I Went to the Grammys and the Best Performance of the Night Majorly Took Me by Surprise

The Grammys just ruined live concerts for me

bruno mars grammys
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As a new member of the "avid concert-goer club"—this past year, I saw Kylie, Gaga and Beyoncé in person—I was absolutely thrilled to have a chance to attend this year's Grammys, accompanied by a fabulous stay in West Hollywood.

The 2026 ceremony was held at the Crypto.com Center Sunday night, and it was honestly next-level incredible. Of course, there were wild red carpet looks and plenty of controversial wins. But, y'all, those performances. One after another blew me away: Sabrina Carpenter, Reba McEntire, Pharrell Williams.

And then there was my favorite performance of the night: Bruno Mars (yes, I'm just as surprised as you are).

At-home viewers may have been more obsessed with Gaga (those of us who were in person mostly got to see cameras filming her close up and smoke obscuring her). However, Bruno Mars majorly delivered for our in-person audience (and the folks at home) with his solo single "I Just Might."

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The staging was fabulous. The song is catchy. His vocals were on point. And the whole thing gave throwback, nostalgic vibes. It was 10/10 for me.

And this wasn't his only performance of the night. He also opened the show with his hit "APT" with Rosé (another top-notch performance).

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Though Bruno stole my heart with his pair of performances, there were other notable moments during the Grammys. Of course, there was Sabrina Carpenter (I felt hugely fortunate to be able to see her live).

I also loved Best New Artist nominee Alex Warren (even if I did catch him having an awkward fist bump moment with a fan)...

As I mentioned, Grammys night wasn't my first live music rodeo of the year. Back in April, Kylie was incredible doling out old and new hits at Madison Square Garden. Beyoncé stunned me with a three-hour concert in the pouring rain. And then there was Gaga's 150-minute, five-act concert, which turned out to be the best thing I saw in 2025.

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But Grammys night took the cake for me. Wow, wow, wow. Talk about a spectacle and a half.

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Philip Mutz Headshot

VP, News and Entertainment

  • Oversees news and entertainment content
  • Is an award-winning playwright and has hosted two entertainment podcasts
  • Has 10+ years experience in entertainment coverage and viral media