david draimandisturbed
20:18 Monday, 6 February 2023
While the lack of rock representation in the Grammy broadcast ceremony remains, there was a satanic presence put forth last night, as Sam Smith and Kim Petras summoned up a devilish performance that earned some praise while also making a point from Disturbed frontman David Draiman.
The two musicians performed their collaboration "Unholy" which had already won a Grammy for Best Pop Duo / Group Performance earlier in the night. The performance featured a red clad Smith giving off demonic vibes while a group of dark haired, red robe-clad dancers circled him onstage. Petras, meanwhile, was caged for her part of the song, surrounded by whip-wielding demon dancers. As if the devilish implications were not a given, upon Smith taking the vocal lead again, he wore a top-hat adorned with devil horns, brandishing a cane and flicking his tongue before being engulfed by the demon dancers surrounding him.
Later commenting on the performance, Draiman wrote via Twitter, "Lol, I don’t want anyone ever saying that Hard Rock/Heavy Metal live performances are too 'extreme' for the @RecordingAcad telecast… Because @samsmith just set the bar for EVERYONE last night."
Draiman does have a point. While the occasional hard rock bands have made Grammy appearances before (Foo Fighters, Metallica, etc.), the more extreme and heavier acts have often been excluded from the broadcast. The first Best Metal Performance Grammy was handed out in 1990, so we're now three decades removed from metal's introduction as a Grammy category with minimal exposure on the main telecast.
If it's out of fear of presentation, well, as Draiman pointed out, the devilish "extremes" of Smith's performance perhaps are on par with what Grammy organizers might be afraid a heavier act might pull off if allowed the platform.
See the performance below.
