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Lil Nas X Taunts His Critics Performing ‘Montero’ And ‘Industry Baby’ With Jack Harlow At The 2022 Grammys

Lil Nas X’s hit song “Industry Baby” has clearly become an industry favorite; he and guest rapper Jack Harlow graced the stage at the Grammys to once again perform their No. 1 hit as part of a stirring medley of tracks including “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” and “Dead Right Now.” They previously shook up the world with their colorful rendition of “Industry Baby” at the 2021 VMAs. Nas changed costumes numerous times as news clips of pearl-clutching newscasters played behind him.

Nas and Jack’s juggernaut collaboration is nominated for Best Melodic Rap Performance, while Nas himself has also accumulated an impressive collection of nominations for his debut album Montero. Not only is Montero nominated for Album Of The Year, but the project’s lead single “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” is also nominated for Record Of The Year, Song Of The Year, and Best Music Video.

That last nomination must certainly rankle Nas’ detractors, who immediately decried the video for its controversial concept. In the video, Nas descends to a plane resembling classic depictions of hell and gives a demonic ruler a lap dance before committing regicide and ascending the throne himself. However, those criticisms couldn’t stop “Call Me By Your Name” from becoming Nas’ second No. 1 record, receiving a Platinum RIAA certification just one month after its release, or receiving three Grammy nominations. Meanwhile, its follow-up, “Industry Baby,” achieved similar success, reaching No. 1 on the Hot 100 two months after its release and receiving the Best Melodic Rap Performance nomination.

Watch Lil Nas X and Jack Harlow’s 2022 Grammys performance of TK above.

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BTS Goes Full Spy-Mode With A Theatrical Performance Of ‘Butter’ At The 2022 Grammys

BTS have become a regular presence at the Grammy Awards in recent years and that’s not changing this year, as the group got on stage and performed “Butter” during tonight’s ceremony.

Their performance came across like a theatrical scene from a spy movie, with the group members dressed like secret agents and doing spy things like lowering into a room on a rope and contorting around security lasers. They even got Olivia Rodrigo involved as a character in their silent play.

BTS is part of a stacked 2022 Grammys performance line-up that also includes Lady Gaga, Silk Sonic, Carrie Underwood, J Balvin, John Legend, Maria Becerra, Billie Eilish, Olivia Rodrigo, Lil Nas X with Jack Harlow, Brandi Carlile, Brothers Osbourne, Nas, HER, Jon Batiste, Chris Stapleton, Ben Platt, Cynthia Erivo, Leslie Odom Jr., and Rachel Zegler.

The group has a single Grammy nomination this year, as “Butter” is up for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance. This is their second straight year earning a nod in the category, as “Dynamite” was nominated in 2021. That was the group’s first Grammy nomination ever, which, even though they didn’t come away with the trophy, was still a major win in itself. It’s also their third consecutive year performing, as they delivered “Dynamite” on last year’s broadcast and joined Lil Nas X on stage in 2020.

Watch BTS perform “Butter” above and find the full list of this year’s Grammy nominees and winners here.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

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J Balvin And Maria Becerra Brought The Heat To The Grammys With Their Performance Of ‘Qué Más Pues?’

J Balvin is on top of the world right now. Just last week, he released two tracks with Ed Sheeran in the thumping “Sigue” and the emotive “Forever My Love,” definitely bringing out the best in Sheeran’s sneaky good Spanish. And while Balvin didn’t win the lone award he was nominated for at the 64th Annual Grammys, he didn’t let that stop him from lighting the Grammys stage on fire. Balvin and Argentine urbano singer Maria Becerra performed their hit, “Qué Más Pues” at the Grammys, before Balvin unleashed another surprise on the audience.

Wrapped in a scarlet red coat, J Balvin opened the tune facing Becerra his confident foil, in a devious dance. She was radiant in her black alligator leather flowy pants, matching top, and elbow-length gloves. For the uninitiated, Becerra is one of the brightest stars in Urbano music and besides being featured on “Qué Más Pues,” she is also set to appear on Camilla Cabello’s upcomoing album, Familía. “Qué Más Pues, is off of J Balvin’s 2021 album, Jose, which was up for the Best Música Urbana Album award, but ultimately lost to Bad Bunny’s El Último Tour Del Mundo.

As the song came to a close, Balvin and his aqua hair with a red heart dyed onto the back of his head, stepped to a second stage and performed his EDM-reggaeton crossover “In Da Getto,” produced by Skrillex. He was accompanied by a full-on army of seated pop-lock dancers and it was as wonderfully over-the-top as you’d expect at the Grammys.

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Silk Sonic’s ‘Leave The Door Open’ Wins Song Of The Year At The 2022 Grammys

When it comes to which of the Grammy Awards is the most prestigious one, there are arguments to be made, but Song Of The Year is always part of the conversation, as it’s one of the ceremony’s four major awards. Well, now a new song has cemented its place in music history: Winning this year’s Grammy for Song Of The Year is Silk Sonic’sLeave The Door Open.”

