When CBS aired the 55th annual Grammy awards on Sunday, there were lots of surprises and upsets as artists like fun., Gotye, and Mumford and Sons took home major awards, but people weren’t just talking just about unpredicted awards or performances.
Here are the five most talked-about moments from the show:
Did Someone Drop an F-Bomb?
Questions are swirling about whether Nashville-based musician Jack White, the lead from the White Stripes, and Ruby Amanfu, who he performed with, dropped one of the most feared words on live television.
Though CBS officials say White's performance was clean, many are speculating that the performers used the expletive during the song "Love Interruption.”
The lyrics to the song go, "I want love to walk right up and bite me / Grab a hold of me and fight me." But where White usually says "fight," many though they heard the notorious F-bomb.
CBS insists otherwise.
"They went through all of the rehearsals. They have prepared meticulously. And not a single one of them heard anything other than 'fight,'" Martin Franks, an executive at CBS told the Hollywood reporter.
Justin Timberlake Returns to Stage
When Justin Timberlake released his last album, "Future Sex/Love Sounds," in 2006, he was hailed by many as the new reigning "King of Pop." He disappointed many in 2009, however, when he said he was taking a break from music to pursue acting. He dropped a new single "Suit and Tie" on Jan. 14 for the first time in six years.
He performed the new single on Sunday night, as well as "Pusher Love Girl," which he debuted at the Super Bowl. The performance was a tribute of sorts to the Rat Pack, and even got Jay-Z to rise from his seat for a verse on stage.
Ellen DeGeneres Gawks At Katy Perry's Assets
The CBS standards and practices team famously sent a “wardrobe advisory” on Feb. 5 to female attendees that outlined what guests shouldn’t wear, to stave off possible FCC fines and avoid some of the same
fallout as from the 2012 show
"Bare sides or under curvature of the breasts is problematic," the memo said.
The warning didn't stop Katy Perry from baring her assets, in a revealing mint-green dress that pushed the envelope and drew gazes. Comedian Ellen DeGeneres was one of the singer’s admirers, whose agape mouth and laser-focus eyes forced her partner Portia de Rossi to drag her away, with a smile on her face.
Taylor Swift Mocks Her Ex, Harry Styles
Grammy-winning Taylor Swift sent a not-so-subtle message to ex-boyfriend Harry Styles of the British boyband One Direction during her performance of "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together.” Just before the chorus, she took on a British accent and said, "I still love you." The message was clear: Styles probably won't be winning her back any time soon.
Rihanna and Chris Brown Attend Together
Many wondered whether Rihanna would show up to the Grammys with her on-again, off-again boyfriend Chris Brown. Friday was the four-year anniversary of Brown’s assault on the Barbadian star that left her bruised and black-eyed before that year's Grammys. Despite overwhelming public opinion encouraging her to stay as far away from Brown as possible, they're back together. Fans were eager to see how they would interact.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.