- - Brutally honest reviews of every Grammy Awards performance including Bruno Mars and Rosé

Patrick Ryan and Anna Kaufman, USA TODAY February 2, 2026 at 2:15 AM

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Lady Gaga is set to cast a spell over this year’s Grammy Awards.

The “Abracadabra” chanteuse, who is nominated for seven prizes, is one of the most hotly anticipated performers of the 2026 telecast, which is airing live from Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles (8 p.m. ET/PT on CBS and streaming on Paramount+ Premium).

Sabrina Carpenter will be back to sing new offerings from album “Man’s Best Friend,” while Justin Bieber is returning to the Grammys stage for the first time in four years. Best new artist nominees including Addison Rae and Olivia Dean are set for a medley, and Lauryn Hill will be on hand to pay tribute to the late D’Angelo and Roberta Flack.

Here is how we rate the best (and worst) performances of the night:

Sabrina Carpenter, ‘Manchild’

Sabrina Carpenter onstage during the 68th GRAMMY Awards.

Sabrina Carpenter is second to none. While the pint-sized pop star wasn’t the first performance of the night, she took the baton with the polish and ease of a touring performer who's spent time under the tutelage of Taylor Swift.

With a rousing take on her tongue-in-cheek single “Manchild,” Carpenter turned the Grammys stage into a baggage claim at the height of Panam’s heyday. Her pinup girl glam going strong, she led a gaggle of men in a synchronized dance, with an air traffic control lighter and a pilot’s pin to complete the look.

What the live vocals at time lacked, Carpenter more than made up for in camp and showmanship, mocking the many men falling at her feet and twirling in a white button-downed pilot’s uniform – if pilots wore booty shorts.

Bruno Mars and Rosé, ‘APT.’

Rosé and Bruno Mars perform "APT." at the 68th GRAMMY Awards at Crypto.com Arena Feb. 1, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.

Mars and Blackpink singer Rosé opened the show with a scorching take on their 2024 smash “APT.,” a frothy, clap-along stomper that interpolates Toni Basil’s 1982 single “Mickey.” Mars, ever the consummate showman, was more muted than we’ve seen him in past performances, standing in place as he thrashed his electric guitar. Instead, he ceded the stage to Rosé, who was pop-punk chic in a white tank and loose black tie. The New Zealand-South Korean singer bounced around and mugged for the camera in playful rock-star fashion, although her vocals were often drowned out by Mars’ robust backing band The Hooligans.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Honest reviews of every Grammys 2026 performance

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