Get Ready: Taylor Swift, BTS, Billie Eilish, Cardi B & More To Perform At The 2021 Grammys
We're in our second year of socially-distanced award ceremonies thanks to the pesky coronavirus pandemic, and now those awards shows that managed to sneak into the first two months of 2020 are having their turn at the 'new normal'. The 63rd Grammys are up next, and they're determined to make it feel as live as possible with a massive performers line-up announced today.
No less than BTS, Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, Cardi B, Megan Thee Stallion, Harry Styles, Brittany Howard, Bad Bunny, Chris Martin, DaBaby, Lil Baby, John Mayer, Haim, Brandi Carlile, Doja Cat, Black Pumas, Post Malone, Roddy Ricch, Maren Morris and more have been confirmed as Grammy Awards performers this year. Performers Taylor Swift, Haim, Coldplay, Post Malone and Black Pumas are also up for the Album of the Year gong in 2021 – though their fellow nominees Jacob Collier and Jhené Aiko will not perform.
BTS, fresh from their MTV Unplugged Presents performance, will be making their true Grammy Awards debut. They made something of a cameo appearance in Lil Nas X's "Old Town Road" last year, but did not play their own material in full. So will Harry Styles, who surprisingly has never performed at the Grammys as part of One Direction or as a solo artist.
Many of us are anticipating what Taylor Swift might play on music's biggest night, after the star's prolific 2020 – she has both (Album of the Year-nominated) folklore, evermore and her forthcoming album re-records to draw upon.
The Recording Academy announced the news today, with the ceremony set to go down on Sunday March 14 8pm ET (11AM on March 15 AEST) at an as of yet undisclosed location. Wherever that be, it will not be in its traditional venue binary of either New York City's Madison Square Garden or Los Angeles' Staples Centre – instead, 2021 grammys' executive producer Ben Winston told Rolling Stone it would be in a "massive", "magical" building in LA. Comedian and Daily Show host Trevor Noah will host the ceremony.
The Grammy Awards will feature a blend of pre-records and live performances due to enduring coronavirus requirements, but the emphasis is on creating a live feeling. With the music industry trained over the last yearon how to present pre-recorded or socially-distanced performances, you can expect a blockbuster effort from the Recording Academy à la Dua Lipa's Studio 2054. Winston promised a "bespoke night of music that I don't know if we'll ever be able to repeat".
Written by Josh Martin, a Melbourne-based freelance music and media writer with words in MTV Australia, NME, Junkee, Crikey, etc. Follow him on Twitter @joshuamartjourn.
