It's the biggest night in music, and this year, you can expect a star-studded affair at the 2018 Grammy Awards. Noted fashion queen and nominee Rihanna has just been added to the list of performers. Other than enchanting us with a seriously stunning entrance and another iconic look for the books, she'll also be performing alongside DJ Khaled and Bryson Tiller, which means we can look forward to live rendition of "Wild Thoughts." Rihanna is nominated for Best Rap/Sung Performance for "Loyalty;" she features on the Kendrick Lamar track.
It's clear that Recording Academy is looking for star power to entice viewers to tune into the broadcast. They're pulling out the biggest women in pop and hip hop for a turn on the stage: so far, we know that Cardi B, Lady Gaga, Miley Cyrus, Alessia Cara, P!nk, Kesha, and SZA will be performing, all of whom are nominated for awards.
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What about other female nominees? Taylor Swift, who is nominated for her Fifty Shades Darker collaboration with Zayn Malik, "I Don't Want To Live Forever" and Little Big Town's "Better Man," for her songwriting nods on both tracks. Swift's album reputation was released after the eligibility date for Grammy nominations (er, though her single "Look What You Made Me Do" wasn't and didn't get any nods so...take from that what you will), so it makes sense that she isn't performing and may elect to so next year. Swift is also reportedly not attending the Grammys this year.
Additionally, Lorde is nominated for the evening's highest honour, Album of the Year, for Melodrama. In 2018, she's part of a category in which no white men were nominated for the award. So why is Lorde suspiciously absent from the list of performers?
It's important to note that the full list of performers has not yet been announced. But not including Lorde feels strange — all other nominees in her category will be performing except for her. She graced the Grammys stage when she won two awards for her debut album Pure Heroine.
We were hoping to see the New Zealand-born singer perform this year, but in her absence, we will absolutely cheer on Rihanna from our couches. The awards may pit artists against each other, but as fans, we can enjoy our beloved musicians with equal stan-level adoration. The Grammys will air on 28th January 2018.