Harry Styles’ first Grammy Awards’ performance is going to be major: He has been tapped to open the 63rd annual Grammy Awards on Sunday (March 14).
To be asked to open the Grammys is a major vote of confidence in an artist. If the audience doesn’t know the artist or doesn’t much care, they can drift away before the show even gets started.
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In the past decade, just three other individual artists (not groups or collabs) have had that honor. Taylor Swift – whom Styles briefly dated – has opened the show twice. She opened the 2013 show singing “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,” and the 2016 show with “Out of the Woods.” Adele opened the 2017 show with “Hello,” which wound up winning record and song of the year. Lizzo opened last year’s show performing “Cuz I Love You” and “Truth Hurts.” She won best pop solo performance for the latter song, edging out Billie Eilish’s “Bad Guy” in that category. It was Eilish’s only Grammy loss of the night.
The Recording Academy isn’t saying what song Styles will perform, but “Watermelon Sugar” (nominated for best pop solo performance) and “Adore You” (nominated for best music video) would be good bets.
Styles has three Grammy nominations on the night. He is also nominated for best pop vocal album for Fine Line. These are the first Grammy nominations of Styles’ career – in or out of One Direction.
Fine Line spent its first two weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. “Watermelon Sugar” topped the Billboard Hot 100 for one week last year. “Adore You” peaked at No. 6 on that chart.
In other Grammy news, Swift revealed that she will be joined by her collaborators Jack Antonoff and Aaron Dessner on her Grammy performance. All three are nominated for album of the year for Folklore. Swift and Dessner are also nominated for song of the year for “Cardigan.” Antonoff is individually nominated for producer of the year (non-classical).
The 63rd annual Grammy Awards will air live on Sunday (Mar. 14) at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on CBS, Paramount+ and Grammy.com. Online viewers can also stream CBS with free trials on fuboTV and Sling TV. Billboard may receive affiliate commission through links on our site.