Best To Worst Dressed At The 2019 Grammys
Before the 61st Annual Grammy Awards even kicked off on Feb. 10, 2019, the show was plagued by a major dose of controversy. While Kendrick Lamar, Childish Gambino, and Drake all refused to perform, Ariana Grande took things one step further, engaging in a public Twitter feud with show producer Ken Ehrlich in which she accused him of stifling her creativity and self-expression.
Although some of the music industry's biggest artists decided to skip the show, countless megawatt stars still showed up to watch Alicia Keys host and #GirlPower rule the night. We're talking Lady Gaga, Cardi B, Miley Cyrus, Janelle Monáe and so many more. Even Michelle Obama made a surprise appearance! As Keys pointed out at the start of the night: Who run the world? GIRLS!
And before any golden gramophones were handed out, said boss babes turned the red carpet at the Los Angeles Staples Center into a catwalk filled with tulle, sparkle, and plenty of daring choices. And yes, some of the male nominees also came to play. Others, well, they missed the mark. Here are the best to worst dressed celebs from the 2019 Grammys.
Bebe Rexha had her redeeming moment
After picking up two nominations, including one for best new artist, Rexha was (understandably) overjoyed. "I always dreamed of this moment because it's something that would validate me," she said of the recognition. "I always wanted to make myself feel like I truly made it. For me, this is everything."
That elation turned to anger, however, when a slew of designers allegedly refused to dress her for the ceremony due to her size. "A lot of them do not want to dress me because I'm too big," she claimed in an Instagram video (via iHeartRadio). "Literally, I'm too big. You're saying that all the women in the world that are size 8 and up are not beautiful and can't wear your dresses," she continued, proclaiming that if that is the case, "I don't want to wear your f***ing dresses."
It's that fire that Rexha brought to the red carpet in a red Monsoori gown with a plunging neckline and tulle for days. We're talking tulle on tulle on tulle and, as she told Ryan Seacrest before the show, it made her "feel like a princess." And look like one too!
Lady Gaga rocked more than 100 carats of diamonds
No one could have expected Lady Gaga's transition from music to the small screen to be as successful as it was, but the multi-time Grammy winner is now also an Oscar-nominated actress. Clearly vowing to live her best life, Gaga has been slaying awards season with lewks that are fashion-forward but muted compared to her meat dress of yesteryear. She truly transformed herself into a lady for the Critics' Choice Awards and Golden Globes, and the Grammys saw a continuation of this oh-so-mature Mother Monster.
Donning a floor-length Celine gown designed by Hedi Slimane, which was covered in sequins, Gaga turned on the sparkle and matched it with ... more sparkle! More than 100 carats, to be exact. On her ears, hidden under her softly tousled blonde mane, were 10-carat princess-cut diamond earrings, which she paired with a 91-carat dazzler of a necklace, both courtesy of Tiffany & Co. The stunning collier took more than a year to make, according to People, and helped transform the pop star into the (shiniest) disco dame of the ball.
Miley Cyrus took power dressing to the next level
Another pop star whose wild child days seem to be a thing of the past is Ms. Miley Cyrus. The "Nothing Breaks Like a Heart" songstress has become a proud wifey, and, as we saw at the 2019 Grammys, a fierce collaborator. Not only did Cyrus deliver a memorable duet with Shawn Mendes, singing his smash hit "In My Blood," but she also paid tribute to her Godmother, Dolly Parton. Two performances, and not a pasty or foam finger in sight.
Instead, the young talent seemed to take a cue from Lady Gaga and traded in her extravagant fashion of yesteryear for a selection of more sophisticated suits, which took power dressing to the next level. Her red carpet appearance in a black pantsuit with an oversized jacket from Mugler's pre-fall collection slayed extra hard, especially when paired with sky-high strappy heels. And did we mention she forgot her shirt all night? So yes, there's still a little Miley in Miley!
Shawn Mendes showed the guys how it's done
Ahh, Shawn Mendes. Could he get any cuter? We didn't think so, until the Canadian showed up on the Grammy red carpet rocking the most perfectly tailored suit. Nominated for two awards, including song of the year, Mendes sang his heart out alongside Miley Cyrus, performing his unstoppable hit, "In My Blood." The performance made our hearts skip a beat, but not as much as they did when he appeared in his navy Paul Smith suit and black Givenchy shoes.
Leaving the collar on his black shirt open, Mendes skipped out on a tie, making the outfit more age (and Grammy) appropriate. Perhaps the only thing sweeter was the mystery date he brought with him: his dad! Yup, the crooner opted to roll up to the awards with his father, Manuel Mendes, as his +1 and, seriously, we can barely handle all of these feels.
Dua Lipa went full glam
She may still be new to the game, but Dua Lipa slayed with one of the most glam looks of the night at the 2019 Grammy Awards. The London native, who has blown up on the music scene with smash hit singles such as "New Rules" and "IDGAF," took home her first Grammy (she won best dance recording for "Electricity" and completely lost it), but she proved she's no newbie when it comes to red carpet dressing.
