The 59th Grammy Awards had no shortage of major moments: Beyoncé’s breathtaking performance and surprising loss in all major categories, Adele’s flub, a Prince tribute from the Time and Bruno Mars that electrified the audience and then, of course, a victory lap from Chance the Rapper, winner for new artist.
But there was lots of action the cameras didn’t catch.
Here’s a few that caught our attention.
Beyoncé getting a glimpse of her old self. During commercial breaks the audience was treated to past Grammy performances and at one point Prince and Beyoncé’s dazzling opening duet at the 2004 telecast was shown. As Beyoncé watched from her seat — after her ethereal showing — she fanned herself and danced a bit.
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Adele reacts to winning the award for song of the year for “Hello.” She also won record of the year.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Adele onstage after winning Album of the Year for “25.”
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Bruno Mars performs a tribute to Prince at the 59th Grammy Awards.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Chance the Rapper performs with a choir and Kirk Franklin.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Sturgill Simpson with The Dap Kings performs “All Around You.”
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Sturgill Simpson with The Dap Kings.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Cynthia Erivo, right, and John Legend
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Chance the Rapper
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Bruno Mars and Morris Day during the Prince tribute.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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A Tribe Called Quest with Anderson .Paak performs at the 59th Grammy Awards.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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A Tribe Called Quest and Anderson .Paak perform at the Grammys.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Songwriters Adele and Greg Kurstin accept the song of the year award for “Hello.”
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Pentatonix performs at the 59th Grammy Awards at Staples Center.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Andra Day performs during a tribute to the Bee Gees.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Little Big Town perform during the Bee Gees tribute.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Demi Lovato performs during a tribute to the Bee Gees.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Tori Kelly performs during a tribute to the Bee Gees.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Jimi Westbrook, left, Kimberly Schlapman, Karen Fairchild and Philip Sweet of group Little Big Town, and Demi Lovato, Andra Day and Tori Kelly perform a tribute to the Bee Gees.
(Kevin Winter / Getty Images for NARAS)
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Metallica and Lady Gaga perform onstage during the Grammys.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Lady Gaga crowd surfs while performing with Metallica.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Adele pays tribute to George Michael at the Grammys.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Beyonce accepts the award for best urban contemporary album for “Lemonade.”
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Katy Perry performs “Chained to the Rhythm” at the Grammys.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Bruno Mars performs “That’s What I Like” at the Grammy Awards.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Beyoncé performs at the 59th Grammy Awards.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Beyonce performed “Love Drought.”
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Beyoncé leans back on a throne-like chair while performing at the 59th Grammy Awards.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Lukas Graham and Kelsea Ballerini perform a mash-up of “7 Years” and “Peter Pan” at the Grammys.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Twenty One Pilots wins for pop duo/group performance for “Stressed Out.”
(Invision / Associated Press)
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Ed Sheehan
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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The Weeknd performs with Daft Punk.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Keith Urban and Carrie Underwood
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Paris Jackson introduces The Weeknd.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Chance the Rapper wins the rap album Grammy.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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James Corden hosts the 59th Grammy Awards at Staples Center.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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James Corden performs with backup dancers.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Margaret Cho at the 59th Grammy Awards pre-telecast show at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Members of Northern Cree perform at the pre-telecast show.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Carla Morrison performs at Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles at the pre-telecast show for the Grammy Awards.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Jesse Huerta and Joy Huerta of Jesse & Joy after winning the Grammy for Latin pop album.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Sarah Jarosz accepts the award for folk album.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Bobby Rush accepts his Grammy for traditional blues album.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Fantastic Negrito wins the award for contemporary blues album.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Patton Oswalt wins for comedy album at the pre-telecast show.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Chance the Rapper after winning the rap performance award for “No Problem.”
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Chance the Rapper takes the stage after winning the rap performance award for “No Problem.”
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Kalani Pe’a, at the Grammys’ pre-telecast show, wins the award for regional music album.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Sturgill Simpson picks up the award for country album.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Judy Collins performs at the pre-telecast show for the 59th Grammy Awards at the Microsoft Theater.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Emily Weisband at the Grammy Awards pre-telecast show.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Tamela Mann, left, wins for gospel performance/song for “God Provides” at the Grammy Awards pre-telecast show.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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White Sun, which won in the New Age category for its album “White Sun II,” is seen onstage at the Grammy Awards pre-telecast show.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Hillary Scott, second from left, and the Scott Family with their award for contemporary Christian music album.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Kirk Franklin accepts his Grammy for gospel album for “Losing My Religion.”
