By AARON KREIN
Features Editor
The 2016 BRIT Awards took place from the 02 Arena in London last Wednesday and streamed live to international viewers via YouTube. Comedians Ant & Dec hosted the ceremony for the third time. The show is considered a British equivalent to the Grammy Awards.
Adele walked away with four accolades: MasterCard British Album of the Year, British Single, British Female Solo Artist, and the Global Success Award. She closed the show with her current single, “When We Were Young.” Making up from her microphone malfunction last week at the Grammys, this is her best performance yet during the “25” era.
Coldplay opened the show with their current single, “Hymn for the Weekend.” The group is no stranger to large amounts of color on stage, also incorporating many flowers into the performance. The main emblem from their latest album, “A Head Full of Dreams,” was also seen in various places during the set.
The cheerful song was a great selection to start off the show and matched the energy from front man Chris Martin that he usually gives. Coldplay also nabbed Best British Group, their ninth Brit Award in total.
Similar to his Grammy performance last week, Justin Bieber sang an acoustic version of “Love Yourself” but was accompanied this time by James Bay on guitar. Bieber transitioned into a massive dancer-filled set for “Sorry,” which involved the stage surrounded in pyrotechnics. He also won International Male Solo Artist. Bay performed again later with his smash single, “Hold Back The River,” and was also named Best British Male Solo Artist.
Jess Glynne performed a medley of “Ain’t Got Far To Go,” “Don’t Be So Hard on Yourself,” and “Hold My Hand.” The set involved the songstress surrounded by dancers in white spandex doing a rigorous routine. It reminded me of Florence and the Machine’s performance of “Dog Days Are Over” at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards. Besides that, Glynne’s vocals were on point and the upbeat positive vibes of her underrated album were displayed on stage brilliantly.
After skipping out on last week’s Grammys, Rihanna gave her first performance during the “Anti” era. The set started with the first track from the album, “Consideration,” where she was joined by neo soul singer SZA. An assortment of dancers and flashing lights that matched the beat of the song helped compliment the star’s stage presence.
This transitioned into her latest single, “Work,” where surprise guest Drake came out to rap his verse. The on-stage chemistry between these two has always been apparent especially with all the twerking. It should also be noted that “Work” became Rihanna’s 14th number one hit in the United States last week, ranking her third with the most after The Beatles and Mariah Carey.
Out of all the performances, the one that really blindsided me was from Little Mix. They performed an aggressive and prominently drum version of their hit, “Black Magic,” with a Day of the Dead theme. This was the first time we’ve seen the girl group in a dance-heavy performance with so much attitude. It was definitely the highlight of the night for me and it’s too bad a performance like this was never used during their U.S. promotion rounds.
Late superstar David Bowie was posthumously given the BRIT Icon Award by Annie Lennox, which was accepted by actor and friend of Bowie’s, Gary Oldman. Following an instrumental medley of hits like “Rebel Rebel” and “Under Pressure,” Lorde performed a unique version of “Life on Mars” with Bowie’s former backing band.
Oldman stated before presenting Lorde that Bowie called her “the future of music.” The song was brought down to her own key and grabbed my attention more than Lady Gaga’s tribute last week at the Grammys. I like how this performance was more subtle which is ironic considering Bowie wasn’t anything near subtle.
The Weeknd performed a clean rendition of “The Hills” with a background complete with graphics of broken glass and TV static. Compared to his usual forgettable television appearances, this was one of his better performances.
As awards were concerned, some of the wins were predictable, like One Direction winning Best British Video for “Drag Me Down.” This was their third consecutive win in the ceremony’s only fan-voted category. Best International Group was presented to Tame Impala, a band from Australia. Jack Garret, an up-and-coming singer known for combining R&B with electronic music, was hailed Critic’s Choice.
There were also winners that left people scratching their heads. Best British Breakthrough Artist went to indie rockers Catfish and the Bottlemen, beating out hit makers Jess Glynne and James Bay. Bjork also won Best International Female Solo Artist for the fourth time, over competition like Ariana Grande and Lana Del Rey.
It’s really shocking to say but I found this ceremony by far more entertaining than this year’s Grammys. With a show that had fewer performances and categories, that says a lot. Memorable performances and powerful speeches gives the 2016 BRIT Awards five stars in my book.
