This year’s Grammy Awards was a night for girl power, and music's top stars delivered with a series of powerful performances -- some of them edgy, some simply glorious.
Here is a look at the musical highlights of the night:
Provocative
Pop provocateur Janelle Monae and queen of sass Cardi B stunned with show-stopping numbers celebrating female sexuality.
Monae, whose futurist blend of pop and psychedelic funk scored her a nomination for Album of the Year, brought a girl gang to the stage to perform the Prince-influenced "Make Me Feel."
"Let the vagina have a monologue," the genre-bending performer said -- a lyric from her song "Django Jane."
Queen Cardi delivered a sexually charged rendition of her hit "Money," sporting leopard thigh-highs, peacock-style feathers and a flapper-esque wig as she gyrated for the crowd on a rhinestone-encrusted piano.
Pop perfection
Lady Gaga won three awards on the night, two of them for "Shallow," the signature song from her blockbuster film "A Star Is Born." When the moment came for her to belt out the song, she did not disappoint.
Rising Cuban-American star Camila Cabello kicked off the glamour-dripping night with a colorful performance of her sultry hit "Havana."
The Cuban-American raised in Miami was joined by rapper Young Thug, Colombian Latin trapper J Balvin and iconic trumpeter Arturo Sandoval for the infectious performance, which offered a bilingual portrait of diversity reflecting the massive influence of Latin music on the US charts.
And Jennifer Lopez wowed the audience with her exuberant ode to Motown that included inflections of salsa.
Legendary
Grammys night was crowned by two of the biggest stars in music history -- country legend Dolly Parton, and disco diva Diana Ross.
Parton, who was honoured at a pre-gala event as the MusiCares Person of the Year for her philanthropic contributions, joined forces with a constellation of singers including her goddaughter Miley Cyrus and pop star Katy Perry.
A powerful tribute to the late "Queen of Soul" Aretha Franklin saw Yolanda Adams, Fantasia Barrino and Andra Day -- who donned garters and a feathered mini skirt -- slay the late Queen of Soul's classic hit "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman," moving the crowd to its feet.
This article was first published on Bangkokpost.com, and is being republished under special arrangements.
