On Sunday night, Nigerian musician Burna Boy made history by becoming the first Afrobeat artist to perform on the esteemed Grammy Night Awards stage. Together with Brandi and 21 Savage, Burna Boy, 32, made history by being the first Afrobeat performers to perform at the Grammy Awards every year in 2024.
They sang “Sittin’ on the Top of the World,” a Burna Boy and 21 Savage song that was used in Brandy’s 2023 song, during the concert. Brandy was a major star in the 1998 smash song “Top of the World,” which is specifically honored in this song.
Burna Boy sang his song “On Form” with traditional Nigerian dancers as he began his performance. He was dressed in light blue pants, a red jacket, and silver accessories. With his smash song “City Boys,” he brought energy and excitement to the stage after that.
In contrast, Brandy made a spectacular entrance, descending stairs onto a set while sporting her signature red knee-high boots and black dress from “Top of the World.” 21 Savage joined Burna Boy on stage, wearing a red leather jacket and pants, and sang a cover of “Sittin’ on Top of the World.”
Rolling Stone Music Now had earlier in the week revealed the news of their performance, which was made public by Grammys executive producer Raj Kapoor.
This performance was more than just an important occasion for Burna Boy. He had never rapped on the Grammy stage before. After a few years, Brandy made a comeback to the Grammy stage. In 1997, she made her debut with a rendition of “Sittin’ Up In My Room.”
With “All My Life,” Burna Boy and 21 Savage were set to deliver a fantastic performance on Sunday night as they competed for the title of Best Melodic Rap Performance. But “All My Life” by J. Cole and Lil Durk won the prize. With “City Boys,” Burna Boy was able to get permission for Best African Music Performance.
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This year, 21 Savage received numerous nominations as well. “Spin Bout U,” his joint project with Drake, received another nomination for Best Melodic Rap Performance. “Her Loss” for Best Rap Album, “Rich Flex” for Best Rap Performance, and “Rich Flex” for Best Rap Song were among the other nominees.
After helping Monica win Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group for “The Boy Is Mine” in 1999, Brandy made her Grammy debut on Sunday night.
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