Also nominated for the award were Ed Sheeran’s “Bad Habits,” Alicia Keys and Brandi Carlile’s “A Beautiful Noise,” Olivia Rodrigo’s “Drivers License,” HER’s “Fight For You,” Billie Eilish’s “Happier Than Ever,” Doja Cat’s “Kiss Me More” Feat. SZA, Silk Sonic’s “Leave The Door Open,” Lil Nas X’s “Montero (Call Me By Your Name),” Justin Bieber’s “Peaches” Feat. Daniel Caesar and Giveon, Brandi Carlile’s “Right On Time.”

Silk Sonic has a good amount of nominations this year, as aside from Song Of The Year, they’re also up for Record Of The Year, Best R&B Performance, and Best R&B Song, all also for “Leave The Door Open.”

Find the full list of this year’s Grammy nominees and winners here.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

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Watch Olivia Rodrigo Perform ‘Drivers License’ In An Actual Car At The 2022 Grammys

Olivia Rodrigo stands to pick up quite a few awards at her first Grammys ceremony tonight. The teenage star is nominated for a whole host of awards, including major looks like Best New Artist, which went to Aroo Album Of The Year for her debut, Sour, Song Of The Year and Record Of The Year for “Drivers License,” and then the pop-specific awards like Best Pop Solo Performance for “Drivers License,” which she won, and Best Pop Vocal Album, along with a final nomination for Best Music Video for “Good 4 U.”

Since “Drivers License” has been out for over a year now already, and Olivia has already performed it live several times at major awards shows, she had to do something pretty big to make it stand out tonight. Don’t worry, that’s no problem for this rising star — she kicked off the song by performing inside of an actual car, bringing the song’s cinematic lines to life. Backed by an all-female band, she eventually gets out of the car to deliver some of the song’s more dramatic lines with a twirl or a head thrown back, looking just as at home on the Grammys stage as she’s ever been anywhere else. Watch the performance above.

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Silk Sonic Hit The Jackpot With Their ‘777’ Grammys Performance

Well, it looks like Anderson .Paak and Bruno Mars’ 2021 campaign to perform at the Grammys as Silk Sonic paid off — again. After sending a politely worded open letter to the Grammys, they performed their massive hit song “Leave The Door Open” at the 2021 ceremony for the first time ever. They must have made a great impression because the Grammys tapped them to perform this year too, this time opening the Las Vegas-based ceremony with their thematically appropriate song “777,” throwing in a little reference to Soho’s “Hot Music (Jazz Music)” as a breakdown.

Leave The Door Open” is also nominated for Record Of The Year, Song Of The Year, Best R&B Performance, and Best R&B Song. Its surprise success in 2020 paved the way for Silk Sonic to release a slew of similarly beloved singles like “Skate,” “Smokin’ Out The Window,” and “After Last Night” ahead of the release of their debut album, An Evening With Silk Sonic. The album’s warm reception likewise led to even greater opportunities for the boys including a Las Vegas residency and a placement in the popular video game Fortnite.

Watch Silk Sonic’s 2022 Grammys performance of “777” above.

Silk Sonic is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

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Taylor Hawkins Posthumously Won Three Grammy Awards Thanks To Work With Foo Fighters

Only a week has gone by since the music world was received the tragic news about Taylor Hawkins’ death. The Foo Fighters drummer, who was only 50 years old when he died, was with the band in Colombia for a performance when he was found unresponsive in his hotel room. Hawkins was honored in numerous ways since his passing. Coldplay paid tribute to him with a performance of “Everglow” during a tour stop in Mexico. Miley Cyrus shared touching words about him during her set at Lollapalooza’s festival in Brazil. Additional tributes also came from the likes of Paul McCartney, James Corden, and Machine Gun Kelly.

As many continue to mourn Hawkins’ death, there’s now another reason to celebrate his life. Hawkins posthumously won three Grammy awards at this year’s show. He was selected, along with the rest of his Foo Fighters members, in three categories: Best Rock Album, Best Rock Song, and Best Rock Performance. The band’s win in the Best Rock Album category was for their 2021 album Medicine At Midnight while their wins in the Best Rock Song and Best Rock Performance categories were for “Waiting On A War” and “Making A Fire” respectively.

Foo Fighters’ wins at this year’s award show increased their Grammy award total to 15, which makes them the most awarded band in history. Foo Fighters have also won the Best Rock Album award on five occasions which is more than any band in history.

The Grammys are also planning to honor Hawkins at tonight’s award show. Jack Sussman — CBS’ executive vice president of specials, music, and live events — told Variety, “We want to figure out what is the right thing to do that is respectful to everyone involved. We’re patient. We’ll be planning right up until the very end.”

