One of the main reasons why my summer nights are spent staying up until I can see the light shining through my window, or in the winter, why I don’t fall ill to the seasonal depression that comes along with the weather, is music. Throughout my entire life, music has kept me distracted from the world around me. I can always find myself listening to music, whether it be pop, 80s music, or any genre in general. No matter the area or time, I can always find myself putting my AirPods in to listen to some of my favorite music.
Every year, I look forward to turning on my TV and tuning in to watch the Grammys to hopefully see my favorite artists win the awards they deserve. So many artists this year that I love and appreciate were nominated to win titles at the Grammys, and the chance that they would potentially win an award during the night made me more excited than ever. Being at the Grammys gives some of the artists a chance to perform to the crowd, and, besides the awards ceremony, the performances are by far my favorite part. This year, especially, after seeing the setlist for who was going to be performing at the Grammys, I was beyond excited to see what would come out of these presentations. In honor of the Grammys concluding, here are my top three performances given.
Olivia Dean
Before the Grammys, I had never really listened to Olivia Dean, and, frankly, I always thought that she was an overrated artist. But after seeing her performance, I quickly realized that she has such raw talent and is liked for a reason. Olivia performed one of her most popular songs, “Man I Need,” which features many high notes and is an overall lighthearted song. Before watching the performance, I had only heard the part of the song that is popular on TikTok, and after a while, it got annoying to me. But after hearing the whole song, I learned to love it and see how much effort she put into it. During the performance, there were minimal background dancers and props, which made me appreciate it even more, since it featured Olivia herself without any distractions. Hearing her voice during the song made me question whether she even used autotune during the recording of the actual song. Her raw vocals are beyond impressive, and her voice didn’t seem to be drowned out or unable to be heard. Her outstanding vocals and amazing song choice made this performance one of my favorites that was shown.
Sabrina Carpenter
During 2025, I found that my love for Sabrina Carpenter’s music grew tremendously, especially after her album Man’s Best Friend was released. Since she was nominated for six Grammys, Sabrina performed one of her most popular singles, Manchild, and even after having an existing love for the song, it only grew after hearing her perform on Grammy night. Her performance featured her raw vocals without any autotune, and surprisingly, her voice sounded the same as it does in the actual song, if not better. In the past, I had always heard that her raw vocals sound phenomenal, but I had never actually watched any of her live performances. When I heard her sing live, it almost sounded like she was lip-syncing. But after a few of her iconic rifts that divert from the original song, I realized that this is her actual voice. The directors of the Grammys obviously knew that Sabrina would be the center of attention, and it shows. Her performance featured many background dancers and props that made the show have a unique feeling compared to some of the performances put on by others.
Tyler, The Creator
Tyler, The Creator’s performance was by far the most unique and moving. His performance features a mix of three of his songs, “Thought I Was Dead,” “Like Him,” and “Sugar on My Tongue.” Tyler, The Creator being my favorite performance is no surprise due to my own personal bias. For the past year, I have started listening to more of his music, and it has gradually been making its way onto my main playlist. When I heard him start his presentation, I already knew that it would be one of my favorites. He used vocal backtracks to incorporate beautiful harmonies in his vocals while also making use of an amazing instrumental background. He combined the three songs in an alluring sound, making me never want the performance to end. He clearly put an impressive amount of effort into his performance and deserves all, if not more, of the credit he has already received.
The Grammys this year have proven to consist of some of the most amazing performances yet, and all of the artists deserve praise for the performances they have put on. Even the artists that I didn’t mention still had some of the most beautiful performances, such as Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber, and KATSEYE. Looking forward to the 2027 Grammys, I’m beyond excited for what they put on the table in the years to come.
