The 2019 Grammys took place this week, with the 61st Annual Awards seeing Cardi B, Dua Lipa, Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande among others emerge as award-winners.
The action-packed ceremony saw Michelle Obama take to the stage with Alicia Keys and Lady Gaga perform ‘Shallow’ sans Bradley Cooper. But it was Jennifer Lopez’s performance that got the world talking – and for all the wrong reasons.
The 49-year-old was chosen to perform at the Grammys as the headliner of the 60th-anniversary tribute to Motown – something that attracted a lot of criticism, even before the awards took place, due to her Latina background. In fact, a lot of online viewers were offended by her lead participation in the tribute, questioning why she was given the accolade above a black artist.
‘People who could’ve done the Motown tribute – Gladys Knight, Stevie Wonder, Patti Labelle, Jennifer Hudson, Tina Tuner, or practically anyone else,’ tweeted one viewer. Another posted: ‘No shade, J-Lo is truly a great artist, but let’s be real, this wasn’t her performance to give. Plenty of other black artists could have been given this platform and moment and we need to acknowledge that.’
‘I don’t think anyone who is intelligent is upset,’ her fellow Motown performer Smokey Robinson told Variety about her involvement. ‘I think anyone who is upset is stupid. Motown was music for everybody. Everybody. Who’s stupid enough to protest Jennifer Lopez doing something for Motown?’
After the Grammys performance alongside Smokey, Ne-Yo and Alicia Keys, the criticism continued, something that the J-Lo chose to ignore, saying of her performance to Entertainment Tonight: ‘I could cry. It’s such a good moment. It was for my mom. It’s just a dream come true. Singing up there with Smokey Robinson, like, I gotta pinch myself. I grew up on all those songs and because my mom loved him so much she passed him on to us.
‘The thing about music is that it inspires all,’ she explained. ‘Any type of music can inspire any type of artist. You can’t tell people what to love. You can’t tell people what they can and can’t do, what they should sing or not sing. You gotta do what’s in your heart.’
When asked what she had to say to her critics, J-Lo replied classily, telling Entertainment Tonight: ‘I’m just very humbled and honoured to be able to have sung those songs.’
Forever bowing down to you J-Lo.
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WATCH: Lady Gaga Divides Fans Over Glam-Rock Version Of ‘Shallow’.
This article originally appeared on marie claire UK.
