5:14 p.m. It’s type of good to see Billie with a extremely large backing band of reside gamers! — A.B.
And this parched desert panorama — two for 2 on L.A.-centric performances. — M.W.
“Birds of a Feather” appears like a kind of songs that’ll be round endlessly. I’ve most likely heard it 150 occasions? Nonetheless dig it. — M.W.
5:12 p.m. Trevor Noah getting in some gentle cracks about being deported. Will that simply be a darkish undertone of the evening or will anybody converse up extra forcefully? — A.B.
Really feel like Noah simply live-blogged the whole final 12 months of music in six minutes. I’m drained! — M.W.
5:10 p.m. Marvel what palms Sam Altman greased for Trevor Noah to counsel AI could make a brand new Rihanna album occur. — A.B.
5:05 p.m. Fairly large second for native rock to offer stalwarts Dawes (whose singer and drummer misplaced houses and studios within the Eaton Hearth) such an enormous opener with “I Love L.A.” with John Legend, Brad Paisley, St. Vincent, Sheryl Crow and Brittany Howard. — A.B.
St. Vincent finessing that indelibly ‘80s synth solo — love to see it. — M.W.
5:03 p.m. Best line from Trevor Noah’s opening monologue about our city’s id as the worldwide hub of pop music: “L.A. was the city where Snoop first mixed gin and juice.” — M.W.
5:00 p.m. Effectively, August, right here we discover ourselves but once more. Clearly, the massive awards-centric query is whether or not Beyoncé lastly wins album of the 12 months — or the Recording Academy simply goes forward and renames the prize after Taylor Swift. Every other tight races you’re watching? — M.W.
Mikael, it’s lastly time for the inimitable excessive drama that solely Music’s Greatest Night time can supply. The fires clearly shall be an enormous theme for the evening, and a giant accountability for the Academy to honor. It’s such an undisputed enormous 12 months for glorious pop that I’m holding out for a minimum of one insane Basic Grammy Curveball, like an André 3000 win for album. — A.B.