The Brit was pure sophistication as she strolled down the red carpet in a strapless silver Versace gown with a flattering sweetheart neckline, sequin-covered skirt, and long satin train that wrapped around the curve-hugging bodice in a criss-cross pattern. Topping it all off was a gorgeous statement-making Bvlgari necklace paired with sparkly diamond rings on nearly every finger. As for her beauty routine, the starlet kept it simple with a fierce bob and nude lip that perfectly complemented this flashy frock. Get it, girl!
Janelle Monáe was, well, Janelle Monáe
If there's one diva we can always rely on to be completely true to herself and unapologetically don a bold fashion choice, it's Janelle Monáe. As The Cut pointed out, "thank goodness for Janelle Monáe on the Grammys red carpet" because before she showed up, "there weren't any outfits that made you pause the red carpet livestream and want to zoom in on the photo." Fit for a sexy futuristic goddess, the white and burgundy dress paired pointed shoulders that went up, up, up with a low-cut neckline and soft pleating across the body and sleeves. Sure, the bottom hem looked like it may have been chewed on by several dogs, but as StyleCaster noted, it turned the nominee "into a piece of abstract art," and that deserves props.
And let's not forget the headpiece. The "hat" she chose was made up of gold flecks crowning her head with some sort of square cardboard cutout perched around it. As cray as it may have been, The Cut made a very good point in noting that "amid a sea of blowouts and simple updos, the accessory broke up the monotony." Because no one likes monotony. This was truly a work of Monáe.
Cardi B shut down the red carpet
It's Cardi B's world, and we're just living in it. The Bronx rapper reigned in 2018 when her album, Invasion of Privacy, snagged the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200 chart as soon as it dropped in April. Along the way, she's also landed a Super Bowl Pepsi commercial, boosted her Instagram following to more than 40 million, and graced countless fashion covers, proving she's a style force with which to be reckoned.
Whether it's bright pink hair, mile-long neon nails, daring lingerie looks, or high fashion outfits, she's never been one to shy away from making a statement. But at the 2019 Grammy Awards, Cardi B outdid even herself, pulling a vintage Mugler look that completely shut down the red carpet. Why? Because she was blossoming out of it like a modern-day mermaid-flower-Venus-oyster hybrid. Comprised of a sheer bodysuit embroidered with pearls down there (and a drop pearl belly button, because of course) and a black skirt opening up into a pink shell-like creation, the 1995 frock was pure couture. Love it or hate it, this was also pure Cardi. Seriously, though, Botticelli's Venus has a run for her money.
Alicia Keys went comfy... too comfy
Alicia Keys is a woman of her word. When the 15-time Grammy winner was tapped as host, she promised, "There's so much in store and I can't wait for y'all to see it all come to life," and she wasn't kidding. Can we talk about Michelle Obama's appearance?
Despite having an instantly viral teleprompter slip-up, which Cosmopolitan dubbed a "majorly cringe" moment (she called Clarence Avant a "Mongol" instead of a "mogul,") Keys did her hosting duties justice, keeping things light, fun, and positive. She also slayed on the fashion front ... most of the time. The look she donned for the longest chunk of the show was, um, relaxed, to say the least. Although Nylon dubbed it "a huge mood," her green pantsuit with a fringed belt, paired with a multi-colored Emilio Pucci scarf around her head, looked more like an outfit you'd wear to lounge in while watching the show rather than hosting it. Sorry, Alicia.
Katy Perry looked like a pastry
Pink is great. There's nothing wrong with pink. Except when it looks like you're being engulfed by it, as was the case with Katy Perry's interesting red carpet choice. The haute couture gown was designed by Balmain and came straight off the runway from the label's spring 2019 couture collection, but the shiny silver bodice, which melted into baby pink and then exploded into a puff of pastry-esque tulle layers turned the pop star into the center of countless memes.
While one Twitter user compared her look to Hostess Sno Balls, another was reminded of a Barbie cake, but no matter the dessert, most could agree this dish was making them hungry. Except for those who thought it was more reminiscent of a tissue paper ornament. At least Katy Kat's short blond waves, natural makeup, and adorable mismatched feather earrings helped save the day, even if just a little bit.
Kylie Jenner left everyone speechless
Kylie Jenner, is that you? The reality TV star threw fans a major curve ball when she traded in her signature curve-hugging silhouette for an avant-garde suit that Cosmopolitan aptly dubbed "the most un-Kylie outfit" imaginable. Comprised of a bubblegum pink jumpsuit with a daring neckline, the bizarre sartorial choice was made all the more eyebrow-raising with a white bedazzled belt, white heels, and glove-sleeves that covered her arms but left her shoulders bare as they wrapped across her chest, leaving just the tiniest glimpse of cleavage. No, we have no idea what's going on here either.
Similar to Katy Perry's meme-worthy pastry dress, this look came directly from Balmain's Spring/Summer 2019 Couture show (that explains the similarity in color!), but as fashion-forward as the reality star may have been trying to be, The Huffington Post summed it up best, calling the whole thing a "confusing pink mess."