After a year of protests, social reckoning and strife, country star Mickey Guyton took to the stage at the 2021 Grammy Awards to deliver a poignant and empowering message for everyone watching.
Standing center stage in breathtaking golden gown, Guyton delivered a moving performance of her single “Black Like Me” — a direct meditation on growing up and trying to break into a predominantly white genre as a black woman.
As the performance went on, the star was joined by a gospel choir, who wailed with her, “It’s a hard life on easy street/ Just white painted picket fences far as you can see.”
Despite not receiving support from country radio, Guyton received her first Grammy nomination this year for best country solo performance (the award went to Vince Gill’s “When My Amy Prays” earlier in the night). The singer’s nomination marked the first time in Grammys history where a black woman was nominated in a country music category.
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Watch Guyton’s full performance below.