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Grammys 2014: Top 5 Performances Of The Night

Mara Hyman |
January 27, 2014 | 2:05 p.m. PST

Associate Entertainment Editor

Last night's Grammy Awards were filled with a memorable and eclectic array of performances spanning different music styles. Here are our top 5 performances of the evening, in order:

1) Beyonce and Jay Z - "Drunk in Love"

The power couple proved to us all why they run the world. This was the opening performance of the show, starting with Beyonce on a chair delivering her powerhouse vocals. Her husband delivered in the rap portion, but Beyonce stood out on the rotating platform, booty pooping among flashing lights and smoke. It was their first time performing the song on TV, but they definitely delivered. The only thing that would've made the performance a 10/10 would be if they transitioned from "Drunk in Love" to "Crazy in Love."

2) Imagine Dragons and Kendrick Lamar - "Radioactive" and "m.A.A.d. City"

In what was one of the more unusual pairings of the night, Imagine Dragons and Kendrick Lamar's styles blended together seamlessly for an interesting, high-energy performance. The two really delivered and seemed to have fun with it, going into full "rock star mode." The visuals were also stunning, with smoke exploding from the stage like steam. Dan Renolds and Kendrick Lamar, dressed in white, were covered in red from the colored smoke effects. 

3) Daft Punk, Pharrell Williams and Stevie Wonder - "Get Lucky"

Another unusual but successful collaboration included the great Stevie Wonder, who performed alongside Pharrell Williams to the hit "Get Lucky." The stage was set up to look like a recording studio, with the "robots" of Daft Punk jamming out in the booth. They also included hints of other songs Daft Punk's "Harder Better Faster Stronger" and Chic's "Le Freak." It then transitioned into Stevie singing his classic hit "Another Star." Overall the performance had a funky disco feel, and Stevie added a refreshing cool flair to the popular song.

4) Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr - "Queenie Eye"

Playing on a bright, technicolored piano, Sir Paul McCartney performed his latest single "Queenie Eye" with help from his fellow Beatles member Ringo Starr on drums. This was actually Ringo's second performance of the night, as he sang "Photograph" earlier. One of the highlights was seeing Yoko Ono dancing along in the audience. Displayed on the screen were scenes from Paul's "Queenie Eye" music video. At the end, the two clasped hands and took a big bow, smiling.

5) Carole King and Sara Bareilles - "Beautiful" and "Brave"

This was truly the night of strange-yet-flawless collaborations. Case in point with Carole King and Sara Bareilles, who performed on two grand pianos next to each other. Carole started with her classic "Beautiful," seamlessly transitioning into Sara singing "Brave," two songs that surround the same message lyrically. They harmonized on the chorus of "Brave," which added a richness and depth to the song that it hadn't had previously. You can tell how excited Sara is by her sheepish grin during the entire song. 

What were your favorite Grammy performances?

Reach Associate Entertainment Editor Mara Hyman here.



 

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