In the midst of huge political upheaval in the United States, we are seeing one of the most political awards seasons in history. For instance, think the actors who couldn't stop speaking out at the SAG Awards or Meryl Streep's speech at the Golden Globes. And the Grammys were no different. Here are the most political moments from the 2017 Grammy Awards so far.
1. James Corden's anti-Trump rap
Host James Corden went with an introductory rap rather than a monologue, and it didn't take long before he mentioned the new president: "With President Trump we don't know what comes next / We sit here tonight, don't matter our race, where we were born or color of face / using this art, remember forever, we can survive by sticking together."
2. J.Lo quotes Toni Morrison
Straight out of the gate, first presenter J.Lo noted that artists should be using their voices. The singer quoted author Toni Morrison, saying "This is precisely the time when artists go to work. There is no time for despair, no place for self-pity, no need for silence, no room for fear."
3. Paris Jackson urges people to get involved with #noDAPL protests
Before introducing the Weeknd's performance, Paris Jackson made sure to mention a cause close to her heart. To the applauding audience, she said, "We can really use this kind of excitement at a pipeline protest, guys! #NoDAPL."
4. Katy Perry's political trifecta: white pantsuit, Constitution, #persist
Pop star Perry's latest song "Chained to the Rhythm" has already made waves for its political slant. Her performance of the tune at the Grammys, though, added even more political elements. Perry was wearing a white pantsuit, an armband that read "#persist," and capped off her rendition with the text of the Constitution projected onto her set. That's what they call a triple threat.
5. Beyoncé's acceptance speech
As expected, Beyoncé won Best Urban Contemporary Album for Lemonade, and she celebrated it by making a huge statement about her intentions as an artist. "We all experience pain and loss and often we become inaudible," she said. "My intention for the film and album was to create a body of work that will give a voice to our pain, our struggles, our darkness and our history, to confront issues that make us uncomfortable." Bey also said that she wanted "every child of every race" to be able to see themselves as "beautiful, intelligent, and capable"—leaving not a dry eye in the house.
6. Gina Rodriguez gives a shout out to women
Introducing Grammy winner Maren Morris and Alicia Keys' joint performance, the Jane the Virgin actress aptly noted, "When women stand together, we can do amazing things."
7. Laverne Cox #standswithgavin
When Doubt actress Cox, resplendent in a custom dress by Bryan Hearns, took the mic during the ceremony, she immediately mentioned Gavin Grimm, a transgender teenaged boy. "Please Google Gavin Grimm," she said. "He's going to the Supreme Court." The subject of the case is a policy barring Grimm from using the boys' bathroom at his Virginia high school, which Grimm's case is aiming to overturn.
8. A Tribe Called Quest: "Resist. Resist. Resist"
One of the year's most powerfully political songs was A Tribe Called Quest's "We the People." Not only does it invoke the Constitution in its title, but it also plainly critiques a society that won't accept people of all kinds. ATCQ, with help from Anderson .Paak and Busta Rhymes, performed the fiery track at the awards ceremony, and called upon the audience to "Resist. Resist. Resist."
The group, which broke an 18-year-long album hiatus with last year's We Got It From Here...Thank You 4 Your Service, dedicated their performance to those "pushing people who are in power to represent them tonight." Finally, Busta Rhymes gave Donald Trump a new, memorable epithet: President Agent Orange.
