SAN FRANCISCO – A giant video projection of the U.S. Constitution loomed over the stage at this year’s Grammys, making the music industry’s top awards show one of the most overtly political yet.

The document that defines America and famously begins with “We the People” provoked a standing ovation from the audience at the culmination of a performance by pop singer Katy Perry, who sang her newly released song, “Chained to the Rhythm.” With a refrain of “We think we’re free,” the song’s lyrics talk about being lulled into a “comfortable bubble.” Performing on a set with a picture-perfect white picket fence, Perry was joined by Skip Marley, grandson of Jamaican reggae legend Bob Marley, whose songs often protested against oppression and social injustice.

The aftermath of November’s bitterly fought U.S. presidential election has produced a succession of political comments by artists at awards shows, most notably actress Meryl Streep’s speech attacking U.S. President Donald Trump during the Golden Globes Awards in January.

That spree continued on Sunday, as various artists brought up the divisive political atmosphere and the need to speak out. “At this particular time in history, our voices are needed more than ever,” said Jennifer Lopez at the show’s start.

In a more comic vein, Grammys host James Corden launched the show with a rap: “Live it all up because this is the best, and with President Trump we don’t know what comes next.” Hip-hop pioneers A Tribe Called Quest performed a politically charged medley with nominee Anderson Paak and Busta Rhymes, who called out to “Agent Orange,” a nickname for Trump, sarcastically thanking him for his “unsuccessful attempt at the Muslim ban.” At the end of the song, women wearing headscarves joined the performers onstage accompanied by cries of “Resist!” Perry wore an armband that said “Persist.” Ahead of the main awards show, Chance the Rapper won a Grammy for best rap performance, wearing a black hoodie with”Obama” on the back and “thank you” on the front.

But the commentary was not all anti-Trump. In a bold statement that instantly made headlines, singer Joy Villa on the red carpet revealed a gown with “Make America Great Again” – the election slogan of Trump – stitched down the front.

The president of the Recording Academy, Neil Portnow, called on Trump to renew the government’s commitment to the arts, saying Americans are “constantly reminded about the things that divide us,” citing race, religion, sexual orientation and politics. “But what we need so desperately are more reminders of all that binds us together.”

Los Angeles – Adele, who on Sunday took home five Grammy Awards, said she had worried her heart-wrenching global megahit “Hello” would be a flop.

Speaking to reporters at the music industry’s gala, the English ballad singer said she struggled with writer’s block as she took a break from music to raise her son.

In the end, “Hello” won both Record of the Year and Song of the Year. The track appears on “25,’ which won Album of the Year.

“I felt the pressure writing ’25’ very, very much and for a very long time during the process, I didn’t really find my voice, and I don’t know if I did find it even at the end,” she said.

Adele said she feared the 2015 commercial on British television that teased “Hello” would turn out to be “an expensive disaster” and that listeners would not recognize her or care.

In the ubiquitous song, Adele says “hello from the other side” – as she struggles to reach someone from her past to apologize.

“It’s the other side of being a grown-up; it’s the other side of my relationship with my friends and my ex-boyfriends,” she said.

“I don’t know if I lost touch with a lot of my friends because of how famous I got,” Adele said, adding that the song also touched on her grandfather, who died 18 years ago.

With Sunday’s trophy haul, Adele became the first act to triumph in the three key categories in two separate years.

“25” is the top-selling album of the past decade with the exception of her “21,” which achieved the sweep in 2012.

LOS ANGELES – Adele swept the Grammy Awards on Sunday, taking home statuettes for the top prizes – album, record and song of the year – in a shock, history-making victory over Beyonce on a night marked by political statements and emotional tributes.

Adele, 28, won all five Grammys for which she was nominated, including for her comeback album “25” and her soaring ballad”Hello.” She became the first person in Grammy history to win the top three awards twice, following her wins for her last album “21” in 2012.

Beyonce, 35, had gone into Sunday’s awards show with a leading nine nominations for her powerful “Lemonade” album about race, feminism, and betrayal. She had been hoping to win her first album of the year Grammy.

Adele, who now has a career total of 15 Grammys, seemed stunned, telling reporters backstage that she “felt like it was her (Beyonce’s) time to win.” “My queen and my idol is Queen B. I adore you,” the British singer said to Beyonce, seated in the front row, as she accepted her award. “I can’t possibly accept this award, and I’m very humble and very grateful. But my artist of my life is Beyonce. This album for me, the ‘Lemonade’ album, was so monumental,” she added.

SHOW-STOPPER

Beyonce and Adele also had the most talked-about moments on the Grammys stage.

In her first public appearance since her announcement 12 days ago that she is expecting twins, Beyonce donned a sheer, glittering gold dress and halo crown to perform her ballads”Love Drought” and “Sandcastles.” Singing seated on a chair and surrounded by petals, she also appeared in video projections wearing a gold-chain string bikini.

Moments later, Adele literally stopped the show after flubbing the start of a tribute to the late British pop star George Michael. “I’m sorry. I know it’s live TV,” she said, cursing, stopping her slow ballad version of Michael’s “Fastlove” and asking to start again. “I can’t mess this up for him (Michael),”she said. She later apologized for causing any offense.

Later, Minneapolis band The Time and Bruno Mars performed an up-tempo tribute to Prince, celebrating his musical legacy.

POLITICAL STATEMENTS

As with other recent Hollywood award shows, artists wasted no time getting political.

Katy Perry wore a glittering armband saying “Persist” and her performance of “Chained to the Rhythm” featured banners showing the words “We the People”, the opening sentence of the U.S. Constitution.

Host James Corden, opening the show with an extended rap about the power of music, sang “Live it all up, because this is the best, and with President Trump, we don’t know what is next.” The other big winner was late British singer David Bowie, whose final album “Blackstar” won all five of its nominations, including best alternative album. The British singer had never won in his lifetime for an individual album or song. “Blackstar” was released two days before his death in January 2016 of cancer.

Other winners on Sunday included Chicago’s Chance the Rapper, who won three Grammys including best new artist while Twenty One Pilots won best pop duo/group performance for”Stressed Out.” Drake and Kanye West, who each had eight nominations, were no shows, as well as Justin Bieber. Drake, who won two Grammys for single “Hotline Bling”, is on tour in England.

Two years since appearing in her last drama series, Singapore actress Joanne Peh is back in a new Channel 8 project and tackling criticism of her performance head on.

Ever since the drama debuted on Feb 7, some viewers have noticed something different about the way the 33-year-old delivers her lines.

Some puzzled viewers took to Internet forums and Peh’s social media pages to question why she speaks in what they say is Chinese-accented Mandarin.

Nineties movie siren Ellen Chan, 50, is set to wed actor Daniel Wu’s 45-year-old cousin Martin (both below), say Hong Kong newspapers.

The two met at a party in August last year and the businessman asked the actress to marry him at his birthday party in November.

This article was first published on Feb 13, 2017.
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