James Corden took the stage on February 12, 2017 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA to host the Grammy Awards. Music’s biggest night brought some great performances from seasoned veterans and youthful newcomers alike. Along with the star-studded performances, the winners of this years Grammy awards both made history and added to their collections of Grammy gold.

Corden started the night with a monologue that may have tried too hard, but sparked a laugh for viewers who were anxious about the direction of this year’s award ceremony. Over the course of the night, Corden managed to exude exceptional showmanship, energy, and friendliness that even someone at home could feel. (One of the highlights of the show was the Carpool Karaoke segment featuring the likes of Corden, Neil Diamond, JLo, and Blue Ivy.)

Adele opened the show with a played out but vocally solid live rendition of her hit song ‘Hello,’ which began her big night. Later in the show, Adele performed a tribute to George Michael, making headlines for re-starting halfway through due to a “poor first half performance.”

Adele swept the major nominations at the Grammys, beating out contender Beyoncé for her highly praised project ‘Lemonade.’ Adele’s big three wins come with ‘Hello’ for Song of the Year and Record of the Year, along with her album ‘25’ winning Album of the Year.

Chance the Rapper was a highlight of this year’s award ceremony. His mash-up of ‘How Great’ and ‘All We Got’, both tracks from his recent mixtape ‘Coloring Book’, showed feverish energy and a gospel choir swaying at his sides. ‘Coloring Book’ earned him seven Grammy nods, taking home awards including Best New Artist and Best Rap Album. Chance also became the first black hip-hop artist to win the Grammy’s Best New Artist since Lauryn Hill in 1999.

Beyoncé proved that being pregnant with twins isn’t a factor in her showmanship. With a slow, visually mesmerizing, and vocally on point performance of some ‘Lemonade’ tracks, Queen B took us for a journey. Although the performance was sound, it was rather lengthy, and at times, underwhelming. Bey perhaps had the biggest snubs of the night, losing to Adele in the big three categories, for an album that many thought was her best work.

Katy Perry made her comeback to the big stage, with her last album release, ‘Prism’, coming in the fourth quarter of 2013. Now back and blonde, Perry took the stage to perform her new single, Chained to the Rhythm, from her highly anticipated fourth album. Perry’s performance was one of the most political of the night, donning rose-colored glasses and a visual of the United States Constitution. The entire set was a new vibe for Perry, and one of the best performances of the night.

Lady Gaga teamed up with Metallica to hit the Grammys stage. Although some technical difficulties were lackluster to the performance, the duo brought a new energy. Coming off of her stellar Super Bowl halftime show, Gaga proved that she is a multi-dimensional talent. She fit well with the rock-centric Metallica, crowd surfing and dancing in-step with the atmosphere.

Bruno Mars performed twice, performing tracks from his latest record ‘24K Magic,’ along with a Prince tribute. His first performance was one that ladies loved, including Jennifer Lopez from the audience. Mars has a way of presenting himself sensually and stylistically in bold form. His Prince tribute could have gone wrong, but turned out to be oh so right.

The nights most inspired and politically charged performance came from A Tribe Called Quest and Anderson .Paak. The set presented a medley of hits from the group, along with a remembrance of ATCQ’s late member, Phife Dawg. The performance featured dancers in police uniforms, a procession of people in hijabs, and a “resist” chant.

Music’s biggest night was filled with A-list stars for the first time in a while, and the show proved that. The performances were the best in recent memory. The general feel of the show brought welcome inspiration and passion to the viewers and audience alike, reminding us that music still can change the world.