Coldplay is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

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Machine Gun Kelly Earns His Second No. 1 Album With ‘Mainstream Sellout’

Machine Gun Kelly’s transition from a rapper to a rocker has definitely served him well. He began the transition back in 2019 after the release of his fourth album Hotel Diablo. His next project, which was 2020’s Tickets To My Downfall, was his first full-fledge pop-punk album and it also became his first No. 1 album after it topped the Billboard 200 chart. Sure, Kelly has faced some criticism for his position in the rock world, but that hasn’t stopped his success. Less than two years after landing his first No. 1 album, Kelly finds himself on top of the charts again with his sixth album Mainstream Sellout.

In its debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, Mainstream Sellout sold 93,000 album units. That number is comprised of 50,000 streaming equivalent album units and 42,000 pure album sales, which also makes Mainstream Sellout the best-selling album of the week. Kelly’s sixth album received a boost on the charts thanks to deluxe editions and boxed sets that were made available for fans to buy on his official website. Nonetheless, Mainstream Sellout still would have gone No. 1 without any sales from non-traditional sellers which includes web-based stores.

Mainstream Sellout is the first rock album to reach No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in over a year. The last rock album to do so was AC/DC’s Power Up when it topped the charts on November 28, 2020. Mainstream Sellout also had the largest week for a rock album since Paul McCartney’s McCartney III debuted with 107,000 units sold in its first week on January 2, 2021.

Mainstream Sellout is out now via Bad Boy and Interscope Records. You can stream it here.

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Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Thinks LeBron Should Be ‘Embarrassed’ By Some Of The Things He’s Done

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar presented Carmelo Anthony with the NBA’s inaugural Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Social Justice Champion award on Sunday ahead of the Lakers game against the Nuggets on ABC, and spoke with the media prior to tipoff about a variety of things, including his criticism of LeBron James this year.

Abdul-Jabbar has, on a few occasions this season, called out James for things he’s said or done, most notably his post seemingly downplaying the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic — Kareem also didn’t like LeBron doing the Sam Cassell “big balls” dance after a big three in Indiana.

On Sunday, Abdul-Jabbar elaborated further on why he has taken James to task for those comments and actions, noting that LeBron deserves to be held to a higher standard in large part due to the great things he’s done off the court and, as Kareem says, that he clearly understands many of these bigger issues (via Dave McMenamin of ESPN).

“Absolutely, [Abdul-Jabbar has] a higher expectation for him because he understands the issues and spoken to them quite forcefully and eloquently,” he said. “I think he has so much going for him in terms of respect and accomplishment and he shouldn’t stoop to those moments.”

Kareem has been consistent regarding his disappointment and displeasure with prominent athletes spreading misinformation regarding COVID-19, similarly penning a scathing op-ed aimed at Aaron Rodgers. While James insisted his initial Spiderman meme post was an honest question, Kareem said he’s only spoken to LeBron briefly since but offered to speak with him further and take the time to explain his stance.

“If he would take the time, I definitely got the time,” Abdul-Jabbar said. “I admire the things that he’s done that have gotten all our attention. Sending a whole school to college? Wow. That’s amazing. His thoughtfulness and willingness to back it up with his wallet, you got to give him credit for that. So I’m not throwing stones. I just wish he wouldn’t — you know, some of the things he’s done, he should be embarrassed about. That’s just where I’m coming from.”

Abdul-Jabbar also did a sitdown interview with ESPN’s Malika Andrews and was asked about James potentially passing him as the NBA’s all-time leading scorer and said it’s “about time” someone did.

It’d be surprising if James responds to these comments from Kareem publicly in any more detail than he did last time when he shrugged off the criticism — and with him sitting out on Sunday he won’t be speaking postgame — but it’s certainly a pointed critique from a legend in the game, and someone that James surely respects.

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Jerrod Carmichael Jokes That He Was Forced To Talk About The Will Smith Slap During His ‘SNL’ Opening Monologue

The latest SNL kicked off by only briefly mentioning the number one story of last week: that slap. Perhaps you’ve heard about it? But it didn’t take long for the episode do go all-in on Will Smith smacking Chris Rock jokes. But when host Jerrod Carmichael broached the subject, he did so reluctantly. He even joked — or not — that he was all but forced to discuss it.

“I’m not gonna talk about it,” the comic said at the start of his opening monologue. “I’ve talked about it enough. Kept talking about it. Kept thinking about it. I don’t wanna talk about it. You can’t make me talk about it.”

Carmichael — there to promote his new HBO special, in which he comes out as gay — admitted that he was obsessed with the incident early on. But by week’s end, he made a “vow” to himself: “I promised myself I would never, ever talk about it again.”

Then, he said, SNL honcho Lorne Michaels came into his dressing room, telling him he had to. “He said, ‘The nation needs to heal,’” Carmichael recalled. “The nation don’t even know me. The nation has no clue who I am.” He then claimed that he had to be “the least famous host in SNL history. The least.”

That’s absolutely not true. For one, he’s far more famous than Ron Nessen, the White Hosue press secretary under Gerald Ford, who improbably hosted the show in 1976. (Then again, who can’t name all four of Trump’s press secretaries during his single term?) But eventually Carmichael used his monologue to pass the job to someone else: Barack Obama.

You can watch Carmichael’s monologue in the video above.