The Grammys once again came and went. From Kanye West parading his wife in the Empress’ New Clothes to Trevor Noah amping up the vitriol in his fifth return as host, here are the highlights from the 67th ceremonies, culled from the clips I managed to watch:

FOR THE LOVE OF L.A. Given the cataclysm brought by the Los Angeles fires, the show was inevitably held in the host city’s honor. That much was emphasized by the calls for donations throughout and the heartfelt opening number by Dawes, whose members, Taylor and Griffin Goldsmith, also lost their homes. Doing a rework of Randy Newman’s aptly-titled 1983 hit “I Love L.A.”, the brothers were backed by the likes of John Legend, Sheryl Crow, Brittany Howard, Brad Praisley, and St. Vincent, who won three awards prior to the show. It’s an odd song choice made poignant by the tragic circumstances and the stellar line-up.

WE SHOULD STICK TOGETHER. In what felt like a shift in direction, perennial Grammy darlings Taylor Swift and Billie Eilish both scored zero wins. At least the latter still had a hand at opening the show. Joined by her brother Finneas, she performed her nominated piece, “Birds of a Feather”, with a projected image of L.A.’s foothills as her backdrop. It was a moving image and the re-arrangement gave new depth to the song’s message of unity.

HELL OF A BREAKTHROUGH. Sabrina Carpenter had already been churning out music for a decade, which is enough to consider renaming the category “Best Artist On the Receiving End of Overdue Attention”. That still doesn’t make her Grammy debut any less momentous, as she paid homage to classic Hollywood glam in mashing up last year’s summer anthem (and this year’s Best Pop Performance winner), Espresso, with her follow-up hit “Please Please Please”.

The icing on the cake was when she accepted her second trophy for Best Pop Album, before apologizing for her overuse of the word “Hell” in her speech. Too late for apologizing for the S-bomb, though.

DEBUTANTES DOMINATE. We’re not even sure what constitutes “New” these days, since most of the nominees have been around for a while (Hello again, Sabrina). Whatever the case, it’s refreshing to all the contenders earn airtime, via a mid-show medley.

The set kicked off with Benson Boone’s backflipping to Beautiful Things in that uncomfortable jumpsuit, followed by Teddy Swims and Shaboozey performing their hits Lose Control and “A Bar Song (Tipsy)”, respectively, and UK’s Raye capping it off with the poignant “Oscar Winning Tears”.

The biggest winner among that roster, though, was Doechii, hands down. Apart from delivering a showstopper with “Catfish” and “Denial is a River”, her third mixtape, “Alligator Bites Never Heal”, also nabbed Best Rap Album. Her speech, while thematically nothing we haven’t heard before, was still a more-than-welcome pick-me-up for dreamers everywhere.

SUPER GRAPHIC ULTRA MODERN CHANTEUSE. This year’s resident oddball, Chappell Roan, may have lost the edge to Sabrina Carpenter in the Pop categories, but she still delivered an unforgettable spectacle with her performance of “Pink Pony Club”. It was a psychedelic circus, with the singer entering aloft a gigantic pink pony backdrop before gyrating to her hit with a battalion of rodeo clowns. It was such a sensationally engaging number; guests could be seen mouthing every line.

And, just when Best New Artist felt like a neck-and-neck race between Sabrina Carpenter and Doechii, the singer later defied the odds and delivered one of the most resonant speeches of the night.

ON SUCH A WINTER’S DAY. Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars won their 12th and 16th statuettes, respectively, in the Pop Collaboration category for “Die With a Smile”. Surprisingly, though, they didn’t take the stage with a reprise of their hit duet, but with a gutsy cover of California Dreamin’. Given the turn of events, the lines “I’d be safe and warm/If I was in L.A.” never felt more wishful. Apart from following the opening number’s lead, the choice was in commemoration of The Mamas and the Papas’ take on the song, which turns 60 this year.

A CURIOUS COMEBACK. No one knows for sure how The Weeknd and Recording Academy CEO, Harvey Mason, Jr. reached that truce, given how irrevocable that boycott felt four years ago. Either way, that surprise appearance hints at healing, given Mason’s assurance of a more balanced voting populace. How timely, too, that the Canadian singer just released his latest album Hurry Up Tomorrow, his supposed swan song under his famous codename.

LONG LIVE QUINCY JONES. Surprise, surprise. Will Smith is still welcome at the Grammys, and Jaden   didn’t even need to wear that castle to prove that point. And when the Fresh Prince introduced the tribute to departed legend, Quincy Jones, everyone was prepped for an epic tribute. That certainly was the case, with Herbie Hancock kicking off the set and Oscar nominee Cynthia Erivo belting out “Fly Me to the Moon”. They were soon followed by country sensation Lainey Wilson singing “Let the Good Times Roll” with Album of the Year nominee Jacob Collier on piano. As if that wasn’t jam-packed enough, we had Stevie Wonder taking on “Bluesette” and taking one for the “We Are the World” team. Most show-stopping was Janelle Monae, who did the mostspot-on moonwalk as she took on Michael Jackson’s “Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough”.

HIPS STILL DON’T LIE. There were quibbles about this year not being Latin enough (Donde esta, Bad Bunny?). But at least fans had a double fill of Shakira. Apart from bagging the Best Latin Pop Album accolade for Las Mujeres Y No Lloran, the Colombian icon later took the stage with 1998’s Middle East-flavored Ojos Asi and “Shakira: Bzrp Sessions Volume 53”, a track from her winning album. Making her mash-up more electrifying was her belly dance prowess, which still scintillates after all these years. It was enough to perk up the crowd as the show continued to stretch.

NOT BAD FOR A DISS TRACK. Kendrick Lamar started the show as a triple winner, with “Not Like Us” earning statuettes for Best Rap Song, Best Rap Performance, and Best Music Video. Little did everyone know that he’d end the night as the year’s biggest champ after dominating both Record of the Year and Song of the Year categories. Yet despite earning accolades for what’s essentially a diss track, his speeches weren’t additional swipes at Drake, as most might expect. Instead, the LA native dedicated his wins to his beleaguered home, capping off with “…a true testament that we can continue to restore this city”. Way to boost the hype for his upcoming Superbowl performance. 

A BRATTY SHOWSTOPPER. It wasn’t much of a tall order to transform Crypto.com Arena into a rave party site. It’s the Grammys, after all, and it’s nothing Charli XCX can’t pull off. Even the carpark was put to good use when she started with her Best Dance Recording winner, Von Dutch. And, by the time she made the stage with her hit Guess, everyone was on their feet. Too bad none of her winning categories were presented in the telecast, but with a set as exhilarating as that, who needs speeches?

ABOUT TIME. It’s almost imperative that Beyonce takes the Grammy stage not just to win, but to also make history anew. True enough, her dumbstruck reaction to being the first colored female to win Best Country Album already became meme fodder even before the show ended and she also helped Miley Cyrus score her third win via the Best Country Duo/Group Performance category. But, in the shocker to end all shockers, Cowboy Carter finally earned her the Album of the Year award.

As many know, it was a moment preceded by a staggering 15-year wait, with 2016’s Lemonade being the biggest missed opportunity. The singer made her disbelief clear when she hit the podium. “I am just very full and honored…It’s been many years”, she began, struggling to find the words, before hitting it home with a shoutout to country star Linda Martell: “I just hope we keep opening doors”