Black choirs were the secret weapon of the Grammys' live performances

Black choirs had the best Grammys ever! Let history and the documentary 20 Feet From Stardom show that black backing choirs is all you need to amp up your performance. Did everyone use the same crew, or was it just mayhem backstage?

Sam Smith and Mary J. Blige

It wasn’t enough that Sam Smith brought out queen of my heart Mary J. Blige for his multi-award winning song “Stay With Me,” he also dragged out a mostly-black choir to let you know he means business (the business of winning a shitload of awards).

Madonna

Our Lady of Appropriation gyrated in a lion tamer costume to the beautiful sound of a black choir grooving on her song “Living for Love.”

Beyoncé

She rolled out in a wedding dress and a black choir at the end of the show to sing a hymn a capella and emphasize how much Grammy voters fucked up by not giving her Album of the Year, then she floated out on a wave of diamonds and rolled up hundos.

Pharrell

This performance was a nod to the Lord, Mickey Mouse, Black Lives Matter, the Grand Budapest Hotel, Trayvon Martin, and Elvira Mistress of the Dark. It was a mess anchored by one thing—a black choir.

John Legend and Common

The hottest of pieces sang the uplifting “Glory,” bolstered by a fierce black choir. Take me to church — sit down, Hozier!

Danielle Henderson is a lapsed academic, heavy metal karaoke machine, and culture editor at Fusion. She enjoys thinking about how race, gender, and sexuality shape our cultural narratives, but not in a boring way.