Beyonce — arguably the most highly-anticipated act at the 2017 Grammys — did not disappoint.
The performer, who is pregnant with twins, was introduced by her mother, Tina Knowles, who bragged about her Grammy-nominated daughters.
“Ladies and gentleman, with a mother’s pride, Beyonce,” Knowles announced.
Beyonce started her performance with holographic imagery projected on a giant screen that eventually gave way to the singer walking out live on stage. During the visually striking show, Beyonce performed two tracks from “Lemonade” — “Love Drought” and “Sandcastles” — sung between poetic lines.
“Do you remember being born?” the singer asked. At one point, there were images of three generations of her family, including her mother, and her daughter Blue Ivy Carter.
Clad in a golden gown and headdress, Beyonce performed on a long table surrounded by backup dancers. She sat on a chair and leaned back in a gravity-defying trick that those inside the theater said took some time to set up before the act. It was an ode to motherhood, with many images alluding to childbirth.
Going into the ceremony, Beyonce was nominated for a nine awards for her visual album, “Lemonade,” which gave her a chance to break or at least tie two major Grammy records: most trophies in a single night, as well as the record for most all-time Grammy wins by a female artist. But by the time she took the stage to perform, Beyonce had already lost four of the first five awards.
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Watch Beyonce’s performance below:
