Ranking of all Grammy 2024 performances

It's always difficult to deliver a radiant performance on a televised awards show, so it was no surprise that U2 – despite being one of the best live rock acts of the last few decades – fell short in their performance of 'Atomic City' shot remotely in Las Vegas' Sphere. The Sphere is a ground-breaking space built specifically for immersive experiences – so of course, making it work for the small screen is a challenge. And in this case, the challenge was not met. The camera panned around the arena like an out-of-control trapeze artist, giving a different sense of what the band was doing or what the venue was like.

When it comes to Olivia Rodrigo's recorded production and lyrics, there isn't much to fault, but her awards show that her performances were mixed. That was a strong swing, but in “Vampire,” her bat didn't connect with the ball. The slow track ramped up in intensity, but never reached that point of cathartic release, and the bloody aesthetic brought to mind Lady Gaga's far more inventive performance at the 2009 VMAs.

While it's nice to see Piano Man back in action – and his new single 'Turn the Lights Back On' fits in nicely with his substantial legacy – it was hard to get over the fact that in a show filled with amazing moments and stunning visuals, he was just a guy sitting at a piano. In 1989, Billy Joel assured the world that he didn't light the fire — and that a lot remained true at the 2024 Grammys.

Before they won song of the year for their contribution to Greta Gerwig's blockbuster Barbie movie, Billie Eilish and Finneas performed “What Was I Made For?” during the performance. With Billie sitting on a stool and Finneas at the piano, they stayed true to the simplicity of the existential ballad and received a standing ovation from the Crypto.com Arena crowd. However, the majority of us watching as part of a 3.5 hour show felt a touch drowsy.

Travis Scott – who has gone 0/10 at the Grammys – channeled his frustration into a three-track rendition of Utopia. Dressed as if he were raiding a SWAT team's closet, Scott opened with “I Know?” and “My Eyes” before venting his frustration during “Fe!n” alongside Playboi Carti. Channeling his inner WWE star, Scott picked up chairs and threw them across the stage as flames licked at his elbows. “They slept on me 10 times!” he shouted as he furiously dropped the piece. Whether you agree with Killer Mike's Michael optimal UtopiaScott's frustration led to a riveting performance, and surprisingly, a nice counter-programming sequel to previous performer Joni Mitchell.

Dua Lipa opened the 2024 Grammys with libidinous dance-pop, singing her upcoming single “Training Season” while climbing a spinning, cube-shaped jungle gym. He dropped a line from “Dance the Night” before launching into “Houdini,” striding confidently around a dark, reflective stage that looked straight out of a sci-fi villain's lair. It set a high-energy bar that the rest of the show, for the most part, stood up to.

For Afrobeats' first appearance at the Grammys, Burna Boy pulled out all the stops. Backed by Brandy's gorgeous vocals and 21 Savage's detached, confident cool, Burna sang “Sittin' on Top of the World” and showed that he's right where he belongs. The lush, sprawling stage—depicting a city housing complex—and clever costume design (the color red tied all three performers together, defying their different styles) brought to mind a golden-era MGM musical—and frankly, the energy was infectious. The Nigerian star's glamor wouldn't look out of place in a Hollywood musical.

Okay, okay – if the 'In Memoriam' shows aren't included in this compilation, why is Fantasia here? Well, her performance, in my opinion, was not part of the In Memoriam segment. Yes, she was saluting the late rock pioneer Tina Turner, but since the video editing had stopped when she started singing, that counts as a proper performance.

And she deserved this spotlight. As one American Idol The champ, Fantasia sure knows how to command a difficult stage while singing another artist's song and her tribute to the inimitable icon in 'Proud Mary' was the perfect tribute and individual personality. The fringed outfit and dance moves gave Tina an edge, but the happy, bright energy was all Fantasia. It was definitely a proud, happy moment in her career.

Miley Cyrus finally broke her Grammy drought on Sunday, winning two trophies for her Hot 100 No. 1 “Flowers.” Buoyed by that win, Cyrus was relaxed and joking during her performance of “Flowers,” exuding the irresistible magnetism of someone who really doesn't say what you think about them. “Why are you acting like you don't know that song?” Cyrus got the crowd going at the top of the song, breaking the ice and letting everyone know this was a victory lap. She even changed one of the lyrics on the fly to reflect her excitement: “I started to cry, but then she remembered I just won my first Grammy.”

“Snooze” and “Kill Bill” are two fairly low-key songs, and it can be a challenge to pick out low-BPM songs at an awards show. Well, SZA solved that problem and then some at the 2024 Grammys. Singing “Snooze” in oversized clothes next to a burning trash can, SZA created an impressive visual note in front of a martial artist (evoking Beatrix Kiddo from Kill Bill) jumped onto a table in the audience and showed off some serious swordplay (Phoebe Bridgers, seated nearby, watched with her mouth open in glee). The swordswoman took her fight to the stage, facing off against an enemy (presumably her soon-to-be-executed ex) as SZA and her leather-clad backup dancers performed their assertive chorus. On “Kill Bill” at the Grammys, SZA's sword soared.

Last year, Luke Combs scored an unlikely country band with his cover of Tracy Chapman's folk-rock classic “Fast Car.” According to Combs, it was his first favorite song as a child and one of the first songs he learned to play guitar. Amid the song's resurgence, the reclusive Chapman has stayed out of the spotlight — until Sunday's Grammys. The living legend made a surprise appearance alongside Combs, acoustic guitar in hand, to trade verses on her 1988 track. Chapman sounded fantastic, her sonorous tone blending comfortably with Combs' gritty voice. As for the country star, this was clearly a major moment in his life – he looked at Chapman about a dozen times during the performance as if to prove to himself that it was really happening, and when it was her turn to sing, she backed off from the microphone and said the words anyway, unable to contain his excitement. It sounded flawless and was a treat that tugged at my heartstrings.

Joni Mitchell's return to the public has been one of the few welcome surprises of the last decade, and at the 2024 Grammys, those of us who haven't seen her comeback performances in person have a sense of what we've been missing. .

On a stage surrounded by candles, Mitchell sat in a plush white chair, cane in hand, singing her all-timer 'Both Sides Now' with Brandi Carlile, Alison Russell, Lucius, Blake Mills and Jacob Collier playing softly . With its minimal, sleek backing music and Mitchell's raw voice, it felt more like a living room jam between multi-generational friends than something cooked up for Music's Biggest Night — and that's exactly what made it stand out.

It's hard to remember anything at the Grammys ever coming close to this one in terms of warts and intimacy. Mitchell wrote “Both Sides Now” when she was in her twenties, but the wistful wisdom of the lyrics seemed to come from someone at least twice her age. Well, Mitchell is now 80, and she shades those thoughtful lyrics with a hard-earned perspective that only experience can afford. Her weathered voice – one almost silenced forever by a brain aneurysm in 2015 – is a stark contrast to the crystalline tone from her original recording, but not in a depressing way. If nothing else, her age-worn voice imbued the entire affair with a tough, leathery beauty rarely seen in real life – much less on a televised awards show.

Far from being a polite salute to a legend past his prime, it felt like a vital, vibrant and necessary performance from a once-in-a-generation talent with more to teach us all about what he can do. unlock the art in our souls.