The performer lineup for 56th annual Grammy Awards just got more eclectic. Among acts already on the bill were Daft Punk, Kendrick Lamar, Pink, and a supergroup of country legends such as Merle Haggard. Stevie Wonder, Pharrell Williams, and Nile Rodgers were reportedly set to join Daft Punk onstage.
Today, the Recording Academy confirmed the Daft Punk collaboration and expanded the list of performers. The latest additions include Metallica, Lorde, Katy Perry, and Robin Thicke. The metal legends will be joined by Chinese concert pianist Lang Lang, while the “Blurred Lines” crooner will team with Chicago. And with that, the Grammys officially have something for everybody (to live-tweet about).
Metallica are taking the Grammy stage for the first time since 1991. Their Metallica Through the Never (Music From the Motion Picture) soundtrack is nominated for Best Recording Package, though if it wins, the award will go not to the band but to the art directors. James Hetfield and co. should be all right, though — they’ve already won nine Grammys. Their collaborator, Lang Lang, performed with Herbie Hancock at the 2008 Grammys and is the Grammy “cultural ambassador” to China.
Lorde’s Grammy debut promises to be one of the show’s most-discussed performances. The New Zealand singer-songwriter is nominated for four Grammys, including both Record of the Year and Song of the Year for mayorally endorsed “Royals” and Best Pop Vocal Album for Pure Heroine. With this gig, she formally joins the music biz’s royals — if her impressive sales hadn’t put her there already.
Perry is nominated twice, for Song of the Year and Best Pop Solo Performance, both on the strength of motivational anthem “Roar,” from her more mature 2013 album Prism. There’s no mention of a collaborator, but Perry’s presence on the bill is a reminder that her recent “Who You Love”-video bull-riding partner John Mayer will probably be in the audience despite getting shut out of the nominations this year.
Thicke, fresh off being declared a British organization’s Sexist of the Year, has three Grammy nods. Last year’s best-selling song, “Blurred Lines” with Pharrell and T.I., is up for both Record of the Year and Best Pop/Duo Group Performance, while Blurred Lines the album will vie with Pure Heroine for Best Pop Vocal Album. His collaborators, Chicago, have never played the Grammys before, though their album The Chicago Transit Authority was recently inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
Wonder, for what it’s worth, has a stupendous 25 Grammys to his legendary name. Also joining Daft Punk, along with Pharrell and Chic’s Rodgers, will be Chris Caswell, Nathan East, Omar Hakim, and Paul Jackson Jr., the Random Access Memories session players. And in case you missed it: Lamar will be performing with Imagine Dragons, Pink will sing alongside fun.’s Nate Ruess, and Haggard will combine powers with Kris Kristofferson, Willie Nelson, and current nominee Blake Shelton. LL Cool J is once again booked to host the Grammys, which will be held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on January 26.
See where the Grammy performers ranked among SPIN’s 50 Best Songs of 2013 and SPIN’s 50 Best Albums of 2013.
