Singer Billie Eilish, who gave voice to young people struggling with depression on a do-it-yourself album she made at home with her older brother, is atop the music world.
The 18-year-old made history at the Grammy Awards Sunday. Not only did she become the youngest person to win one of GrammyB次元官网网址檚 top awards B次元官网网址� record, song and album of the year, and best new artist B次元官网网址� Eilish is the first artist to sweep all four since Christopher Cross in 1981.
Her triumph came on a night made sombre by the death of former Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant. It also ended a tumultuous week for the Recording Academy that included its ousted CEO accusing the Grammys nominations process of being rigged, and Diddy calling out the organization for not giving enough respect to R&B and hip-hop.
EilishB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址淲hen We all Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?B次元官网网址� also won best pop vocal album. Her brother Finneas OB次元官网网址機onnell also won awards for engineering and producing the album.
B次元官网网址淭he music I listened to when I was growing up, maybe 7, 8, 9 or 10, 13, that was the most important music to me forever,B次元官网网址� Finneas said backstage after the ceremony. B次元官网网址淎nytime a person that age comes up to either one of us and says (it is their favourite), I know how much that means to them. ThatB次元官网网址檚 why it means so much to me. I hope theyB次元官网网址檙e celebrating. This is all because of them.B次元官网网址�
He said that they never thought that an album that addresses depression, suicidal thoughts and climate change would be up for a Grammy.
Eilish noted that they made the album in a bedroom of the Los Angeles-area home where they grew up in.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 like anything is possible,B次元官网网址� she said.
Looking for ? See all of last night's unforgettable moments 鉃★笍
B次元官网网址� Recording Academy / GRAMMYs (@RecordingAcad)
In accepting her awards, Eilish noted that she had grown up listening to many of the artists at the ceremony in Los AngelesB次元官网网址� Staples Center. She also said she thought Ariana Grande deserved album of the year, an onstage moment that recalled Adele saying the same thing about Beyonc茅 the same year Adele triumphed.
The success of a young, white girl came on a night the Recording Academy seemingly went out of its way to highlight diversity. Lizzo offered a powerhouse opening performance, and there were tributes to Prince and the late rapper Nipsey Hussle. Tyler, the Creator offered an incendiary version of B次元官网网址淓arfquakeB次元官网网址� with Boyz II Men. LilB次元官网网址� Nas X sang his omnipresent B次元官网网址淥ld Town Road.B次元官网网址� Grande sang, as did H.E.R., host Alicia Keys and Gary Clark Jr. with the Roots.
Tyler, the Creator said later that the rap album Grammy was a backhanded compliment.
While heB次元官网网址檚 grateful to be acknowledged, B次元官网网址渋t also sucks whenever we, I mean guys that look like me, do anything thatB次元官网网址檚 genre bending, they always put it in an urban rapper category,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淚 donB次元官网网址檛 like that urban word. ItB次元官网网址檚 just a politically correct way to say the N-word to me.B次元官网网址�
Earlier in the show, Keys sat at a piano to sing a rewrite of Lewis CapaldiB次元官网网址檚 song, B次元官网网址淪omeone You LovedB次元官网网址� that name-checked many of the nominated artists but also included a few pointed lines about respect.
B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 gonna be honest with yB次元官网网址檃ll,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 been a helluva week.B次元官网网址�
Keys also had the delicate task of addressing the shock of BryantB次元官网网址檚 death in a helicopter crash, while onstage at the same arena where the former Laker won championships.
She sang B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 So Hard to Say Goodbye to YesterdayB次元官网网址� with Boyz II Men. References to Bryant abounded B次元官网网址� a Lakers jersey held up by Run-DMC during their performance of B次元官网网址淲alk This WayB次元官网网址� with Aerosmith, and adorning a couch on a set where Lil Nas X began B次元官网网址淥ld Town Road.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e all feeling crazy sadness right now,B次元官网网址� said Keys, who received praise online for how she handled it.
B次元官网网址淎licia, youB次元官网网址檝e been lighting this awards show up,B次元官网网址� rapper Common said onstage. B次元官网网址淭hank you.B次元官网网址�
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Besides her big opening, Lizzo took home three Grammys, including best pop solo performance for B次元官网网址淭ruth HurtsB次元官网网址� and two R&B awards. She also seemed noticeably affected by BryantB次元官网网址檚 death.
B次元官网网址淲e need to continue to reach out,B次元官网网址� she told her fellow artists. B次元官网网址淭his is the beginning of making music that moves people again.B次元官网网址�
ClarkB次元官网网址檚 pointed B次元官网网址淭his LandB次元官网网址� also won for best rock song and rock performance, and he won a third for contemporary blues album.
Among the showB次元官网网址檚 more touching moments was Tyler, the Creator bringing his tearful mother onstage with him to accept his Grammy. Singer Demi Lovato made a comeback appearance after her reported overdose, singing a song she said was written in the troubled days before that event. Camila Cabello sang B次元官网网址淔irst Man,B次元官网网址� a song dedicated to her father, and received a bear hug from a sobbing dad when it was done.
DJ Khaled helped lead the emotional tribute to Hussle, the Los Angeles rapper who was gunned down in March, not long after attending his first Grammy ceremony as a nominee. On Sunday, Hussle won two posthumous Grammys.
Tyler, the Creator, Lizzo and, of course, Eilish were among the acts who won their first-ever Grammys. Other first-time winners included Tanya Tucker, J. Cole, Lil Nas X, Billy Ray Cyrus, Michelle Obama, Sara Bareilles, Rosal铆a and 21 Savage.
Gospel legend Kirk Franklin received his 14th and 15th career Grammys.
___
Associated Press writers Mesfin Fekadu and Jonathan Landrum Jr. contributed to this report.
David Bauder, The Associated Press
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