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Cynthia Erivo, center, of “The Color Purple” speaks for the winners for musical theater album at the 59th Grammy Awards pre-telecast show at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Jacob Collier wins at the 59th Grammy Awards pre-telecast show at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Luke Smallbone, left, Lauren Daigle and Joel Smallbone at the 59th Grammy Awards pre-telecast show at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Graphic designer Jonathan Barnbrook wins the recording package award for David Bowie’s “Blackstar” at the 59th Grammy Awards pre-telecast show at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Robert Glasper and Steve Berkowitz at the 59th Grammy Awards pre-telecast show at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.
Adele gets a little help from the audience. A year after her flawed performance on last year’s telecast sent the British virtuoso into tears, her two showings Sunday were each marked by trouble. Although the crowd didn’t seem to notice the singer’s struggle to hit a few notes during her opening performance of “Hello,” there was widespread shock when she stopped a minute into George Michael’s “Fastlove” and asked to start over.
“Wow .... I can’t do it like that,” she said to gasps and whispers. The crowd quickly cheered her on as she powered through a second take, and she tearfully buried her face in her hands and shook her head before leaving the stage.
Ken Ehrlich’s call to action. During pre-show remarks Sunday night, longtime Grammys producer Ehrlich implored the night’s winners to be more outspoken during speeches. “If you have record labels and such to thank, please thank them later backstage with the press and say something important. We’re expecting it,” he said. Though he didn’t explicitly call for any particular political statements to be made, it was clear he wanted artists to use their time on stage to do more than toast their teams.
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The celebratory pre-show. In the hours before the main telecast, more than 70 trophies were handed out in a ceremony at the Microsoft Theater. Anyone with a ticket to the main telecast can go, but the far more laid-back affair attracts a smaller crowd and only a handful of performances break up the monotony of nonstop awards. Still, those who opted instead to hang on the red carpet missed out.
Judy Collins paid tribute to the late Leonard Cohen with a searing take of “Suzanne” that yielded a lengthy standing ovation. Rory Feek honored his late wife, Joey, telling the audience while accepting the award for roots gospel album that she told him: “Remember: If we win, I’ll know before you do.” And there was the sheer joy of seeing Chance the Rapper nab his first-ever Grammy and sprint to the stage with the words “Thank You” written across his hoodie.
A crowd unfamiliar with the music. Seeing what captures the audience and what doesn’t go over as well inside Staples Center always makes for an intriguing watch. But not as fascinating as seeing what an arena-sized crowd jams out to on music’s biggest night.
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The crowd seemed unfamiliar with Katy Perry’s new upbeat, politically charged single “Chained to the Rhythm” and didn’t connect with its message until the Constitution was projected onto the stage (there were also references to Planned Parenthood and President Trump’s border wall). Yet A Tribe Called Quest’s more overt message of resistance was met with immediate rapture.
Since Metallica and Lady Gaga’s performance was marred by a technical glitch, no one knew what was going on as frontman James Hetfield’s microphone was silenced. After the mishap he kicked over a mike stand and forcefully tossed his guitar offstage, with a tech barely able to catch it.
Chance the Rapper’s medley was a glorious display, but it took a full gospel choir to get the crowd excited. Meanwhile, after Beyoncé’s inspiring performance of the emotional ballads from “Lemonade” she’d yet to perform on tour, a female audience member leaned over to mention how she’d yet to see the singer’s provocative visual album and asked if that’s where the music was from.
And despite its being a night of music, there was only one sing-along, which came courtesy of host James Corden’s fun sendup of his “Carpool Karaoke” segment when he performed Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline” surrounded by celebs.
Blue Ivy was the belle of the Grammy ball. Beyoncé and Jay Z’s daughter, Blue, was a scene-stealer for most of the night.
The 5-year-old cheered on her mom and got close enough to the stage that her dad had to pull her back. She also danced near the aisle as Mars performed and made a cameo in Corden’s star-studded karaoke bit.
She also hung out with Rihanna, who could be seen throughout the night sipping from a diamond-encrusted flask (Rihanna also failed to pay attention to her own category, applying makeup as the nominees were read). Blue Ivy did it all in deadly adorable pink Gucci tuxedo and ruffle blouse that would have made Prince proud.
Gerrick D. Kennedy is a former staff writer for the Los Angeles Times. He covered music and pop culture from 2009 to 2019. In 2012, Kennedy was named Emerging Journalist of the Year by the National Assn. of Black Journalists and in 2014 the Advocate featured him in its annual 40 Under 40 list. He is also the author of “Parental Discretion Is Advised: The Rise of N.W.A and the Dawn of Gangsta Rap.”
