Harry Styles, PvNew‘s Hitmaker of the Year for 2020, opened the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards Sunday night with a laid-back version of his hit song “Watermelon Sugar.”
Sporting a fitted black leather suit and green feather boa, Styles grooved through his first-ever Grammys performance. The former One Direction member was accompanied by an eight-piece band, including a saxophonist, trombone player and two back-up singers, giving “Watermelon Sugar” a jazzy feel. Devonté Hynes, better known as Blood Orange, played a cherry-red bass during the performance, which he also directed.
During the song’s penultimate chorus, Styles embarked on a dance break, flinging off the boa to reveal his bare chest. He flitted across the stage as his band improvised, dancing with the back-up singers and basking in the glow of the stage.
Styles is a contender for best pop solo performance for “Watermelon Sugar,” best pop vocal album for “Fine Line” and best music video for “Adore You.” On the heels of several hit singles, his latest album has sold 2.5 million units since its release in December 2019. “Fine Line” is RIAA certified double platinum, has over 4 billion worldwide streams and six songs that have cracked the Billboard top 100 chart, including the recently released “Treat People With Kindness” and “Lights Up.” “Fine Line” already picked up a win at the American Music Awards for Favorite Pop/Rock Album in November.
Styles, 27, first ascended on the pop charts as a member of One Direction after competing on the British music singing competition, “The X Factor.” His debut album, “Harry Styles,” was released in 2017.
Styles appeared in the Christopher Nolan-directed 2017 film, “Dunkirk,” and is set to star in the psychological thriller, “Don’t Worry Darling”, directed by Olivia Wilde. He will also co-star with Emma Corrin in Amazon Studios’ adaptation of the 2012 novel “My Policeman”, directed by Michael Grandage.
