This is Rihanna in confessional, personal mode.
And she's singing in a way that reveals plenty of vulnerability. And the song seems loaded, given all the public knows about her personal life. I'm really invested in this one. How could you not be?
Rihanna slows it down for an emotional performance of "Stay." That was pretty awesome.
"Funny, you're the broken one/ But I'm the only one who needed saving." A lot of honesty in that lyric.
As beautiful as that performance was, I'm bowled over by Rihanna's beauty tonight. Great dress, beautiful minimal jewelry, swingy loose hair ...
Boom! Right into the GRAMMY for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration we go. Congratulations to Jay-Z and Kanye (featuring Frank Ocean and the Dream).
Did you know? Bruno Mars, Rihanna and Sting, like Bob Marley, are from the islands. (Bruno: Hawaii; Rihanna: Barbados; and Sting: the British Isles). OK, we're stretching it a bit on Sting, but the music of the Police was deeply infused with reggae.
GRAMMY Fact: The Marley family have a combined 17 GRAMMY wins.
Bruno is rocking out to "Locked Out" here with Sting. Smashing! Hard to say who's the bigger superstar.
The funky reggae vibe works well in this Marley tribute. And it's totally uptempo, super-energetic, with Mars' sweet vocals lending a smooth, polished surface.
Do you hear a little Police influence in this gleaming hit? I do,and not just because Sting's onstage. The reggae pokes through the pop-rock verses.
We could walk forever for sure to this tune. Sting has always been a genius bass player. The voice hasn't diminished either. And: looking good!
Staples Center is engulfed in the warming sounds of this performance. Backstage everybody is tapping, swaying along. #GRAMMYs
Here comes Jamaica, by way of Barbados: Rihanna has joined the Marleys for the timeless "Could You Be Loved."
Marley family tidbit: Damian, the youngest of Bob Marley's sons, is a three-time GRAMMY winner. Junior Gong is his nickname (remember Bob Marley was "Tuff Gong?").
We've entered rasta heaven -- Rihanna bridges the distance between Barbados and Jamaica beautifully. It's pretty evident she feels this song. But then, who doesn't? The audience is loving this.
More on the Marley clan: Ziggy Marley is the oldest of Bob Marley's offspring. He was the leader of the Melody Makers, which featured three other Marley siblings -- Cedella, Stephen and Sharon.
