2021 Grammy Awards: Every Moment That Went Viral

Award Shows By TooFab Staff |
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SThese are the moments Twitter just couldn't stop talking about.

Music's biggest night went down on Sunday and -- just like every other award show this year -- the Grammys were a little different in 2021.

Trevor Noah was tapped as this year's emcee and hosted from outside the Staples Center, while nominees also attended, masks and all, in an open-air tent in Downtown Los Angeles. Performances, meanwhile, mostly went down at a stage set up nearby.

It was a big night for both Megan Thee Stallion and Beyonce, the latter of whom made history by breaking the record for the most wins by a female artist. With 28, she topped Alison Krauss' 27 and tied Quincy Jones. Now she and Jones are only second to conductor Georg Solti, who holds 31 Grammys. Taylor Swift also made history by becoming the first woman to win Album of the Year three times.

Below are the biggest moments of the night.

The Grammy Preshow Wins

A number of awards were handed out before the telecast even began, with trophies getting dolled out during the pre-show. One of the most surprised to take home a win right off the bat was Megan Thee Stallion, who won Best Rap Performance for her track "Savage" with Beyonce -- her first Grammy ever.

After a good thirty shocked seconds of celebration, the rapper thanked God, her grandmother, Beyonce and her fans, as she got choked up. "Just thank everybody who is rocking with me and riding with me for a long time. I love y'all so much. Thank you for just believing in me, hotties."

Other big wins went to Beyonce and Blue Ivy -- the 9-year-old's first win, as one of the youngest nominees ever -- for Best Music Video for "Brown Skin Girl," Ice T for Best Metal Performance with his band Body Count and Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande, who picked up the Best Pop Duo/Group Performance award for "Rain on Me." That win edged out BTS in their first and only Grammy nomination for 2021.

Billie Eilish and brother Finneas also accepted an award for Best Written Song for Visual Media for the Bond anthem "No Time to Die," despite the movie not actually having been released due to pandemic delays.

Trevor Noah's Opening Monologue

The Daily Show host kicked off the show from an open-air tent in front of the Staples Center, while poking fun at the unique setup for this year's event. Joking that the Los Angeles air might be "as dangerous as Covid," Noah said the Grammys would be "the biggest outdoor event this year, besides the storming of the Capitol."

"This is going to be the rare award show where the white stuff going up people's noses is cotton swabs," he continued as he talked about the safety precautions put in place during the pandemic. After saying the nominees would all be seated at outside tables waiting for their categories to be announced, he also made a crack about the Meghan Markle and Prince Harry drama with the royal family, saying, "there's more tension in that tent than at a family reunion at Buckingham Palace."

He then introduced the first performer of the night, Harry Styles, by joking he'll "steal your heart and your dress and he'll look damn good doing it." After the performance, he added it was hard to believe that "someone that talented and handsome [as Harry] is from the same place as Boris Johnson."

Harry Freakin' Styles

Speaking of Harry, he launched into an electrifying performance of "Watermelon Sugar" that certainly got Twitter talking.

Between his dance moves, boa and amazing abs, there was certainly a lot to take in ... and we're not mad.

Lizzo and Megan Thee Stallion Are the Perfect Pair

Lizzo was recruited to hand out the first award of the night and it didn't exactly go off without a hitch. First, she accidentally said "bitch" during primetime, giving a big 'ol "Whoops!" after she let it slip. Then, when it was time to read the winner, she couldn't open the envelope.

Megan heckled her from the crowd ... only to then win the category. She was shocked as she took the stage, standing silent at the microphone as she tried to collect her thoughts. As she started to give her speech, a loud car drove by, showing the unpredictability of the outdoor venue.

Was That Glenn Close?!?

No, it wasn't ... or at least we don't think ... but Glenn Close's name started to pop up all over Twitter during DaBaby's performance of "Rockstar."

Why? Well, one of the people in his two-person choir looked just like her.

Dula Peep Scorches Up the Stage

Her name may be Dua Lipa, but "Dula Peep" is what started trending as excited fans started tweeting about her discotastic performance of songs from her "Future Nostalgia" album.

The Dula Peep moniker began after Wendy Williams mispronounced her name during her talk show once. Fans embraced it and a trend was born.

