Armed with the most nominations this year, SZA took the stage to perform at the 2024 Grammy Awards.
The singer, decked out in a black trenchcoat and wide-brimmed hat, opened with her smash hit “Snooze” off her sophomore album “SOS.” On a stage resembling a back alley replete with flaming garbage cans and a dumpster, she sang shrouded in shadow, brushing off a man who approached her at the song’s end.
The broadcast anned to a woman in the audience brandishing a sword, showing off her samurai skills on a table where Phoebe Bridgers and Victoria Monét were seated. The woman joined a crew of dancers on stage as SZA ran through a Quentin Tarantino-inspired performance of “Kill Bill,” taking off her jacket and joining in on the choreography, once again pushing off the suitor.
The R&B singer led the 2024 Grammy nominations with nine nods, including album of the year for “SOS” as well as song and record of the year for the hit single “Kill Bill.” Prior to the main broadcast, she was awarded the Grammy for best pop duo/group performance with “Ghost in the Machine” featuring Phoebe Bridgers, as well as best progressive R&B album for “SOS.”
SZA’s first Grammy came in 2022 for “Kiss Me More,” a collaboration with Doja Cat. In addition to Doja Cat, she has also collaborated with Kendrick Lamar, Travis Scott, Lizzo, Drake, Lorde, Justin Timberlake and James Blake, among others.
SZA was recently announced to headline the 2024 Governors Ball Festival, alongside Post Malone and the Killers.
She was named PvNew’s Hitmaker of the Year in November. In her cover story, the artist reflected on her history with the Grammys and rise in popularity following the release of “SOS.”
“I’ve lost enough times to know that investing in this moment is not wise,” she said. “And not because it’s not important — I’m so happy for it — but because you have to place your importance on who you are as an artist and as a person. It’s my first time being this popular, and I saw a huge uptick in negativity at the exact same time.”
Other Grammy performers include Joni Mitchell in her debut performance at the awards, U2 (making a remote appearance Las Vegas’ Sphere), Billy Joel, Dua Lipa, Olivia Rodrigo, Luke Combs, Travis Scott and Burna Boy.
