Taylor Swift accepts the award for Best Pop Vocal Album for Midnights during the 66th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, California, U.S., February 4, 2024. | REUTERS/Mike Blake
LOS ANGELES— Taylor Swift used her 13th Grammy win on Sunday to announced her new album, “Tortured Poets Department,” will arrive April 19.
The news arrived after U2 frontman Bono announced the award for best pop vocal album, which went to Taylor Swift for “Midnights.”
“I know that the way that the Recording Academy voted is a direct reflection of the passion of the fans,” she said in her speech. “So I want to say thank you to the fans by telling you a secret that I’ve been keeping from you for the last two years which is that my brand new album comes out April 19. It’s called ‘The Tortured Poets Department.’ I’m gonna go and post the cover right now backstage.”
Karol G made Grammy history Sunday by becoming the first female performer to win best música urbana album. She took home the honor for her blockbuster “Mañana Será Bonito” record, which was presented to her by Christina Aguilera and Maluma.
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“This is my first time at the Grammys,” she told the audience in English. “And this is my first time holding my own Grammy.”
Performances were many. Olivia Rodrigo brought her bloodsucking ballad “vampire” – or in this case, bloodletting, as red liquid dripped from the walls behind her. Then the Grammys cut to Las Vegas to broadcast U2 tackling “Atomic City.”
SZA also took the stage – performing a medley of her larger-than-life hits “Snooze” and “Kill Bill,” joined by dancers wielding katanas. Later, she’d take home the trophy for best R&B song — for “Snooze,” handed to her by Lizzo. SZA ran to the stage and gave a charming, out of breath speech because she was “changing, and then I took a shot,” before starting to tear up and saying, “Hi Taylor… I’m not an attractive crier. Have a good evening.”
READ MORE: Grammys 2024: SZA, Phoebe Bridgers, ‘Barbie’ win early awards
Mariah Carey presented the night’s first award, for best pop solo performance, to Miley Cyrus for “Flowers.” It was also the singer’s first ever Grammy.
Cyrus said she almost missed the start of the show because of driving rain that is pounding Los Angeles and said she was glad she didn’t miss her chance to be onstage with Carey. Cyrus has been nominated eight times previously.
Afterward, Luke Combs’ delivered a heartfelt rendition of “Fast Car” with Tracy Chapman – his cover of the Chapman classic has dominated country radio and won him song of the year at the 2023 CMAs. In 1989, Chapman won best pop vocal performance, female for the song.
Dua Lipa opened the show with a high-octane medley: first, a tease of her forthcoming single, “Training Season,” then, her most recent single, “Houdini,” and finally, her disco-pop “Barbie” hit “Dance the Night.”
Billie Eilish and Finneas brought their “Barbie” ballad to the Grammys stage with live string accompaniment, the second of two songs from the blockbuster film in one hour. They were followed by Cyrus, who performed “Flowers” for the first time live on television – moments after receiving her first ever Grammy.
“Why are you acting like you don’t know this song?” she teased the crowd — John Legend and wife Chrissy Teigen were among those in the audience who got up to dance — and later cheered mid-song, “I just won my first Grammy!”
From the stage at the Crypto.com Arena, four-time Grammy host — and two time nominee — Trevor Noah greeted an excited crowd, starting things off with a kiss on the cheek from Meryl Streep. “The Grammys are gonna win as Oscar,” he joked about the moment.
Best country album went to Lainey Wilson for “Bell Bottom Country,” — her very first Grammy — as presented by Kacey Musgraves. “I’m a fifth-generation farmer’s daughter,” she told the crowd, adding that she’s a “songwriting farmer,” and that’s where the musical magic came from.
Women outpace men in the major categories, so viewers can expect to see a spotlight on its female nominees as the night continues.
Other performers include Rodrigo, Billy Joel, Boy, Travis Scott, and a first-ever Grammys performance from Joni Mitchell.
Bridgers took an early lead at the Grammys, quickly winning four trophies ahead of the main telecast, with her and her boygenius bandmates bringing an infectious energy to the Premiere Ceremony.
Songwriter Justin Tranter gave her the first award Sunday, best pop duo/group performance, which went to SZA and Bridgers for “Ghost in the Machine.”
She wasn’t on stage for that but skipped her way up with her band boygenius — made up of her, Lucy Dacus and Julian Baker — clad in matching white suits, when they won their first Grammy as a group for best rock performance for “Not Strong Enough.”
“Oh my God I want to throw up,” said Dacus in their acceptance speech. “This isn’t real. Thank you.” “Music saved my life,” Baker jumped in. “Anyone can be in a band.” Minutes later, they walked back out on stage for best rock song and best alternative music album.
Newcomer Coco Jones won best R&B performance for “ICU” in a stacked competition where she was up against SZA’s “Kill Bill” and Victoria Monét’s “How Does It Make You Feel.” SZA’s second win of the night came in the form of the best progressive R&B album for “S.O.S.”
Jack Antonoff took home producer of the year, non-classical for a third year in a row, tying Babyface as the only other producer to do so consecutively. “You need the door kicked open for you,” he said in his acceptance speech. “Taylor Swift kicked that (expletive) door open for me,” referencing their work together.
The first of three new categories in 2024, best pop dance recording, was given out shortly afterward and went to Kylie Minogue for “Padam Padam” — her first win in 18 years.
About 80 Grammys were handed out pre-broadcast. Regional Mexican star Peso Pluma won his first Grammy for his first and only nomination, for best música Mexicana album for his “Genesis.”
Early on in the afternoon, “Barbie” took home two Grammys in quick succession: for compilation soundtrack for visual media and best song written for visual media.
Billie Eilish and Finneas arrived early in the afternoon to collect song written for visual media trophy for their “Barbie” ballad “What Was I Made For.”
“This is shocking to me,” Eilish said. “I was expecting to turn right back around and leave.”
“I want to thank our parents, our dad, who worked as a construction worker at Mattel Corporation for much of our childhood to keep food the table,” said Finneas.
Best African music performance, a new category which aims to highlight regional musical traditions and recognizing “recordings that utilize unique local expressions from across the African continent,” went to South African singer Tyla for her ubiquitous hit, “Water.”
“I never thought I’d say I won a Grammy at 21 years old,” she said in her acceptance speech. “Last year God decided to change my whole life.”
Killer Mike won three awards in quick succession Sunday night, but somehow ended up in police custody before the main Grammys ceremony began. There was no immediate word why he was detained.
The rapper won his first first Grammy in 21 years, for best best rap performance went to Killer Mike Featuring André 3000, Future and Eryn Allen Kane for “Scientists & Engineers.” Soon afterward, they won for “best rap song.” Killer Mike also took home best rap album for “Michael,” cheering, “It is a sweep! It is a sweep!”
Brandy Clark, who has been nominated for 17 Grammy awards in her career — including six this year — took home her first Grammy for best americana performance for her track “Dear Insecurity.” “I thank my mom for always believing in , whatever my crazy dreams had been” she said. “And mostly I want to thank Brandi Carlile for making this record with me.”
