The unforgettable all-female Grammy performances that rocked the aughts
Remove your headphones and listen up, music junkies! We’ve got some exciting news. A slew of Grammy performances were just announced, including a solo performance from Sia, a Beck/Chris Martin duet (whaaa), a Mary J. Blige/Sam Smith duet (double whaaa) and an eclectic performance by Ed Sheeran, Questlove, Herbie Hancock, and John Mayer (triple double whaaa whaaa). This has left us all asking the age-old Grammy question, Who’s gonna make performance history this year? Who??
After 57 years of performances, the folks on our 2015 lineup have some huge shoes to fill (not that we’re worried). But let’s zoom in on the last 15 years and let’s hyper zoom in on the ladies of the Grammys from the last 15 years. Why? Because 2000 seems like a nice round year and because everybody knows the ladies always steal the show anyway.
Pondering the best lady performances in that time period. Who can forget Pink’s acrobatic performance of “Glitter in the Air” back in 2010? Or the now-iconic “Lady Marmalade” performance with Patti LaBelle? All hail the legion of legendary ladies. This is officially a trip down Grammy memory lane (oh and p.s. the Grammys are on Sunday night).
Christina Aguilera, Pink, Mya and Lil Kim feat. Patti LaBelle – “Lady Marmalade” (2002)
It’s not a real “Lady Marmalade” performance without Patti LaBelle (who originally made the song a hit)! The ladies of the much-loved 2002 remake took to the Grammys stage in lavish fashion, but not without giving a nod to the song’s original performer. At the end of the frisky performance, Patti emerges like a goddess, demolishing any and all preconceived notions we had about “good singing.”
Adele – “Rolling in the Deep” (2012)
Is there anything this woman can’t do? In her first return to the stage following vocal cord microsurgery, Adele performed “Rolling In The Deep” and received a much-deserved standing ovation (because only Adele could make three months post-op sound this rich). Adele later topped off the night with six Grammys. No bigs.
Melissa Etheridge and Joss Stone – “Piece Of My Heart”(2005)
Rock goddess Melissa Etheridge and soulstress Joss Stone combined forces to create a flawless rendition of “Piece Of My Heart” as a tribute to Janis Joplin. Between the two of them, there’s enough passion on the stage to melt your face.
Jennifer Hudson – “I Will Always Always Love You” (2012)
On the day of Whitney Houston’s untimely passing, Grammy producers tapped Jennifer Hudson to pay tribute to Whitney onstage, the very next night. Singing her famous hit, “I Will Always Love You,” Jennifer handled it beautifully (there are vocal runs galore) and with the utmost respect.
Taylor Swift — “Mean” (2012)
This was back when Taylor was still country and this performance should go in the books for so many reasons (those Depression-style costumes), but one of them is that subtle sway choreography. “Mean” was already one of Taylor’s best songs and the performance proved just the kind of live country chops she really has. The amazingness of this performance was also sweet vindication after her 2010 off-key performance with Stevie Nicks which left many saying Taylor just didn’t have what takes to be a star. Well she proved them wrong.
Pink – “Glitter In The Air” (2010)
Pink got all Cirque du Soleil on us and swung from the ceiling during her dramatic performance of “Glitter In The Air,” making it one of the most memorable Grammy performances in recent years. I mean, it’s heard enough singing and dancing at the same time — how she managed to hang from the ceiling and still sing her ass off is beyond my understanding. She did it again in 2014 with “Try” and again it was full-blown amazing.
Tina Turner and Beyoncé – “Proud Mary” (2008)
I love a divalicious duo, especially one that combines two generations of music. Beyoncé and Tina Turner brought their superpowers to the stage with their own rendition of “Proud Mary.” Aside from the actual performance itself, the lead-in dialogue between Beyoncé and Tina is to die for.
Mary J. Blige – “No More Drama” (2002)
Mary J. Blige gave a fiery performance at the Grammy Awards when she took the stage with her powerful hit, “No More Drama.” Needless to say, we’re hyped for her joint performance with Sam Smith this year. Watching this “No More Drama” performance only reminds us of how much we’ve missed Mary!
Carole King and Sara Bareilles — “Beautiful” (2014)
This was only last year and there were more than a few not-so-dry eyes in the house. Legend Carole King and burgeoning songwriting legend Sara Bareilles sang the song from the film Brave while seated at dueling pianos — the song was actually written by Bereilles and Jack Antonoff of Lena Dunham, Taylor Swift, Bleachers, and .fun fame. The live-version was a full on power-lady performance.
[Images , , via
