As 2013 comes to a close, the best of music 2013 is coming ever nearer. Tonight (Dec. 6), many of music's biggest stars gathered in Los Angeles for the sixth Grammys Nominations concert. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Taylor Swift, Lorde and more performed to help bring in the biggest night in music.
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis started the whole hourlong broadcast with a rousing performance of "Thrift Shop." Opening up with an adorable little girl who asked the rap duo if they wanted to go thrift shopping, Macklemore easily slid through the track, while Lewis acted as his hype man.
Soon after, the progressive rap duo were rewarded for all their hard work with two major Grammy nominations: one for Song of the Year ("Same Love," feat. Mary Lambert) and Album of the Year for The Heist.
The rap duo were then followed by an Australian performance from Taylor Swift, who rocked "I Knew You Were Trouble" all the way from Sydney. Beginning in an elaborate, old school gown, the country songstress eventually stripped down to a black bodysuit, looking as sexy and strong as the song suggested.
In weird mash-ups that shouldn't have worked but did, Keith Urban and Miguel blended country and R&B together for a rendition of Bill Withers' "Ain't No Sunshine." Both toned down their respective genres to meet in the middle, and Urban's guitar works helped to blend into Miguel's strong vocals, while Miguel's keyboard helped soothe Urban's Southern voice. Seriously. This should not have sounded half as amazing as it did, but the collaboration was a true highlight of Friday night.
Much like Swift, Katy Perry phoned in a performance from Canada. The Prism songstress sang "Roar" on an intimate stage, explaining the true impact of the song before rocking it out. "I did the goosebump test. I knew it would be a good song, it would do something and be important, but I had no idea it would take on a life of its own. I hope this song inspired you guys and helped bring out that self-strength," she said. "I hope you guys found your ‘Roar’ through all of this, even if you didn’t think you had it.”
Soon after, 17-year-old Lorde proved she really was the best new thing in music (despite a Best New Artist snub) with a captivating performance of "Royals." It seems impossible than one teen could take up an entire arena, but Lorde managed to fill the L.A. venue with just her voice and some simple keyboard and drum backing.
Eventually, Robin Thicke (with a little help from Earth Wind & Fire) closed out the night with a rousing edition of his 12-week No. 1 single "Blurred Lines," showcasing that 2013 truly was a strong year in music.
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