother Monster delivered the debut performance of her new single “Joanne.” The stripped back production highlighted the track’s wistful message, and she followed it up by revisiting “Million Reasons.” Her last top 10 single is nominated for Best Pop Solo Performance and is always a standout.

Sam Smith pulled out all the stops for a rousing rendition of “Pray,” and Little Big Town gave some love to their Taylor Swift co-written “Better Man.” Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee were joined onstage by model Zuleyka Rivera for an electrifying performance of “Despacito.” On a night usually filled with more somber performances, the trio delivered one of the most energizing moments of the evening complete with high-octane choreography and brilliant staging. Childish Gambino also delivered a dramatic moment and harmonized onstage with JD McCrary during a striking performance of “Terrified.”

One of the evening’s most surprising moments belongs to Pink. The Beautiful Trauma siren is renowned for literally swinging from the ceiling and is always reliable for a jaw-dropping moment. For the Grammys though, she shocked the audience by stripping it all back during a stirring rendition of “Wild Hearts Can’t Be Broken.” Dressed in denim and performing alongside an ASL translator, her voice soared over the simple instrumentation for an impassioned moment.

Cardi B took the stage alongside Bruno Mars for a rambunctious performance of “Finesse.” Dripping confidence and drenched in the iconic styling of the ’90s, the pair kept the energy sky-high throughout the entirety of their set. DJ Khaled welcomed Rihanna and Bryson Tiller onstage for a searing performance of their breakaway hit “Wild Thoughts.” The dancehall anthem received some sleek choreography and moody lighting for another show-stealing moment.

Eric Church, Maren Morris and Brothers Osborne left the audience with tears in their eyes with their cover of Eric Clapton’s “Tears In Heaven.” The country superstars dedicated the performance to the victims of the Las Vegas shooting and delivered an evocative performance. Following a stirring introduction from Janelle Monae, Kesha took the stage with Camila Cabello, Cyndi Lauper, Julia Michaels, Andra Day and Bebe Rexha for an awe-inducing rendition of “Praying.” Dressed in all white in honor of the #MeToo movement and joined by a choir, it was a triumphant moment that will likely go down as the most powerful of the evening.

Camila also introduced U2 with a speech about Dreamers. The group performed “Get Out Of Your Own Way” and made a political message of their own. Dressed in a flowing gown, Miley Cyrus joined Elton John to sing “Tiny Dancer.” Her vocals were as strong as ever, and the pair found perfect harmonies. Ben Platt of the Pitch Perfect franchise performed “Somewhere” while Patti LuPone paid tribute to Andrew Lloyd Webber by revisiting “Don’t Cry For Me Argentina.”

Despite winning none of the awards she was nominated for, SZA brought the heat with her moody interpretation of “Broken Clocks.” Chris Stapleton and Emmylou Harris commemorated the life of Tom Petty with a cover of “Wildflowers” and Logic, Alessia Cara and Khalid closed out the show with yet another performance of “1-800-273-8255.”

After promising to deliver one of the biggest nights in music this year, the Grammys delivered some excellent moments. Check out who walked home with the highest honors of the night here and keep and eye peeled for official footage from the sets. We will be updating this post with the performances in as they roll in so check them out below!

Who had the best performance of the night? Let us know below, or by hitting us up on Facebook and Twitter!