Taylor Swift Brings Us Into the Woods

Taylor Swift built a whole damn cabin for her performance of songs from her dual "folklore" and "evermore" albums. She was joined by Jack Antonoff and Aaron Dessner for the medley, which included "Cardigan," "August" and "Willow," the trio's first time performing them live and Taylor's first Grammy performance in five years.

Viewers were living for the drama.

Taylor's Reaction to Harry Styles' Win

While Taylor Swift fans probably would have been a little happier had she won Best Pop Solo Performance -- but they were also ecstatic over her celebratory reaction to her ex-boyfriend, Harry Styles, taking home the trophy instead.

It was his first ever Grammy win and, as some noted, she was the first one to jump out of her chair and give him a standing ovation for his win.

The two were also seen talking to each other at one point during the ceremony, in video which surfaced on YouTube. Everything looked wonderfully cordial.

WAP Comes to CBS

The 2021 Grammys really were Megan's night. After winning two awards, she hit the stage for a performance with one helluva production value.

After singing "Body" and "Savage" solo -- while surrounded by some truly impressive tap-dancers -- Cardi B came out in a sexy sci-fi getup to perform "Up" as Meg went backstage for a quick change. After finishing "Up," Cardi started dancing on the pole -- the hell of a giant stripper heel -- as "WAP" started playing.

This being CBS, they had to go with the "Wet and Gushy" version, but the girls definitely didn't keep the dancing PG. And we wouldn't have it any way. Post Malone's reaction shots were all of us.

Beyonce Makes History

Megan Thee Stallion and Beyonce won Best Rap Song, bringing Megan's tally to three awards for the night and Beyonce's to 27 in her lifetime. That stat had her tied with Alison Krauss for the most Grammy wins ever by any artist ... but the tie didn't last long.

Megan spoke first at the podium, taking the time to really thank Bey for her support and encouragement and for being an inspiration to her throughout her life. "If you know me, you have to know that ever since I was little, I was like you know what, I'm gonna grow up and be the rap Beyonce," she said, joking that her personal mantra was "What would Beyonce do ... but make it a little ratchet."

"I want to give my love to Megan, I have so much respect to you," said Bey when she took the mic, making it short and sweet. "Houston, we love you, thank you Grammys!"

Beyonce then not only tied history, but made it later in the hour when she won Best R&B Performance -- her 28th Grammy. She was more emotional the second time she took to the podium, saying it was her goal to "uplift, encourage and celebrate all of the beautiful Black queens and kings that continue to inspire me and inspire the world" with her latest record.

"This has been so overwhelming. I've been working my whole life and I can't believe this happened, it's such a magical night," she said, before also giving a shoutout to Blue Ivy for her win before the show. "I'm so proud of you."

Lil Baby Makes a Big Statement

In perhaps one of the biggest productions of the night, Lil Baby's performance of "The Bigger Picture" was a show stopper. It began with actor and activist Kendrick Sampson becoming victim to police brutality, before activist Tamika Mallory took a podium and called out President Joe Biden, demanding "justice, equity, policy and everything else freedom accomplishes."

The performance also included Killer Mike and what looked like a recreation of the burning down of the Wendy's where Rayshard Brooks was killed.

BTS Once Again Tops Themselves

BTS once again lit up the stage like "Dynamite" near the end of the show. While a lot of their choreography was similar to what fans have seen during previous performances of the massive hit at the Billboards and the VMAs, the group always finds a way to surprise people.

This time, they took their performance from a studio, up a stairwell and onto the rooftop of a building in Seoul, South Korea. It was, as always, impressive --and ARMY ate it up.

Billie Eilish Shocked by Big Win

Record of the Year went to Billie Eilish, who did not expect to take home the trophy. Hitting the podium with her brother Finneas, she said she was going to write a speech about how Megan Thee Stallion deserved to win, but didn't write anything because she figured Megan would win.

"You deserve this. You had a year that I think is unstoppable. You are a queen, I want to cry thinking about how much I love you," Eilish said to Megan. "You're so beautiful, you're so talented. You deserve everything in the world. I think about you constantly. I root for you always. You deserve this, honestly. Genuinely, this goes to her, can we just cheer for Megan Thee Stallion, please?"

She then thanked her team, the Academy and her brother, before calling it a night.

Every Must-See Look from the 2021 Grammy Awards Red Carpet View Photos
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