Entertainment

Major Setbacks Hit This Grammy Performance

by Keertana Sastry

Rihanna, Kanye West, and Paul McCartney. Honestly, I still can't get over this trio as an actual combination. Who would have thought three people with two different musical styles would make such a great song together? When the trio released this single off of Rihanna's newest album, the result was electric. But even more so than the wonderful single, the performance from McCartney, Rihanna and West at Sunday night's 2015 Grammys, was quite the memorable moment in the telecast. It wasn't just because Paul McCartney's mic troubles (or micgate as I am now calling it), but also because West and Rihanna showed a more subdued style of performing.

It's very clear that while McCartney doesn't provide a bunch of vocals because his mic seemed to be mysteriously off (or, at the very least lowered to a low hum), he clearly provided his younger cohorts with sage wisdom and, more importantly, the ability to be calm and not have to be crazy while performing onstage. The music video for the single was definitely an indication of what was to come, as was Kanye West's previous solo performance on the same Grammys stage. The staging could have used some more cohesiveness, it looked as though the stage was trying to imitate the single's music video. But, to be honest, I didn't care.

The straightforward performance was a refreshing change of pace for West and Rihanna and consistently great for all of McCartney's performances (though, I have to admit that Kanye still played hype man a little during the song, as per usual). In fact, McCartney must have had more of an impact than we really realize as the trio's outfits were a bit reminiscent of McCartney's heyday with The Beatles. After this, I can't wait to see more of this trio together and more of this style of music from all three artists separately as well. If Rihanna's new album continues to surprise with different types of music like this, I'll be first in line to buy it.